Tweed

Going back to the more important topic of the game. The furst three minutes were crucial. A stunning save from Randolph (after what can only be described as chronic defending!) and then we go straight up the other end and score. And that seemed to knock the stuffing outof St Johnstone and build the belief in our lot and from then on we defended very securely. Thought we created lots of space down the right side but a poor final ball meant we didn't use it as well as we could and interestingly despite the fact we got in behind more on the right side both goals came from the left. We really didn't press that much in the second half choosing to keep the ball more often. Which was fine as we'd one the game in the first half but we aren't good enough to do that against better teams than St Johnstone. We gave the ball away cheaply a few times. But I'm splitting hairs. Overall a great performance and result.

Agree with that. With Saunders's suspension I suspect Hateley may drop back v St J and then we see that midfield and if they do the business then Hateley may not get back in to the midfield. Good thing is though that even though we have a small squad we do have a good number that can play in more than one position.

Might also be good if Derek McInnes didn't.

Hibs game apart where he was brutal he has had a good start to the season. We have Saunders, Hutchinson and Page that we could play about with plus Hateley can drop into defence to support them however I think it may have left a hole that was a bit too big to plug at this stage for us to have any meaningful challenge to the top six this season. However had we sold him a week or two ago totally different story as that would have given us a bit of time to replace him. Not ideal situation but if he helps guide us to 6th then its job well done.

v Killie at Rugby Park in the November of that season. Took a huge deflection but was a winner in a 1-0 win.

Hard to compare Randolph to Lasley but I'm just plumping Randolph. Reynolds and Craigan were solid too.

Always suspected we'd struggle today given our lack of resources and having played on Thursday. We seemed a yard off the pace and we looked mentally tired as well. Celtic have that bit more depth that although they also played on Thursday they had players of similar ability to bring in. I think given how poor we were at times the fact we dug in and kept them out until the 73rd minute is a great credit to the resilience of the team. But we really are struggling for creativity. Humphrey is great at creating space on his day (today wasn't it) but he doesn't utilise it that well. Hammell has a great cross on him on his day (today wasn't it). Murphy, Hateley and Forbes are good from dead balls but take that out and we don't have much. Overall this game was a good one to have right after Thursday as a fair chance we'd have lost it anyway and we can now go away and recharge the batteries and come back and have a good crack at St Johnstone, Aberdeen and Hearts. And for me it was a clear penalty, not sure if it needed the card.

We had enough chances, possession and effort to win but sadly we just lacked that extra bit of ability in both boxes. A tail of what might/should have been really. However at that level you cannot give teams two goals from set plays, miss penalties hit things with your head at midriff height and expect to go through. Tough lesson in being clinical but to be fair to our team their effort and workrate were second to none. Shame about the rule change to three handballs a penalty as we may have scored the other two!

Reynolds was our villain last week, thought he was our best player today. He supported the struggling left side in the early stages, controlled the box throughout, made a couple of good interventions and showed there is a leader when Craigan isn't about.

Fitzpatrick did fine. Shaky start with Hammell on left side when Killie had the ball but they both grew into it. Missed a good chance with a poor shot but to be fair we don't really pay him to score. Considering how little he has played he did well. Page was fine to start with but Mixu double up down that flank and he was all at sea. Encouraging but not outstanding. So on that basis my team would be the normal back five. Same midfield as today with Lasley in for Jennings. Then the big decision is who plays with Murphy. If Sutton is 100% fit I think I'd just be inclined to give him the nod but if he is anything less than 100% then Blackman is good enough so wouldn't take any risks. However whatever CB decides there there will be no complaints for me.

After first ten minutes was very concerned as Fitzpatrick and Hammell didn't seem to know what each other was doing and Reynolds had to keep on coming over to help them out leaving us short in the middle. But they both settled into good solid performances. We were far from brilliant but scored a lovely well constructed goal and really should have had another in the 2nd half from Fitzpatrick but his finish wasn't great. Actually thought he did really well considering he hasn't played for 7 months and I suspect Lasley will go to where Jennings was and that will be our midfield four on Thursday. Killie were ganting 2nd half until last ten minutes but job well done.

Over the piece I thought they looked a little more incisive than us when attacking but we matched them. Which makes it more galling we lost two cheap cheap goals. However if you'd offered me a 2-1 reverse this morning I'd have bitten a hand for it and I thought we thoroughly deserved that goal at the end. Didn't think the penalty claims were stonewallers but certainly all from the seen them given category and to get none of them was really unfortunate. Red card was moronic and unlucky at the same time. Having been booked and warned to have your boot that high was silly however it wasn't much of a foul and not seen many yellows given for that foul. We'll miss him next week. But they not much better than us. We play like we can and consolidate Humphrey's pace with better crosses we'll have them rattled. Really proud of the team for their efforts tonight.

To be fair to Dempster, 5 Live is not as sensationalist as Sky Sports News is and without having heard it I'm sure her tone would have got exactly the same message across to a different demographic of the public.

I think the club have played this absolutely spot on. Working under the scenes, a gentle public statement then wait until Cardiff are in the limelight and unleash the big one and give Sky a huger story than the already large one they had. And appearing like a bumbling idiot means it won't be forgotten - if that was planned a masterstroke. If we don't get this money and were to end up in admin again a year from now (perish the thought) and we did fuck all Boyle would be lambasted. He has learnt from 2002 and is looking after us well now and today is another fine example of it.

I thought Humprhey was our best today. Utilised his pace, delivered some good telling balls (and a few heavy ones too) and not scared to track back. Randolph had a good game though not sure he was blameless for goals two and three and would like another look to confirm. Sutton was superb though some of his good work lost its value due to not getting the fouls he deserved from Bamba. Murphy looked good for a bit but really quietened down second half. Jennings and Lasley both made a couple of uncharacteristic errors but on the whole were good. Defence were shocking so overall has to be Humphrey.

Thought bringing him on was the move that cost us the game. Which was nothing against him but it just left us too light in midfield. The service dried up so hard to comment on whether he will be any good or not. But hoping he will be - did nothing to suggest he would be a dud either.

I thought that was the best Humphrey has played for us. Probably the best performer in claret and amber today and if he can keep that going every left back in the country will be shiting it about playing us because his speed is frightening. However Hanlon was guff so he may have to do a bit more in future weeks.

Reynolds is a good enough centre half but was hopeless today. Craigan is a good enough centre half but was hopeless today. Saunders I'm not sure enough but again hopeless today. Hammell I like and he was mediocre today. Really clear why we lost. Defensively we were garbage. But this is the same defence who got clean sheet after clean sheet last year more or less. Not concerned about one bad day but they were all honking today.

I thought middle to front we were pretty good though some of the shooting was a bit tame. However defensively we were murder. I thought Craigan and Reynolds were absolutely appalling. And if we defend like that we can do as much as we like going forward we won't win many games. On the plus side some good saves from Randolph, Humphrey was excellent and Sutton and Murphy their usual industrious selves. I thought our penalty was a stone waller. From the natural angle on the telly you would never know it but from the East Stand it was a blatant tug and the ref was on the same side so no surprise he gave it. Though from a Hibs point of view it was a crazy bit of defending as Blackman was going nowhere Thought Brown got the Humprhey sub wrong. Whilst he was burst and had to come off having already sacrificed Hateley to move to something akin to a 4-2-4 we became to stretched and we resorted to long balls and getting caught to deep and offered no threat. Forbes was the right move at that point to keep some shape to the team. Overall though did enjoy the game. Buzzed from end to end and to be honest I thought we were unlucky not to get a point and I really don't think Hibs did enough to merit a win just that we gift wrapped them three goals irrespective of the dubiety of the second one.

Club have to make a gamble here - my opinion is that they have got it wrong but its a tough call. They would have expected to make more than they will as the vast majority of teams were going to be a bigger draw than the one we are playing. We are also away first. There is a chance this is nothing more than a dead rubber when it comes back to FP. If that is the case then the gate will be no more than 4000 and the decision will bite big time. If we come back in the hunt then I think £20 is fair given the stakes and that anyone with a passing interest in the Well will want to be there. And to be honest if we come back 0-3 would the crowd be much more than 4k with a £15 ticket? Probably not. However the status quo seemed like the sensible choice to me. Tough call for the club though as they had to decide in advance and the 1st leg will be the biggest determinant as to the right price for the 2nd to maximise revenue. And at the end of the day thats what we have to do from this.

Got to say if I was a visiting fan at FP I'd want to be at the top of the South so I could get the best view. And if there are a couple of hundred coming over then its worth opening for them. Gutted I can't make it due to some selfish mate getting married but hopefully we get through and I can see the glamour tie next week.

As long as you employ humans they will make mistakes. Annoying when it happens to be you thats effected but from what I see on here it seems to be happening less and less which is good.

From the half I saw I would say Aalesund had more control over the ball and Motherwell had more control over the game. In saying this there were three defensive lapses from Motherwell that could have cost us a goal before the penalty so despite the fact that we were perhaps the better team lack of concentration and control could have cost us. There will come a time next week when Aalesund will have to chase and that is when someone like Humphrey could create havoc with his speed. Our home record in one off cup ties (which this is now with the bonus that a 0-0 does us) is far from good so I am far from confident as we seem to have a nature of blowing it however having seen the two teams - we play like we can we'll win.

I often wonder about this so I'm going to voice it now. I am in the fortunate position that I can afford to go to whatever Motherwell games I choose to (certainly domestically). However if we were to bring our prices down to say £13 for a single game for the whole season whilst everyone else stayed at £20. We may see a small increase in the home gate but where we could reap the rewards is the away one. If Aberdeen, United, Hearts, hibs, Killie, St Mirren fans all think we can only afford one away game per season all of a sudden surely they would all pick to come to Motherwell. Because to be blunt whilst home supports have dropped over the years the biggest proportional reduction is with visiting fans. Not saying it would work and we'd have to market it well but the crowd we took to Tynecastle that snowy night in December shows there is some demand there. Just a thought.

I think the fact that we were the 5th best team in Scotland last year only highlights the fact that the product is rotten. I can think of many Motherwell teams who have fought relegation over the years who would have beaten last year's crop. As for Ewing Grahame's point. I think Celtic's game this week has been underplayed as well given how important it is. I think the thing that worries me most is that ten years ago I'd have been confident of all three playing this week progressing; today I look ahead and say Celtic have a chance but will struggle, Hibs much the same and we are 50-50. Its only three years since Rangers were in a European final yet the prospect of a Scottish team being in Europe after Christmas seems light years away today. I think what Scottish football needs is the Old Firm to get a few players who will really excite the public. Seeing someone like a Laudrup or a Gascoinge or a Larsson will bring people back and if they can get them for a couple of years it may entice a few others to come here to play them. But we need money for that to happen