weeyin

If Members aren't happy with the representation then let's propose a change and get some others nominated. I'm not up to speed with all that is being said at the meetings (given that they still can't manage to set up access for non-locals to these things), but if people think our voice isn't being heard, then let's make it heard. The difficulty with all these things is finding someone prepared (or able) to dedicate the time to execute the responsibilities. As a result, the same old faces turn up.

To be fair, Randolph couldn't hold down a first team slot in a League One team before he joined us. Bottom line is that Gordon Marshall reckoned he is good enough and he's supposed to be the expert.

I think they are saying you gain more useful experience training along side Shay Given and stopping shots from Tevez than, say, training along side John Gardiner and stopping shots from John Reilly.

Hughes signed him, but he did have his contract extended under Mancini's watch.

NAW!!. THAT WAS RIDICULOUS. NAW!!! WHAT!!! JEEEEEZ! C'MOAN. THAT BAW WAS CLEARLY IN THE SECOND POT!!!

Liking the shirt and shorts, but think I'd prefer it with this season's socks.

I'll bet that resolve breaks 5 minutes after we make the group stages...

I'm open to the idea of Boyd, but if he did join that would make the need for some pace even more critical. I could just about keep up with Sutton and Boyd myself!

The Sutton stuff I read all appeared to be lifted directly from his MFC TV interview with 'Flow rather than interaction with any journos. Presumably this is just a chance for the media to get a few quotes of their own.

This is Motherwell. We have some fans that want us to blood the youngsters, but who give them dog's abuse if they show any lack of consistency.

Or convicted.

As well as the names floating around, McCall also said he plans to bring in some trialists over the next 10 days, so presumably he has an eye on a signing or two from that pool.

Not a Wullie Pettigrew fan, then?

That seems in line with McCall's comments at his press conference today,

Exactly. I think we could learn a lot from the German financial model, and the French 10 year plan they adopted to improve their game from the grass roots (albeit on a much smaller scale). However, while that would improve the quality on the park and maybe (just maybe) lead to more financial stability, I doubt it would have much of an impact on attendances. We could make it free entry at Fir Park every week and I doubt we'd ever see it full.

I'll take that plus a Cup win

Looking forward to the rebuilding. McCall and his team seemed to think they had identified potential targets to replace all the out of contract guys, so we'll see soon enough how that pans out. Mixed emotions about Higgy - sorry to see the big man go, but better he leaves a hero than struggles to match the form again this season. Been happy with the 2 new signings, so if the remainder are of a similar quality I'll have no complaints.

I'd put money on us signing a player or two after our first Europa Cup game. I'd rather we signed the right players than the players that happen to be available early.

It's more than 2 months before the window closes - then there are the free agents after that. Plenty of time for clubs and agents to be working out their best prospects.

I didn't say it was a perfect model - it was a quick calculation while I was drinking my coffee. The original poster was, however, talking about how how we could operate a 'scaled down' version of the German model and I think my back of a fag packet figures are a reasonable first order model to show that our relative attendances aren't that much different. Also, to address your point, the model assumes that the % of people in Germany who don't support their local club is similar to the % of people in Scotland who don't support their local club. The bottom line, which I mentioned in an earlier post, is that if we got 25 million Euros every year from telly we could afford to implement some of the pricing and other incentives Dortmund offers.

A quick trawl of the internet stats shows that: Dortmund's average attendance equates to approximately 7.2% of that city's population. Motherwell's average attendance equates to almost 10% of Motherwell's population. So maybe we are a scaled down version already?

They can afford to charge those prices (and hold that lofty principle) thanks to the 25 million or so Euros they pulled in from TV. Having a population of close to 600,000 probably helps their attendances too.

Of course, the flip side to that argumemt is that it's going to be difficult for any player to break into such a settled and successful side - the fortunate situation we have been in the past couple of seasons. If we were in a comfortable mid-table slot the managent team might be more willing to blood a few more youngsters. I also still need convincing that a second tier Dutch team is of higher quality than our first team from last season.

No idea, but I'm hoping whoever we bring in will be supported by a few Lee Erwin and Craig Moore appearances this season.

It will be sitting there a long time if they are waiting for me to pop in and pick it up.