Desp

I absolutely agree getting value for the budget is absolutely imperative at our level, considering the budget has been reduced. There are also instances where you can question how the manager has spent some of that budget. The thing is though, we can't go out and get a squad of 18-20 proven players with the budget we've got. Unless you go back to McCall days/St Johnstone way of working and buying short term success with no long term gain. That's obviously not the plan we're working towards to so it's a no go. Every signing we're bringing in will be a greater risk than before. Some work - Tait, Heneghan, Clay & McHugh have been first team regulars when available. Some have worked out not so well. Blyth, Bowman, Belic, Brill (maybe we shouldn't sign players who have a surname beginning with B?). Lucas, I think, could be a good signing but if he spends the majority of the next three months injured then it'll go down as another poor singing. The criticism of these signings is absolutely fair and reasonable, but it has to be tempered with the knowledge that there is absolutely no chance of a 100% success rate (or even close to) with the business plan the manager is current adhering to. If a player becomes available, surely if there is money available (signed off by the board) we should go for it if the manager believes he's better than what he currently has?

Promotion to the Premier League is worth what? Upwards of £100m to clubs like Newcastle, Brighton & Leeds Utd? Clubs will get a total of £3.4m in prize money for getting from the 3rd Round to the Final. They'll get a wee bit more in TV money, gate money etc but it's not even in the same planet financially. The F.A Cup is no longer relevant for the top 30-40 clubs in England.

So a manager comes in, and makes it clear to a couple of players they are not part of his plans. So it's his fault no other clubs have taken them off our hands? How does that work? Both Ainsworth and Laing have made contributions to games we've won during McGhee's time. A manager playing the players he believes are best for the job, whether you agree or not, is not an unusual practice. I'm no huge fan of Heneghan as yet, but It's been a long time since a manager, other than Ian Baraclough, has rated Louis Laing worthy of a long-term place at centre-half.

With McDonald being free to play tomorrow, he'll start. However, I'd be amazed if he gets his sending off overturned. The above is the team I'd like to see go up against Hearts on Saturday, and I think it would do well too.

I can't see them overturning the red. I assume it's being appealed so that he is free to play at Dingwall tomorrow night. Simple as that.

St. Johnstone are going through a spell similar to what we did in the McCall years, albeit with better financial results. They also managed what we didn't in winning a major cup. It's a very short term approach, with instant results. I have no issues with that, and congratulate them with what they are doing, but it won't last, just like ours didn't. If people want to question results, tactics, manager's approach? Absolutely no problem, and I'm happy to debate. People, however, throwing the toys out of the pram because we've lost back to back games against the second best side in the country, and we're not at the top end of the league is brat-like behaviour, IMO. Fans displaying the short-term thinking, and not seeing what the bigger picture is here, are going down the same road which nearly took us to financial ruin a few short years ago. It's going to be a battle this season, no question about it. Having this nonsense dragged up after every defeat is becoming very, very boring.

Honest to fuck, this place is absolutely unreal at times. You get what you pay for in this league, hence why bringing in a load of players from the level we (and six other sides in the league) do, is going to lead to not the best performances. If we win our game in hand, we're in 6th position. Just what in the fuck do people expect from this football club, when it's been on record christ knows how many times that financially we're just about getting by? Surviving relegation is the number one priority this season, yet we're currently on track for that as well as giving experience to youngsters from the academy. There's a element of supporters of this football club, which IMO is getting bigger as each month goes by, that continually act like spoilt fucking children. "I want, I want, I want". People tweeting Alan Burrows about sacking the manager? How pathetic do you need to be to do that? Someone nailed it earlier in the thread when giving the example of St. Mirren a few years back. Be very careful what you wish for.

So, McGhee's quote of "McDonald hurting his back carrying the team" takes on a different slant now, no? I didn't think at the time he was throwing the rest of the team under a bus, and the more that comes out, the more I think it was a dig at McDonald's perhaps inflated value of himself to the team.

Completely agree McGhee has done this before with the 'keepers mentioned. However, what's in this deal for Everton? Why would they recall him from Cheltenham, where he was playing regularly at a level not too far off where we are, to send him on loan at Motherwell to sit on the bench? That doesn't make much sense. There must be some kind of agreement in place he'll get games up here. Surely?

Whatever tickles your fancy...

Conor Grant coming back was what I heard.

I doubt many Egyptian clubs will be bidding for Louis Moult, to be fair.

Looking at the final score, then it's a reasonable shout to say the tactics didn't work. However, let's look at why it didn't work. The simple answer is that players didn't carry out the instructions. Can you legislate for every possibility? The tactics of "keep it tight, nick one on the break" are not new, not innovative, not some wacky McGhee mental tactic. It's tried and tested and it's been used for years. The goals we lost were due to individual errors. Could McGhee have done something about a tiring McHugh? Absolutely. Could an alternative have been brought on for Cadden? Possibly, but when you're 1-0 up with 10 minutes to go away from home to a better team, the instinctive reaction is to defend. Can you legislate for McManus playing a blind 5-yard pass into the centre of the park in the 90th minute? I don't think you can. McManus spends his life launching the ball up the park. I'm pretty sure he fires a 40-yard diagonal up the street on his way to the shop for the papers every morning. A moment of madness, from one of our most experienced players, has cost us a replay which I feel was the least we deserved. As I've said elsewhere, I am critical of his post-match interviews. Digging out the players I have no problem with. However, I believe a man with McGhee's managerial experience should have known better to let his emotions get the better of him so soon after the final whistle. It doesn't help anyone going forward, and puts unnecessary pressure going into this week's game.

Didn't O'Halloran have his best spell at St Johnstone as a striker? He got his move to Rangers on the back of a game at Ibrox where St Johnstone played on a break and O'Halloran ran riot against their shite defence. It's a 'no thanks' from me.

Textbook Mitch.

Left back

A central midfielder with legs? At least you're not picky.

Just imagine if he played in the same team as Chris Humphries...

His pals know him as Gary Mackay-Steven, however...

Indeed. But it's more than likely Dundee Utd will be able to pay a higher % of his wages than we could. With Brill looking like leaving, we'll need a new goalkeeper. It'll be interesting to see if McGhee goes for a 1st or 2nd choice 'keeper.

That's the spirit, lads. Welcome the new signing with open arms and a clean slate...

I think someone's mate had a source who talked to a horse, and the horse said he didn't want to play for us again. He's not particularly arsed about the club though (Reynolds, not the horse). HTH

Considering the poster's "source" claimed we were signing Peter Pawlett in August (wasn't even remotely close to happening) and now we were linked to Reynolds on a PCA (he has 18 months left on his deal so that's impossible) I think you might be right, Joe.

How in the fuck can they come out with "not proven". There's video evidence showing Kiernan punching Steven Anderson. What are they unsure of? Of course, the next time a Motherwell/Inverness/Kilmarnock/Ross County player is up on a similar charge it'll be the same outcome...

I, for one, am utterly shocked at this news.