MJC_MKI

We went into that game like lambs to the slaughter, or so we all thought given the circumstances of them only needing a point to win the league and us staring the playoffs in the face. I don't think they even got a touch of the ball in the first five or six minutes either and by the time they did we were 1-0 up. One of the most incredible and memorable results in my entire time supporting Motherwell.

That was my thoughts on this afternoon too. St.Johnstone are a good team capable of playing some nice attacking play and hurting sides. We largely stifled them in the final third and deservedly saw out the win. Their goal and the late half chance which Hollis saved from apart, I actually thought we defended really well today.

Huge three points that. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't great to watch in the second half but we did enough and restricted a good footballing side to one serious chance all day. Well done 'Well!

I think perhaps there's a bit of apprehension among the support given the way we've been chucking in goals at the rate we have been. This is certainly a big one today and the result could have a major say on our final position.

Apart from the several occasions that I predicted that we'd win on here this season though..the recent Kilmarnock game, the last time we played Saints at home, Ross County and no doubt there have been others but I can't be bothered checking back. But hey, don't get that get in the way of your wee agenda.

Can't see us getting anything on Saturday as our defence is a shambles whilst they're hitting form at the right time. 4-2 Saints.

I think our fitness has to be looked upon as a major concern as we appear to be blowing out our arses after about 60 minutes of each game and it's happening more and more as we approach the seasons end. This was very obvious against Killie, Inverness at Fir Park (albeit we had the game won) and Celtic and St.Mirren, hence we are pegged back and invariably end up conceding. For me it's a sign of a side which is poorly coached and therefore questions have to be asked of the management and their training regimes because it's happening all too often.

But that's my point about not measuring how successful a season isgiven where you were or what your expectations at the start of the season. Obviously if someone came to you in July 2013 with a crystal ball and told you Motherwell would finish 4th this season you'd take it given the players we lost but that's now how it works. The season gets underway, things happen and expectations change. Regardless of the ups and downs we've had we've managed to stay in contention for a second placed finish, however we are in danger of throwing away third and should that happen, and it might not, then having been in a good position to finish at least third then it would have to be looked upon as a disappointment.

I think you need to look at a season in it's own context before declaring it a success. I don't and never have bought into this "what did you expect back at the start of the season" because the season develops and expectations change. For example, McGhee's first season, 2007/08 was a huge success given what had happened the previous year and the fact that we were up against a strong Aberdeen and a strong Dundee Utd and we pipped them to third. The football we played, especially pre Christmas was the best I've ever seen from a Motherwell side. Last season was also a big success, cup games apart and we played some superb stuff in the second half of the season and were largely consistent and deservedly closed out 2nd. This season? I would say it has been more of a frustrating season than a successful one because I don't think we've played particularly well and we can be hugely greatful to Sutton and also Ainsworth for banging in the goals as our defensive record is nothing short of obscene and we have cut our own throats time and time again with the goals we've conceded. Our cup performances and exits have cast a major shadow over the campaign for me because yet again we choked spectacularly in both cups. The league cup which was wide open, our quarter final opponents reduced to 10 men for the last 77 minutes and we barely muster a shot on target, whilst the Albion Rovers debacle was an absolute abomination from both the manager and the players. Even if we do finish second, as unlikely as it now is, that result will still be a major blot on the season. If we finish third, I would say - somewhat grudgingly perhaps - that this has been a fairly successful season, but if we were to fail to clinch third now having been in that position for a fair bit then I would say that this is a disappointing season, especially as we've contributed greatly to our own downfall with the points we've chucked away due to our woeful defence. Never mind what we would have taken last July, as I said the season goes on and expectations change so you have to look at the season in its own context and I think a season where we've turned in two absolutely stinking performances in the domestic Cups, chucked in goals left right and centre and ended up chucking away a third placed finish after being in with a good chance of finishing second has to be looked upon as frustrating and disappointing.

In a nutshell. We simply don't have what it takes to get results because defensively we are a shambles and we can't rely on Sutton and Ainsworth to bail out our glaring defensive shortcomings every single week.

We've had a fair few of them this season. 0-4 v United at FP, 1-3 v them again at Tannadice, 0-2 and 0-3 at Perth, 0-5 v Celtic at home, 1-3 v Aberdeen, 0-2 against them in the League Cup, 0-1 v Albion fucking Rovers in the Scottish cup and now today's drubbing. That's quite a few 'bad days at the office' this season indeed that's a good few absolute stinkers too many for today to be merely shrugged off as a bad day at the office!

The season isn't over yet. And I'll be jealous as fuck if they win a Cup - again. Edit: 5-0. This is fucking humiliating.

This is disgraceful. Our glaring weaknesses are shown up for all to see whenever we play united as they are everything that we are not. They have pace, flair and have an effective midfield, not to mention a goalkeeper worthy of the name and a reasonable defence. We seriously need to sort out the defence and goalkeeping situation in the summer.

2-0 to United.

I don't think anyone could be blamed for not attending games against Celtic given the way their support behave when they come to town. The game in December was easily the worst atmosphere I've ever experienced at a home match, before during and after the game, inside and outside the ground. There they were in large numbers, shouting at and intimidating passers bye, young fans and shoving their political baggage in everyone's faces. I'd guess that a fair number of folk would refuse to take their kids/families to these games, especially if they were on the receiving end of their bile last december. Celtic's away support is by far and away the scummiest bunch of trailer trash mutants that Scotland has to offer and when folk see them getting away with murder then it's no wonder that they give games against them the body swerve.

That's an impressive milestone for Stevie Hammell. He's been a tremendous servant to the club during the last 14 years and a solid performer throughout. He's more than 'replaced ' Stephen McMillan at left back as was his initial role in the side.

Gubbed as usual. Celtic may field a slightly understrengthed side but they'll still have more than enough to give us yet another sound beating. 4-0 to them and we'll be lucky to get a shot at goal.

Amen.

Utter nonsense. It was a poor decision, nothing more, nothing less. It is an absolute cop out to blame yesterday's defeat on the referee because yet again we surrendered a 2-0 lead and yet again we were all over the place defensively and if you sit back and invite the opposition to come at you and fire cross after cross into the box and don't clear your lines then you're asking for trouble and we paid the price yesterday. Sure Brines had a shocking 45 minutes but ultimately if you can't defend then you don't win matches so we have nobody to blame but ourselves.

Got a feeling we're looking at a frustrating 1-1 draw tomorrow afternoon. Sutton to get our goal.

To be honest, while the thought of pipping Aberdeen to second on the last day is mouth watering, I really cannot see us winning any of the games outwith St.Johnstone and ICT and I reckon we'll be lucky to finish third as I think Celtic and United are certain defeats for us IMO and only other results will keep us right in the hunt for second until the last day.

Great result. Well done Well

It does, which is suicide from us considering our defensive and goalkeeping frailties. We are simply not a team capable of soaking up pressure.

Never mind the Old Firm and their fans attitude to other clubs. What's that got to do with us? The standard of the rest of the SPFL is rank rotten and I defy anyone to contradict that. Yes we have done well in the past couple of years to stay ahead of that dross but we have also fell at crucial times especially in cup games. For example, Aberdeen couldn't buy a win against us in the league for four years, had a series of dreadful sides and were part of the 'dross' element of the league while we were a better side. Would it not be a reasonable expectation or at least hope that when we came up against them in the Scottish Cup that we could beat them? Yet in true Motherwell fashion our arises collapsed on both occasions. And that's just one example. And Neil Lennon IS a stronger contender for manager of the year that Stuart McCall because his side will win the league and have only lost once all season. Never mind the resources at his disposal, that is not how the award is decided upon.

Or against Aberdeen in the other cup. McCall won't be and shouldn't be anywhere near manager of the year because McInnes, Lennon and depending on how the season ends for Dundee Utd, McNamara are all ahead of him. Aberdeen are a better side than us and already have one cup to their name and they will finish second as they won't drop silly points like we did against Killie or get arse raped against United every time they play them. McCall and our short fall is as always our inability to get the result or perform when it really matters. We'll do fine against the majority of the dross in the SPFL the majority of the time but show McCall and this team a big game and their arse falls off.