joewarkfanclub

This could be a proper battle. I hope it turns out that way as we are perfectly set up for that kind of game and to play on the counter attack. It would be good to have Sondre back, but to be fair to Lamie and Mugabi they both look better players alongside Ojala. Huge game and another massive test.

I read that Celtic have denied Dundee United tickets for todays game as well. Althought to be fair given the view at both grounds, you would be as well staying at home and watching on a stream.

That was the one that put the tin lid on it for me. He had been horribly inconsistent all game and was lecturing players like they were wee schoolboys when they got annoyed at him for damn good reason. But you NEVER see that decision given. A shrill blow of the whistle and a waggy finger to get back is usually about it. To make it worse SOD hadnt actually stolen that much yardage. Just a very officious humourless robotic performance.

Really good 3 points from a tough fixture. Ross County moved the ball about well, but similar to the Aberdeen game, we limited them mostly to chances from wide angles and Kellys saves were all ones youd expect him to make. I think until Goss is fit or we stumble across some other combination in midfield we will just have to get used to this style of football. It is effective, if not overly easy on the eye at times. Slattery was very good again today, he is carrying our midfield pretty much by himself every week. He is the only one in there with any composure ir ability to make a forward pass. With another decent player in there beside him he would look even better. Took his goal very well. Tony Watt was outstanding though. His first touch is excellent and his ability to take the ball in and drag us up the field, dance round players or just buy us a foul is a joy to watch. Bring on the Jambos!

Always seems to set the right tone. Still early days, but if the team keep following his mantra, you cant help but feel we are headed in the right direction. Disappointed that Sondre is out, but if Ojala has shaken off his knock then we should be ok at the back. Would like to see some fluency coming into the midfield, but ultimately any kind of win will do!

Just cause Kirky isnae in yet!

This^^^^^^ My hero!

The german model appears to be a good one. They seem to get more right than they get wrong. It would be nice if we had that kind of leadership and innovation in Scottish Fitba. Meanwhile, Celtic and Rangers could always cut their cloth and live within their means?

Do you not think £34 for an adult and 2 kids is reasonable though? I think the club have a difficult task here. If we dont charge fans of the big 2 and the likes of Hearts the same as they charge us, lots of our fans would be really unhappy about the fact that we are giving their fans preferential treatment. I agree that £30 to watch an SPL match is ridiculous. But we didnt start the fire......

We dont appear to charge away fans more than our own, and we do very well by kids. I dont think we can criticised by anyone in this regard. https://www.motherwellfc.co.uk/tickets/fir-park-entry-prices/

Allan Burrows has already proven that he listens to our fans and stands up for them when required. You just need to look at the play off games v Rangers and the fact that they no longer get access to tickets in the POD for proof of that. Both these decisions cost the club financially, but were the right thing to do to protect our supporters and enhance the matchday atmosphere when they visit. They should of course be charged whatever they charge us to go to their stadia as playing the Mighty Well should clearly be considered a "premium fixture"

We should never take any team lightly. We just need to look to the Airdrie game for proof of that. No easy games in this league, so the test is how we approach it. Do we have the right mental attitude? Can we follow up a good result at Ibrox with a solid performance at home? If we can, its a big chamce to put another 3 points on the board and set ourselves up nicely for the trip to Tynecastle.

Looking forward to this one. Each game that comes along now seems to be setting us a specific test. If we really are destined to be a top 6 team this season, then we need to go out and show it by despatching a team that has caused us problems in the past, but that most would fancy to be finishing bottom 6 this season. A lot will rest on who is fit and who is injured. I think our chances will be greatly improved if either Sondre or Ojala or both are fit. No harm to Mugabi or Lamie, but there is a reason that we have looked steadier defensively of late. Goss would be another that I think would improve our chances if fit. Grimmy gives plenty of energy, but it would be nice to have someone alongside Slattery that was comfortable on the ball. Front 3 pretty much picks itself, with Roberts the only one in real contention to challenge them at the momment. Fingers crossed our physios can work some magic.

Ojala and Slattery had very good games and Woolery was much improved. However, went for the unfancied McGinley as he was rock solid all game. Probably his best game in a Motherwell shirt at the most difficult of venues.

A very good point at a traditionally difficult venue for us. I thought we started fairly well and it was good to see us trying to play on the front foot at Ibrox for a change. However, goals change games and theirs was clearly offside and very hard to take given the start we had made. After that their crowd got behind them and you could see them visibly take confidence from it. We held our discipline and defended well for the most part, although we rode our luck once or twice. Second half I thought it took us 10 minutes or so to get back into the game, but you could see us slowly gaining in confidence and when we scored I certainly felt we could get a second, but we were wasteful with the ball at crucial stages and let them off the hook a bit. No idea where the 6 minutes injury time came from but delighted we were able to defend so resolutely for a well earned draw. This team is starting to demonstrate a mental toughness we havent had for sometime. Previous Motherwell teams would have crumbled and lost that game. We are far from the finished article and still need to get the midfield sorted, but if we can keep our best players fit and on the pitch, we might just do something this season.

A wage thief is a player that clearly cant be arsed on the field of play, or who is quite happy to sit on the bench and let their contract expire despite having the opportunity to play elsewhere. Neither of those can be attributed to Charles Dunne, who despite his injury problems, will always be warmly regarded by the majority of Motherwell fans......

The way they have conducted themselves this week and the way stars appear to be aligning with other scores, a well known quote keeps popping into my head! "I will tell you honestly, I will love it if we beat them, really love it......."

Which one?

Its a fair enough way of doing it. Im just biased as I think he is probably our greatest ever player and should have been in it from day one. Every year that passes without his induction is a travesty for me. But others will undoubtedly think the same about their own favourite players.

Stevie Hammell is absolutely deserving of a place in the Motherwell FC Hall of Fame 500 appearances should dictate that. But Joe Wark should certainly be in there as well, if not before him. Not sure how entrants are determined, but there always seems to be a spread of "eras".

Happy Birthday Yabba! Really difficult to choose this week. The entire back 4 and Kelly were superb. Our 2 vikings look absolutely rock solid. Loving the shield wall chat, thats surely got to stick! Special mention for the much derided McGinley who had a great game despite clearly being singled out by Aberdeen as the weak link and being doubled up upon in the first half. He may not offer as much going forward as Carroll, but defensively he is far more solid. Slattery had another very good game and is carrying the midfield right now. Hopefully we can get Goss match fit soon and help him out in there. Up front it was between Van Veen and Watt. KVV had a very good game and hard to argue with his goal and assist, however, I went for Watt. His alround performance was virtually flawless. He looks back to last seasons fitness levels now after a sluggish start to the season and just gives everything for the team. His first touch, guile and game management are first class. Im embarrassed I questioned his attitude as a professional when he arrived. Bravo sir!

Id prefer Lagartha! Just as effective but a little easier on the eye!

Sondre and Ojala looked excellent yesterday. Proper centre halves that love to defend their box, but can play a bit too. Loved how Sondre was always playing with his head up looking around for where the danger was. I think we have upgraded massively in that area. Slattery continues to impress in midfield. A very tidy player in the Gorrin mould. Hopefully with fewer rash tackles. We still need someone in there to help him though. Whether Goss will be that guy or we need to play an extra midfielder in there to stop us getting overun, Im not sure. KVV is going to be a big player if we can keep him fit. He looks like he and Watt are starting to form a real understanding. Woolery looked a little better yesterday but for all his raw pace and power he still looks like the one with the most convincing to do. Hopefully he will settle and come good soon. Overall. Reasons to be cheerful.

Any chance of a MOTM thread mods? Plenty to choose from this week for a change!

Really enjoyed that today. There really is nothing better than a seething home crowd when the opposition come to dive, niggle and frustrate the life out of the game. To be fair to our opponents, they did play the better football, but our defence was rock solid for the most part and our play was effective, even if it wasnt as easy on the eye. Highlight of the match was Tony Watts substitution. Having bought a yellow card from Brown, the ruffle of the hair as he walked off inducing a seething death stare from Brown was absolutley class and proved the old addage, those who laugh last laugh longest! Hopefully now the squad is complete, we can now settle into a preferred starting 11 and formation. With that level of character shown every week we should win more than we lose. Looking forward to the battles to come now!