Malky79

Aye Forbes can come and play 7's with the mob I play with on a tuesday, he'd look brilliant no doubt but in the SPL he's a little boy lost. Sorry Ross loved the wee purple patch you had start of last season and scored some spectacular goals but if you can't find either a yard of pace, some sheer strength or a usable right foot you are gonna drift out of top level football sooner rather than later.

That is better than expected, anytime I played 5's at a non council run venue it is £5 or £5.50 per head. £4 a head for a game of 7's is twice what I pay for the old school astro at Palace grounds of an evening but that stuff is brutal. And for their indoor 7's park it works out dearer than Ravenscraig, one and only time I played there it was £75 or something for the hour, though it being over christmas period during the day we had pretty much as long as we wanted it. Dropping the price a bit I reckon would be better but I'd probably pay it myself without feeling to ripped off givven it is a pretty quality facility. Played on it in the 24hr fitba tourament they had to open it with.

With that attitude we may as all pack up and just leave rangers and Celtic to sod off to England or some euro league.

I'd go for 18 teams. Their are undoubted negatives but lets face it there are plenty as things are. And to try and keep games meaningful long as we can I'd have play offs at end of season for possibly any 2nd CL spot, uefa and relegation places. 34 league games and less of a cut in home games. And only playing each other once home and away cut out some of the monotony!

Whilst this announcement might in long run make a big impact it lacks real headline news oomph, a new vice chairman whoop de doo. Announce in a couple of years time our turnover has increased significantly as a result and then it's big news!

Best wishes Stevie. Hope he back on his feet soon.

We're doomed!

Murphy for my money always looked well better than Smith, just all round better touch and agility. Smith had his own plus points but was an awkward looking player, Murphy much more composed looking.

More than enough skill for us and I think a falling out with the new manager is the reason he is available. Had some absolute stand out performances when Burnley were papping EPL teams out the cup under Coyle, injuries seemed to hold him back but looked like he could hold his own in the premier league/top end championship easy so would be a great loan signing if we could wangle it.

Prepare for the same team next saturday, hopefully you won't be quite so disheartened. But no doubt in true Motherwell style we'll revert to being atrocious again!

Agree with the former especially the first season but with Gannon the quality dried up by October and we were possibly as turgid to watch as the team under Malpas, well almost. So far this season we've been so so, lacking real creative spark but that is as much to do with the playes we've had available as anything else. Hopefully a match fit gow will provide a bit more creative impetus.

99 games out of a 100 you have a bad feeling.

You need one if you don't think he's walk into our team. He might not be the best defender Scotland has ever produced, but if he was as bad as his legend has made him out to be he'd have long since been punted out of Ibrox. Is prone to odd gaff and doesn't exactly exude grace but a player we couldn't even dream of getting. Not exactly keen to see him play for Scotland mind you.

McFadden is carrying an injury. So hope that is the reason he'll start on the bench. As it is no real hope that team on BBC website will be up to much.

Reynolds is better than Kenneth but as a left sided centre half is not gonna get picked ahead of McManus and Berra, both of whom are arguably playing at a higher level. Berra certainly is. Clarkson is no where near Scotland squad and think he was still at Motherwell was he not when he got his cap? McCormack possibly could have been picked but scoring 20 plus goals in Championship was a step up from impressive enough form with us. Hammell and Lasley are two good pros but no not good enough.

Take the point about Scotland, certainly the players of late 60's to early 80's going by scottish teams success in europe and relative stature of the national team would suggest on the whole we have went backwards as a nation. Although there is a definately an element that the depth of quality in world football is much increased as well hence our increased difficulty in getting to major finals. I also reckon that the top club teams in europe now with the even bigger gulf in wealth and increased scouting and recruitment of players from Africa and South America are better now than they were back then and undoubted quality that likes Souness, Dalglish, Hansen, going back further Bremners, Lisbon Lions era were they might have had it slightly easier. Lets face it good as they were and possibly somewhat mismanaged but we always failed on the big stage as a national team back then also just at least we got to World Cup finals at least which seems in itself something like the search for the Holy Grail now! My point however was more about seeing quality players in claret and amber and whilst it nigh on impossible to compare generations think most of us have seen some pretty good players even in relatively recent times. The current product of the SPL is pretty low though and the high prices compared to entertainment on the park is on average way out of proportion.

I like the idea of Gow and Humphrey but two essentially out and out attacking players on the flanks is quite bold. Horses for course possibly depending on who we are playing. Doesn't matter a whole lot if Hately isn't a wonder winger provided he can get into to space to get crosses in and work back.

Celtic at home used to be a wee bit exciting. Lets face it hate both sides of the OF but it felt like an end of season meaningless chaff game in comparison to the europa league match.

I'd quibble with choice of players but a reasonable general point, most younger fans have seen many a decent player in their time. St. John mibbe had a better career but Faddy was still a great talent For Wark, a Tom Boyd or Rab McKinnon. Wark the true club legend but for ability I think these two stand up well. Other guys like Tommy Coyne, Lambert, Cooper, even Ross McCormack. Big Sieb was a quality keeper. So yeah only older guys can make the comparison but I'm guessing only the misty eyed specs makes most of the difference. Mibbe the pace of the game is increased and we see less attacking 2-3-5 formations and less entertaintment but I doubt average quality would be drasticaly different.

To be honest I can see Gow in and Humphrey out to the bench to be used as a sub again. Celtic game apart he has looked decent this season but with Gow slotting in on left I can see Brown moving Hately more to the right with Jennings and Lasley in the middle. Gow if he plays something like he did at Falkirk will add some creativity and hopefully link well with Hammell down the left and Hately on his day at least will put in a solid shift on the right with a slightly better chance of putting in more telling deliveries to whatever combo of strikers are up front. All sounds good on paper but we'll see what happens, might even get two more or less wingers playing and one of the 3 defensive guys dropping to the bench. As for the 6 month thing, well better decent for 6 months and moving on that being a player down. If he does well enough to earn a move we'll worry about replacing him in January and if he's rotten or injured we can release for minimal loss. Hope he does well but stays a bit longer but what will be will be.

The phrase, "weak effort at placating fans," springs to mind. Hope I'm wrong but reckon we signed no one as we are skint and were relying on a decent bid for Reynolds. As said earlier seriously do hope the current pessimism is premature and the younger boys/fringe players can come into reckoning and make a positive impact as we definately look short on the surface.

Fucking hope the fringe players are coming on as in dire need of few faces coming through!

Most of us like good football, the teams that had Cooper in it, the early to mid 90's team that finished 2nd and 3rd in the league, the McGhee season team and a few others here and there that could do that were all well appreciated. But no one likes watching a team that gifts goals because the manager is dick who won't even remotely adapt his style of play when it is costing team points and would rather bomb out decent players and chuck young guys against likes of Celtic who aren't nearly ready. So bring on the nice passing football as and when possible but it not a crime to clear your lines under pressure or play to strengths you have if the players there have different strengths. Evolve the team in the direction of playing it on the deck but don't chuck out the baby with the bathwater as the saying goes.

Off the top of my head... Tony Vaughn Karl Ready Greg Strong Robert Maaskant William Kinniburgh David Partridge Bobby Donnelly Brian McLean Just a short list of centre halfs we've had mostly in recent history that Craigan is head and shoulders above, the boy Maaskant is going back a bit but the horror never recedes there. First post in this thread is spot on, might not be much can do about it but get some right dicks spewing virulant garbage for nigh on 90 minutes and you wonder what enjoyment the game brings them!

See where you coming from but with transfer window looming there are surely players out there that could improve our squad that will be facing reality of maybe cooling heels elswhere or being without a club that will be reassessing their options. We're obviously not flush but hopefully we're wisely using our budget and not rushing in or overpaying for players we're not sure about. Much as it would have been great having in new faces for europe possibly we'd had to have payed figure x for them when all we could afford was figure y, and figure y is more accpetable to them as window lurches towards closing.