Ya Bezzer!

Not sure you can take much out a game where Lasley played left wing and Stevie Hammell was centre half! We were pretty poor in the first half but improved in the second half. Our two best players came on at half time, Ramsden and ZFA both did very well. The Estonian trialist did OK, perhaps he should have scored as he had three decent chances but he was unlucky with one of them.

A lot will depend on injuries and suspensions. We've been fairly lucky over the last few seasons. I think we should be aiming for a Top Six place if McFadden puts pen to paper but I still have one or two doubts about the strength and depth of the squad. The idea that we are now an unassailable second force in Scottish football is one that I think people ought to dampen down for the time being. Fair enough if we go into November in a good position and some good performances behind us but to expect it before the season even begins is an expectation too high.

I'm preparing my totally sad season 2013-14 SPL statto spreadsheet and I noticed Stevie Hammell is on 399 league appearances. I know the original poster mentioned the 400 games but I assume that was all competitions.

A good signing but I don't think I can enjoy it until the transfer window closes and Hutchy is still here. The prospect of having a McManus/Hutchinson centre back pairing is just too enticing.

Noticed we had have three 'spare' squad numbers. 2 - Craig Reid? 6 - Stephen McManus? 7 - James McFadden?

Don't want to be pedantic but it's Nielsen not Neilson. If you spell it Neilson you scare the shit out of people by making them think we've signed Robbie Neilson.

I'm skeptical about the prospect of McManus being in a Motherwell shirt next season but he is CLEARLY a massive step up to any one else we have at the club for a central defensive position, with the exception of Hutchinson and even then has a wealth of experience than Hutchinson doesn't and probably will never have. However our top picks last season were Hutchinson/Ramsden with Cummins as deputy and since all three players are still at the club I don't see us paying much attention to this position when there are other areas we are much more deficient, especially as McManus would be a high earner. Just my opinion.

I don't particularly have anything against Dougie Imrie but I'd be concerned if we were bringing in a player that was basically a squad player for St. Mirren last season and didn't exactly set the heather on fire at Hamilton before that. You might just about make a case for him being a bench player but as a first teamer you'd like to think we could get someone better.

I think this is a pretty harsh assessment but I agree he'll probably have to move away from Fir Park to get his career rolling, unless a new coach with a new system comes in.

Stevie Saunders deserves a break, if you'll excuse the phrase, so the best of luck to him. The Higdon transfer is a curious one but I hope he does well.

Anyone spotted a team they think we might actually sneak past? I'm thinking Zurich, Omonia, AaB or Debrecen and we wouldn't even go into those games as favourites. Otherwise it looks like it's going to be very tough, especially with a new team.

Saunders was a level up from Page. At least a level.

Don't know if there was a fall out but McCall never seemed to rate him. Remember that Saunders was very much on the side lines before his injury. As for judging Saunders worth, or any players worth, that should be done on first team performances rather than run outs in the U20's. I don't want to sound like a broken record but that's why I think we are releasing far too many promising but unused players from our youth ranks. Often it's players that are superb at youth level that do nothing when promoted and vice versa, players who look average or ordinary that come alive at the top level. You have to give them a chance at the top level before you can really tell if they are going to make it. I just don't believe you can judge a players first team potential from that level of competition.

Will Kerr be our first choice right back? If so I'm slightly concerned about that. He needs to improve on last seasons performances, that's for sure. As far as I'm concerned we are still looking for 4 first team players to be competitive next season and one of those positions is right back.

That's because to argue with someone you have to contradict what they have said, which you've been unable to do.

So he was a goalscorer and creative player with bags of pace and a defence splitting pass? That we went backwards without him last season, playing poorer football in his absence? We were a far better team with Law-Lasley than we were with Jennings-Lasley. It's not even an argument.

What exactly do you disagree with?

Jennings was a good player but I think some of our supporter mistook their affection for him for ability on Jennings part. We were much better without him last season than we were the previous season with him. He works hard, tackles, puts in a power of work but really he has nothing else in his locker. No flair, no goals, no pace, no pass, he's what Cantona once called a 'water carrier'. Teams need a player like that sometimes to hinge the better players around but as you've pointed out we don't need another defensive central midfielder.

I'd suggest this is the case. Was there not some trouble regarding bonuses with them not being budgeted for, in terms of winning as many matches and finishes so high in the league?

With all due respect (you know what comes next when someone says that!) I think this is a lot of rubbish. As far as I was concerned it was never a case of 'what might have been' as 'what would be' because Lawless was clearly the best player to come through our youth set up since Paul Slane. It was hardly a surprise then that he had a hugely successful season at Partick Thistle. Daley and Higginbotham had something like 30 appearances between them last season, a mix of starts and substitute appearances and at the end of it we have nothing to show for it except wages paid out with no real return. If those appearances had been given to Lawless we would have a really hot young talent with a bit of SPL experience behind him in the squad now, instead we are scrambling around looking to bring in players when we already had a guy there and let him go for nothing. So I disagree, I hardly think playing in one of the best Motherwell teams in recent times would have 'stunted' the development of Lawless. I think our youth development is an area of major concern and isn't being utilised properly, especially at a time when money is tight. People are going on about Erwin and Moore but I'm afraid their fate is likely to be fairly predictable unless there is a major turnaround in our philosophy regarding young players and especially young local players.

To be honest, I'd rather keep Hutchy. Without a quality centre back in the squad next season we could be leaking goals all over the place. Darren Randolph papered over the cracks in that regard and he isn't here any more. In my opinion we cannot afford to lose Hutchinson this pre-season.

You neglected to mention we played the worst 90 minutes of football I've ever seen from a Motherwell side in the first European match. I don't think we want to see anything like that again. But yeah, it's still early.

No problem with John Sutton returning if Higdon goes. Sutton was a very good and consistent player for us. Is it going to be now that a striker is 'crap' if he scores 10 - 15 goals a season? Folk need to get it into their head that Higdon's tally last season was a once in a life time feat.

Jamie Macdonald is a good young goalkeeper. In fact he's probably one of the few players they might get some cash for.

Ramsden deal was already announced. Not heard anything about Hutchy.