Ya Bezzer!

Thought we were the better team today, slightly, although we weren't quite firing on all cylinders. However, it was a tale of the return of the shaky defence again, nothing much could be done about the first goal but the second one was a bit of a shocker and there were a few other examples where we were a bit lucky to get away with it. Randolph was excellent today although he didn't have too many direct shoots to deal with but the way he comes out and takes balls from players feet is superb. Someone like Graeme Smith would probably given away about three penalties in similar circumstances. What can you say about McFadden. I don't think he was even on top form today and yet he's just a million miles ahead of everyone else.

Kilmarnock have a game in hand at home, then play the bottom team in the league and and have what looks like an unassailable goal difference (unless something bizarre happens) so you'd have to imagine they are strong favourites. Hibs haven't won an away match in the league since November so 3 points at Celtic Park seems unlikely and Aberdeen and Dundee Utd play each other so only one of them can win.

To be fair to the naysayers there was a time, this season, when Higdon's effect on the match was negligable, our home form rotten, exacerbated by a toothless attack, and we were sitting about 8th in the league. I've never been a critic of Higdon, at least overall he did has some individual stinkers, but at least in those circumstances there was some logic to the criticism. Now I don't see how anyone could criticise him and to be honest I've not seen anyone do so. Just as Sutton's game developed a lot over a couple of seasons and he was contributing a lot more than just goals to the team latterly, I think Higdon's game has come on a lot since the beginning of this season. Earlier in the season if Higdon wasn't scoring he wasn't doing anything. Now that's not the case and he's consistently one of our better players in general play, even putting aside the goals tally. Right now I'd rate Higdon more highly than Sutton, so in that respect I've changed my mind, but Sutton was good over a longer period. I'd like to think Higdon will be here for another season and this time next term when comparing the two it will be a none contest!

I remember Ian Ferguson doing that. Maybe Brown did it as well. Or maybe I'm confused.

We struggled against a poor Dundee side of earlier in the season. Now that they have picked up a bit with Brown coming in maybe the opposite will happen and we'll thump them. However Dundee have drawn three of their last four and I can see a similar result at the weekend.

Always gets good comments during Open All Mics on Radio Scotland from whoever is watching the game.

Randolph came with the best reputation you can have. The fans of his former club were disgusted he'd been allowed to leave. It's not true at all that Randolph had no reputation before he arrived here. He was highly rated when he was signed.

Carswell has shown a bit more recently but in my opinion, even if he has the potential to be a first team stick on player that's at least another season away. We simply cannot go into a full season depending on guys like Carswell to maintain our recent standing. The same goes for Hollis. If he does start next season as first choice goalkeeper we will still have to bring in a 2nd choice to act as serious competition for the first team place. Releasing Steve Saunders baffles me unless his injuries have finished him. He's a better tackler and better in the air than any other defender we have excluding Hutchinson.

Sad news. My condolences.

I agree and I said at the time of the Rangers debacle that we had to move away from the current financial model. Right now Scottish football is televisions bitch on a leash. It throw us enough scraps to keep things ticking over but not enough to ever free ourselves from potential crisis. The Norwegian league pulled in a television deal worth THREE TIMES the Scottish deal and the Swedish deal was similar to the Norwegian one. If these countries can make those kind of deals why can't we? It seems to me we sell our game off very cheaply. It's one thing to have a television deal that's financially empowering but our recent deals are basically bare minimum survival fund. I'd suggest we either get a decent deal at the sort of rate similar level leagues seem to be capable of producing in Europe or we scale back and reduce costs. It wasn't that long ago semi professional or part time teams played at the 1st and 2nd tier levels and the level of football was as good if not better than it is now. As an example just look at the 1986 Scotland World Cup squad. It included players that came through at Airdrie, Partick Thistle, Dumbarton, Ayr United, East Stirlingshire etc.

I'd been going to games regularly for about 5 seasons when we won the cup. 22 seasons later I'm still waiting for a follow up. It was a great day, an amazing day but I definitely didn't appreciate just how great or how amazing. Sometimes I wonder if it will ever happen again in my life time but at least I did get to experience it once. I really do hope that we win it again so that fans younger than me get that opportunity but just look at Hibernian!

I've never understood the antipathy towards the League Cup. It's basically the same teams in a cup format. You could actually say because the early rounds are seeded, the top teams get a bye and there are no replays that it's harder to actually win that the League Cup than the Scottish Cup.

David Kelly scored 9 goals in 26 appearances for the Republic of Ireland. Said Chiba scored 5 goals in 40 appearances for Morocco. Pat Nevin scored 5 goals in 28 appearances for Scotland.

Europe is good to have but I don't see how anyone would prefer 4 games, 4 defeats, 0 goals scored to actually winning some silverware. Perhaps actually qualifying for the Champions League group stages or even the Europa group stages but frankly that's not very likely.

To be honest I think "golden era" is a bit OTT, I don't see how you can really describe a period where we haven't won a thing as a "golden era" but perhaps it's a "silver era" and it's certainly been a better than average period. When I started coming to games regularly it was that very difficult period when we'd just been promoted and we were trying to establish ourselves in the Premier League and it was a bit of a brutal slog season on season until McLean eventually managed to fashion a side that could do better than being perennial relegation strugglers. What the historians will probably say was that the city clubs of Scotland over this period have been absolutely abject.

Will renew. Not happy with the reconstruction proposals but let's face it, this whole scheme, if it does get the go ahead, won't last more than a season or two.

Even when Malpas was here we had Scott McDonald who to my mind is probably the second best striker we've had at the club in my time behind Tommy Coyne. Just as well as he almost single handedly keep us up that season!

We actually had a few good performances tonight. I thought Higdon was superb. I was going to say Kallum Higginbotham looks a decent player until his final touch then he hit THAT final touch. Thought he worked really hard and his lead up play was good. Hateley and Carswell both did well second half and we probably improved when Lasley and Law both went off although I hope both are back soon, preferably after the international break. But there can only be one MoTM tonight. He showed every one why he's one of the greatest Motherwell players, certainly in my life time. Mr James McFadden by miles.

First things first, when Lasley and Law both went off injured I didn't rate our chances very highly but fair play to Hateley and Carswell they had an excellent second half. They are both players I've criticized this season but Carswell has just begun to show signs that he might be ready for this level of football although he is still quite raw. On top of having a good game in midfield Hateley got a goal. Now three goals that will live long in the memory. First a 20th league goal of the season by a Motherwell striker, secondly an excellent come back goal from my all time favourite Motherwell player and what seemed from the far end of the East Stand as a goal of the season contender from Kallum Higginbotham. Absolutely superb goals from all of them. I thought we were unlucky to go behind in the first half. OK, we didn't cause them too many problems but I thought we had most of the ball. Second half - that is why I'm a Motherwell fan. Just...just...brilliant.

There was times Andy Goram came out looking as if he'd just got back from some all night bender. Gordon Marshall was a very good goalkeeper until he wasn't. People say you don't become a bad player overnight but I disagree with that. I think some veteran players do. They reach a point and then it just goes and there is no way back. Marshall was with us 6 month too long but he was certain a step up from the other goalkeepers of that era - Woods, Kaven, Dubourdeau and even Andy Goram. If you exclude his end spell he was the best keeper we had between Scott Howie and John Ruddy.

Like Dundee Utd, Hibs are a team we have a dreadful recent home record against. I predicted a lose for this one when I was doing my Top 6 prediction although I hope we do better than that obviously. I think we have enough points in the bag already to secure a Top Six place and with matches against the two bottom clubs coming up I won't be too concerned about our league placing even if we lose. Fingers crossed we win but history suggests a tough match.

Look at the likely permutations I reckon we should go into the split 2nd top. Motherwell (DLWW 7 points) 53 Inverness (WWLD 7 points) 50 Kilmarnock (WDWW 10 points) 48 Hibs (WWWL 9 points) 48 Dundee Utd (WWDW 10 points) 48 ---------------------------------------------- Ross County (LLDW 4 points) 46 St. Johnstone (WLDD 5 points) 46 Aberdeen (DLWL 4 points) 41

We should be looking for at least a point from this one. Aberdeen's only win in the last 8 matches was a fortunate 1-0 v Dundee. In fact their home form is even worse. Stretching back to October 2012 it looks like this : L-W-D-D-D-L-L-L

Touching wood here but I think we are certs along with Celtic (obviously!), Ross County, Inverness and St. Johnstone. That leaves one place. I think Hibs could drop out. They are in pretty poor form (1 win in the last 12). Aberdeen also seem to be going backwards. Dundee Utd looked very good against us but don't turn it on enough. Kilmarnock could sneak in as they seem to be hitting a decent patch (only 2 defeats in the last 13) and they have a much better goal difference than Dundee Utd. Celtic Motherwell Ross County Inverness St. Johnstone Kilmarnock

Hearts have lost 4 on the bounce, including the last two home matches (0-3 Kilmarnock, 2-3 ICT). They've only won 1 match in the last 9, a 1-0 win at home to Dundee with a late goal. Their starting line ups recently have involved regular starts from Jamie Walker, Jason Holt, Callum Tapping, Kevin McHattie, Fraser Mullen and Billy King. Basically a youth team. Would be very disappointed not to get something out of this.