Andy_P
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Posts posted by Andy_P
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They have the lead. So tonight they are the better team, no question.
Using tonight as a basis, where exactly is Motherwell's inspiration arriving from for next week's game.??
Well for me we were seriously concerned about what the effects of the temperature would have on our team. Added to that we had the unknown quantity element of Flamurtari made more concerning by the rather cocky, boastful nature of some of their fans. Reading back of the some of the stuff pre-match we were entering a 10,000 full cauldron of screaming fans, in temperatures over 100 degrees against a crack team of youths with pace to burn, who would tear us to shreds.
The reality for me was that for the bulk of the game we dominated possession, controlled play and only in the last 10-15 minutes did we look in danger when our team began to wilt.
Next week, Flamurtari will be the side with the travelling to do - will they charter or take a similar route to us - I expect it'll be the former. There won't be the heat to contend with affording them less of an advantage. We'll have two new players with an extra weeks training to add to the manager's choice and as a group we'll have a further few days to allow the manager's methods and ideas to be instilled.
I don't see that it will be a pushover, far from it, and the tie is very delicately balanced in terms of the away goal, but I take confidence in that Flamurtari weren't just as good as their fans lead us to believe and that a Motherwell side with a few thousand behind them next weekend with more of an attacking element about will have enough to see us through.
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I wasn't sure whether to do a MOTM poll for this or not, or whether to give it a day or two to let the travelling Dossers get back home before opening one up.
But I suppose with varying qualities of streams out there some of you might feel you've seen enough to be able to cast a vote. If not then the null vote option is there for you.
So for the purposes of keeping the MOTM thing ticking over......
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Live on the telly would have been a major surprise and with the Open taking up 810mw that would be out too. I don't think would have been unreasonable to hope for live commentary via the net though.
I said on another thread that had we had we been on a club charter then I think we might well have got that, but the hassle of sending a team with whatever equipment they would need on the "economy" route that MFC went, just wouldn't have been attractive to them at all.
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I think there's a few different strands to this.
In any such circumstance the aggressors have to accept whatever punishment comes their way for their actions from the authorities, the club and having to face the shame of their actions being reported in the media.
I don't disagree that this incident merits a place in the local and national newspapers and there is little that can be contested about the content.
For me though there's a feeling of disappointment because its another very public blow to the reputation of our club and our support. It may well be deserved but for those who have travelled all over the UK and beyond representing the club in the best possible fashion its a kick in the teeth that we will all be saddled the same by people unable or unwilling to make any distinction.
Readers of the Sun don't get to hear about 2000-3000 Motherwell fans making friends in Nancy and Llanelli - they get the stories about tear gas from Robocops, of racial abuse of black St Johnstone and Hearts players (even if it was a figment of Chic Young's imagination). They hear of supposed racial abuse of James McCarthy. And now they read of a near 80 year old getting a kicking off other Motherwell fans.
They must think we are all scum - and we have little or no means to able to refute that or highlight the positives of our support and that's what rankles.
And whilst Motherwell fans as a whole will have to take a backlash for the actions of these two I can understand why some feel disappointment that this has not stemmed from Hugh Keevins, Chic Young or Darryl Broadfoot whom we would expect to twist the knife at every opportunity - but this has been brought to public attention by a Motherwell fan!
I fully accept the requirements of the journalists job and that much could have happened following his article being submitted, but the thought that its stemmed from the pen/laptop of a Motherwell fan just doesn't seem to sit right.
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I'm hoping that where we will be heavily disadvantaged by the heat we'll claw some ground back by the fact that we've had two competitive matches against what I believe will be their none.
I tried to find a league table and it suggested their league hasn't started so perhaps that extra wee bit of sharpness against their rustyness will give us an edge at the start of the game.
I think we're obviously going to tire and will face a job in the second half especially, but if, as Llanelli proved at Airdrie we have something to hold on to, then that could make a big difference in terms of sapping their morale and boosting our own.
But ultimately who knows?
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Not a live stream but the game is on radio scotland MW.
Heard it today!
You sure? They gave a general "coverage of Falkirk and Motherwell will be on MW" on the sport at 0820 or abouts this morning but they've only sent one reporter Brian McLaughlin (I've always wondered if that was our Brian McLaughlin of the early 80's incidently) and have repeatedly advertised their Open coverage from something half-one today.
Radio wise I think it'll be scoreflashes, half-time and full-time reports at best.
Sounding positive on the live streams though!
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You are confusing us with Airdrie Utd. We have made a profit every year for the last few years. Nice wee dig though - I still think you are based closer to Motherwell than Albania; but I'm just a cynic.
IP address, unless he's gone to the bother (why though?) of trying to disguise suggests otherwise.
But yeah he's starting to annoy as much as your average Airdrie or Accies fan true. Lets hope HIS rather confident outlook takes a hit over the course of the two games.
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We've taken a young winger called Josh Gillies on trial from non-league football in North East England. He was on the bench for Blyth Spartans on Saturday against Dunfermline and will sign for them if his trial with us doesn't come off.
That's an interesting one. Did Shaun Hutchinson not come from that part of the world also. Could well be coincidence, or could be an example of the type of keen scouting that was being talked of one of the threads on here in the last wee while.
Think Jonathon Page might also have come from down south as well so perhaps there is some kind of network there or at least some who are keeping the club abreast of some promising young talent in Englandshire.
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Take a wee look back Steve, when Canterbury were first announced as our new kit suppliers, whose was the one dissenting voice?
You were, but what you were dissenting about then and what you appear to be trying to take some credit for your scepticism now are two different things.
I remember posts and posts and posts of criticism about about the Canterbury kit designs/kit quality/logos but don't seem to remember too many that focused on the financial aspect of the deal.
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The club screwed up with the initial message not to travel and its sad that folk have been denied the opportunity to travel on the back of that, but I have a degree of sympathy with MFC when it comes to organising their trip to Albania.
Perhaps if the second leg was over there they might have had more time to plan something that involved supporters but given that we've had fans just arriving home as late as yesterday (albeit mabye via TITP) from Wales and that the they would have to leave today/tomorrow if they had gone for a charter how it wouldn't have given them a great amount of time to guage interest, organise a package for supporters and then take payment for said package.
On another note perhaps the lack of a chartered flight is one of the reasons why there's a deathly silence about radio and tv coverage.
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Going to call a halt to the voting now.
3pts Paul Slane
2pts Stevie Hammell
1 pt John Sutton
OVERALL STANDINGS
1st: Paul Slane (6pts), 2nd: Ross Forbes & Stevie Hammell (2pts), 3rd: Jim O'Brien & John Sutton (1pt)
Voting will be interesting after Thursday's game!!!!
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The suggestion that any signings will be reasonably short term until he can get our young players ready for regular first team action might explain the fact that Jennings is on a one year deal...
Could be wrong but I thought had already been explained. Think it was the Tranmere fan (TranmereKev?) who posted either a written or audio interview where they had agreed a one year with scope to extend it if things went on the park and the player settled in Scotland?
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Dunno about on the Friday morning MJ but certainly clocked it on the shelf whenever we first arrived on the Thursday afternoon. Wee subbuteo like character in the obligatory hooped 'Well strip as I recall?
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Anyone else stay in the Southmead Guest house? Owner guy was a smelly tink! But I can only echo what everyone else is saying! Great trip. Fanzone was class.
Aye, Brazilian, my sister and myself were in there. Basic it would be fair to say but it served its purpose.
Classy joggy bottoms the owner had - on both days eh!
Having said that he do disappear after 9am to make me my breakfast so it wasn't all bad.
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Just home. Really enjoyed the trip, the fight happened right next to me, but I have no idea what happened.
I was also on the same flight as the team on the way home. Was a bit of a shock to turn round and see em all coming in. And I got interviewed by the BBC and was on the telly tonight!
Caught that on the BBC news shortly after getting in myself. Good effort Gazzy, you came across really well.
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It's a two way thing ofcourse - they will have been delighted recipients of up to 2000 visiting fans buying tickets, souvenirs, programmes, burgers and the like not to mention all the drink that the travelling Dossers consumed. Both club and town will have had made a mint off the back of 'Well fans.
But ofcourse both town and club deserve an immense amount of credit for the incredibly warm welcome that was offered to us. From the folk in the social club who were friendly and patient in the face of a four deep wall of fans at the bar to the locals who were out their homes waving and smiling it was a pleasure to be a guest in their part of the world for a day or so.
Another Euro trip that will live long in the memory!
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Your choices please folks......
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I wouldn't argue with them figures, we are fairly stable but with the recent Setanta disaster this could hit quite a few clubs. Setanta could equate to almost a third of most clubs income, thats quite a sum to make up. There are certainly other clubs who will be shi**ing themselves already, we aren't one of them.
If we don't improve on the pitch the attendances will continue to drop.
Don't really want to talk about St Mirren, no really I don't honestly....but you'll also be well into the "familiarity zone" next season too which will knock a few off your attendances home and away.
You've been up for a few seasons now so the impetus of winning the league has long worn off and with it the punters that just like to see winning teams, the dour struggle to stay up will have knocked off a few more and the prospect of visiting the same old grounds at expensive SPL prices being aggrivated by stewards and polis will have taken its toll too.
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I don't think Kampman was that bad. He did the neccessary evil of getting rid of a group of past-it players that a Scottish manager probably wouldn't have had the bottle to get rid of. It's just a shame most of the players he replaced them with were pish!
The idea was sound in freshening up the squad but he got rid of too many, too quick. It was all a bit drastic.
Coyne, Martin, Arnott, Philliben and Falconer all at the one go. Must be close to 1000 games experience for MFC between them all let go at once.
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Is it quicker to go all the way down the M5 and then over the Severn Bridge or Quicker taking the M5 then M50 down through Wales to Cardiff then re-join the M4?
Cheers anyone!
The Brazilian has been looking at both options for our trip down. Sure he'll correct me if I'm wrong but I think he said timewise it was much the same but going down through Wales rather than heading to Birmingham and across was something like 180 miles less.
So cheaper petrol wise if not quicker.
Here if you're going down first you can let us know!
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Is it a bit optomistict to have an online Motherwell TV? I would rather pay directly to the club to watch our games. Give the TV rights back to the clubs and sell them to the highest bidder on a game to game basis.
I think it would depend on how they worked it. I don't know how in practice it would work on an individual basis.
If it was a package of games - say a season's worth on offer I suspect there would be two massive deals fought over by the telly companies for each of the Old Firm and none of the broadcasters would give a flying about the rest of us.
Is that not what the Old Firm really want anyway?
As for the internet that's slightly different and some kind of package be it extended highlights, re-run of the full 90 or selected live games could work alongside a standard tv deal.
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Something about Gannon's comments from Monday's press conference came back to me today, something about "not dismissing the talent in Scotland, but there's lots of players in England who could do a great job...". Surely by saying that, he was effectively dismissing the players available in Scotland? And therefore offending a proportion of our players. I'm curious if he's wholly unimpressed by Scottish teams he's seen, or just our squad? It certainly sounds like any player we sign will be sourced from elsewhere (mainly England). Just wondering if he's underestimating the differences between the English game and the Scottish game? He could end up with egg on his face if he brings in a whole load of players from England who don't adapt. Particularly if they're seen as automatic picks ahead of the Scottish guys.
It could be construed that Gannon doesn't think much of the standard of football in this country...
I'm not going to attempt to second guess whether he was inferring that the standard of player he has poorer than he anticipated or whether he's simply acknowledging that he knows the English market better.
Well in fact actually I am to a degree as he also commented he has been surprised at the level of some of the younger players in the squad, he would surely have done his homework on us and indeed Hibs if both teams approached him, plus according to some of the Stockport lads he was reckoned to have this considerable list of players for each position. One might assume that to produce such a list he's bound to have cast an eye north of the border at least once in a while.
But that's not really my point.
Melvin I can see your thinking exactly with the highlighted section and Jimmy Nicholl's spell at Millwall came to my mind where he did something of the reverse of what's being speculated that Gannon will do. He had a similarly sound reputation in Scotland, went south, brought a team of Scots down including Stevie Crawford and Paul Hartley and bombed completely.
I think there is a genuine concern that with the likes of Clarkson and Quinn in particular gone that the very heart and soul of the team is in danger of being destablised. Some already mentioned that the driving force of the two of them wouldn't have allowed Thursday to peter out as weedily as it did. The worry is that if those remaining for example the Craigan's, Hammell's and Lasley's of the squad go too, or that the Scottish/Motherwell influence on the side is so heavily diluted that if things don't go well you are left with a group of players without the same feeling for the club, yet to have an affinity with the supporters, who might not be prepared to go that extra mile.
I think there's no doubt that this is going to be a really big challenge for Gannon to rebuild the squad and its not something I see falling into place overnight. I think that we might need to prepare ourselves for a very difficult season ahead.
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And how come Rangers were given both ends and half of your East Stand ? Was there the same anger back then as surrounded the recent O.F. Cooper Stand policy ?
That was the norm then trafficlight and was actually viewed as an achievement on our part to have all of the shed - well up to the segregation fence at least.
Only a couple of years earlier we had only half of that again with them encroaching in about half, of our half, if you see what I mean.
That was the last year of terracing under the shed mind you so it was a great way to go out. After that we had the whole of the East Stand as it is now so and prior to the Cooper and South Stands going up there was at least some consolation to be had when they visited on particularly wet and windy days
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Your spot-on with what you say nethertonwellfan.
All our players have a price and I know it's off topic but my gripe is that we are selling our assets too cheaply. I can't for the life of me understand why we didn't extend certain player contracts when their stock was high - 3rd place finish.
Modest/affordable raises to wages in the short term might have helped secure these extensions. This is not speculating or gambling because it is more than coverered by their market value. The way most players seem to view it is that providing assurances are made by the club not to stand in their way when a so called bigger club comes in for them, they sign up in the short term for more money.
If their valuation (decided buy player, agent and club) is met by any club they would be allowed to discuss personal terms etc.
Recently we have sold Porter 400k, Clarkson 700k and now Quinn for 300k. Although some people think we've done well by getting these figures, I'm not one of them.
We've let McCormack go (minimal compensation) and could be letting go free for various reasons, Smith, Hughes, McLean and others. I'm not saying we could have kept these players for longer but some should have generated a transfer fee.
Incidently, that means a possible team worth of Motherwell players is worth a little over half of Fletchers apparent value.
MM was happy to allow this to happen. I hope Gannon can persuade or show Boyle how to make the most from our assets. Can we not start offering two/three year contracts with modest wage rises each year in the hope that the players feel more secure.
At this moment in time we are being raped by all and sundry.
I share your frustrations Tree but your point about the extension of the contracts seems to work on the assumption that the players concerned are happy to re-sign extended contracts. The evidence in recent times with the likes of McDonald, McCormack, Smith, McLean and Hughes suggests that's far from being the case.
We may choose to push the boat out in terms of Motherwell's budget but if the player has aspirations to play at a higher, get a bigger wad, or is simply looking for a fresh challenge, all the dosh that MFC could throw at them might not make a difference.
Another consequence is that is has the potential effect of unsettling other less well played squad members and lead us back down the slippery road away from the break even point.
Can We Do It?
in Club Chat
Posted
I don't really remember anyone genuinely comparing you to a pub-team. Some admittedly said as much before Llanelli but to be honest nobody really knew anything about you which was why, in addition to the heat there was so much uncertainty from our end as to how the game would go.