Rickoza

My home and away top are severely bobbled now and I only ever wear them to games, most disappointed in the away top as I only got that at Christmas!

When asked about the United job, Knox apparently replied "the only job I'm interested in just now is painting my house"......

Would hate this appointment IF it ever came off. Would make Maurice Malpas (when he was "asked" to leave) the most popular Manager we'd ever had by comparison.

BROWN TELLS O'BRIEN TO WAIT By Gavin McCafferty, Press Association Sport Craig Brown has told Jim O'Brien to follow the example of James McFadden and wait until he has firmly established as a Motherwell hero before leaving Fir Park. The Motherwell interim manager tried to sign McFadden while he was in charge of Preston but the then teenager waited until he had won Scotland caps and netted 32 goals for Well before sealing a £1.25million switch to Everton. Aberdeen are aiming to secure 22-year-old winger O'Brien on a pre-contract deal while Hearts are reported to have joined the race for his signature. But the departure of ousted boss Jim Gannon, who sidelined O'Brien during the last weeks of his reign, has offered fresh hope that the former Celtic player could extend his stay at Fir Park beyond the summer. "I would like to think Jim will want to stay here," Brown said. "He is a very, very good player. We would like to keep all our good players. "It is understandable that there may be interest elsewhere but I always feel there is a time for a player to move and it's not always when you have just had half a season. "He will be a far more lucrative proposition to Motherwell and an interested club if he is established here. "James McFadden is the perfect example. James could have gone earlier, I could have taken him to Preston, we were interested in him there. "But whoever advised him said 'stay longer and you will get a better move'. "And, I've got to say, Everton was a better move than Preston. "So in the likes of O'Brien and any of the other younger players, there is an optimum time to make a move." Brown is still awaiting his first match in complete control - youth coach Gordon Young picked the team for the 1-0 defeat by Hearts - after Motherwell's Active Nation Scottish Cup clash at Inverness was postponed. But Young has had better luck - he is set to jet off to Cyprus for a two-week training camp with his under-19 squad as part of the EC-funded Leonardo Da Vinci mobility programme.

Confirmed..... MOORE SECURES GREEK SWITCH Australia defender Craig Moore has signed an 18-month contract with Greek Super League side Kavala to maintain his World Cup aspirations. The 34-year-old was released from his contract with A-League side Brisbane Roar at the end of last month after a fall-out with coach Ange Postecoglou. And the former Rangers and Newcastle defender was seeking a loan move to a European side in order to boost his chances of making the Socceroos squad for this year's World Cup. He had been linked with a move to St Johnstone in Scotland, but has instead opted to join former Australia goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac in Greece. Kavala are currently seventh in the Greek top flight after only being promoted at the start of the season and also boast two other Australians in youngster Robert Stambolziev, who is on loan from Panathinaikos, and Paul Giannou, who was born in Greece but grew up in Melbourne. Moore started all four of Australia's matches at the 2006 World Cup finals in Germany and won his 47th cap in Wednesday's Asian Cup qualifier against Kuwait.

I never realised our Nick was in such a lofty position these days..... Nick Cusack

Kemas Current Club Article - Look down........... Can't find any mention if he ever got a cap for Algeria, only at Under 21 level it appears.

If, and it's a pretty steep if, it's true, we have some competition........ .

Just a bit more on the story we know about Craig targeting a possible World Cup-bound striker.... CRAIG BROWN is confident his reputation in football and relationship with agents will help him bring top-quality players to Fir Park. Motherwell's interim boss has been told he can sign players during the January transfer window and is sure he can clinch a number of deals. He is tracking an internationalist - who could be at next summer's World Cup - and believes he can pull that off. As well as his coaching experience Brown has helped to broker transfer deals at Derby and Fulham and feels that will be invaluable. He said: "We've been asked to operate as if we were in charge of the club permanently so I will be looking to improve the squad. "There are also a number of our young players who may go the other way in loan deals to get them experience. "I hope the standing of myself and Archie Knox in the game will help. We know a lot of players and I've also been involved in recruitment at Derby and Fulham. "Every agent in England came in to see me as that was my job down there, sifting through potential signings. "I know where to go for information or to make a signing but money is scarce at every club, not just ours, so that obviously has to be a consideration. "Of our squad for the Hearts game eight were under 21 so we might need to bring some new faces in. We've one or two ideas but don't want to disclose the names yet. "We're prepared to recruit internationally and looking at a guy who might play in this summer's World Cup. We've spoken to him and he has indicated a willingness to come here." Brown, 69, is enjoying a challenge he thought had passed him by. He added: "Everything has been great. There is good ambience around the place and the players seem happy and are responding to everything we've done. "I thought I would enjoy it here but it has perhaps been even better than I thought it would be."

Terrific to hear. Think it's safe to say that, after a great start, Yassin was playing more like he was on £8-a-week rather than 8 grand.

Good luck to Steve McGarry, all the best to you in your career out East.

Don't look likely now unless we get in quick....... Derek McInnes's chances of bringing Craig Moore to St Johnstone look to have improved now that the defender has been released by Brisbane Roar. Moore, 34, has fallen out with coach Ange Postecoglou at the A-League side and the former Rangers and Newcastle player has now left the club. The veteran is seeking a loan move to boost his chances of featuring in the 2010 World Cup with Australia. McInnes is keen to bolster his injury-hit Saints defence. Captain Kevin Rutkiewicz caught his studs in the turf at training earlier this month and is currently injured, while fellow defender Stuart McCaffrey has struggled with a groin strain, with Graham Gartland and Steven Anderson coming in to the Perth side in recent weeks. Slovakian defender Roman Konecny was at McDiarmid Park for a trial but was unable to show McInnes what he could offer because frozen pitches ruled out any bounce matches. McInnes will hope that his friendship with Moore from their days at Rangers will help to persuade the Australian to return to Scotland. A statement by Brisbane Roar's chief executive Peter McLennan on the club website says: "During discussions with Craig over the past eight weeks he made it clear he was unhappy working under Ange Postecoglou at the club. "On at least two occasions during that time Craig issued me with the ultimatum that either Ange went or he went. "Clearly over recent weeks the club has begun to move in a new and exciting direction and the bottom line is that no individual is bigger than the club."

He'll certainly keep the Linesmen busy. Used to think it was flag day when he played for us!

Every time I see his name I instantly remember that Ipswich game and his amazing.........miss!

Cheers,thought the figures i heard were a bit out. Still, each and every month he gets more in his wage packet no matter what than you and I get in a year!!!! This is taken from their official website, can't beleive he cost over half-a-million and has such a great background as I sadly feel he's failed to match that here. Signed until Jan 31st by the looks of things. Yassin Moutaouakil is currently on loan at Motherwell Flying Frenchman Moutaouakil - who represented Premier League Portsmouth several times on trial over the summer - will start the season again looking to establish himself in Charlton's starting XI. It's been two frustrating campaigns since his arrival from French second-tier side La Berrichonne de Chateauroux, with periods of regular playing time in SE7 offset by stints on the sidelines. After he had missed several months through injury and been forced to play second fiddle to loanee Danny Mills in 2007/08, the 2008/09 season was perhaps typical. Not available for selection for the opening match due to a suspension carried over from the previous campaign, he returned for the third Championship fixture. The arrival of Martin Cranie saw the Portsmouth loanee preferred by manager Alan Pardew, however, although when Cranie moved into the centre following an injury crisis in late October, Moutaouakil's seven successive league matches represented his best sequence of the season. The return to fitness of Jonathan Fortune and arrival of Graeme Murty restricted his opportunities under new boss Phil Parkinson the following month, though, and he started just three more matches, all in the FA Cup. Charlton fought off competition from the likes of Spanish giants Barcelona, Italians Lazio, and Aston Villa and Everton for Moutaouakil's signature in summer 2007. He was snapped up for 600,000 euros by Pardew after 36 appearances for Chateauroux, during which time the speedy full-back cultivated an estimable reputation. Moutaouakil, who was born in Nice but has Moroccan roots, helped France U19s beat England to lift the European U19 Championships of 2005, and captained France's U21s at the 2007 Toulon Youth Festival. Joined Motherwell in a six month loan deal on September 1st.

My only worry would be their Chairman. We are only paying, as I understand it, a grand of the 13-a-week (so I'm told) of Yass, so wages aint always a problem. Lawell has a history of being an erse.

Craigie Broon suggesting Messi and Ronaldo looking for moves...........

Yes, I know that. But we weren't creating much before tonight. Sounds like we created a fair bit and whilst there was no end product, you gotta create in the first place - which we weren't doing much of prior to this game.

Because I feel that we've turned a rather dark corner. Aye we lost, aye we didn't do enough up front, but the players look interested again. And that in itself will get results. Stats tonight suggested we were the better attacking team.... Shots on target - 6 v 8 Shots off target - 6 v 5 Fouls - 12 v 8 Corners - 2 v 8 Yellow cards - 2 v 1

Ah feck. Still, more ups than downs tonight. Forward to Saturday with a much, much more positive outlook now.

Good thing is, even if we lose, then there are so many more positives to take forward to Saturday than we ever thought possible just 48 hours ago.

Almost, almost a tap-in for..........McGarry! Superb defending.

Just seems to have suddenly upped his game as teh window re-opens and folk are sniffing around.... Anyway, back to the real stuff. Motherwell pushing more and more with FHW defending deeper all the time. Come on, surely we can get the leveller our play deserves!

Indeed. Funny how the transfer window is just about to re-open..........

Guess they see more than we do in training. Sure we'd all love Steve to slot in the equaliser!