Ya Bezzer!

I know we are short of numbers right now but the team selection to me has seemed odd. O'Donnell must surely need a rest but he's played every minute. We've only used 14 players over the three matches. Guys like Amaluzor, Parker and Shields brought in but no where to be seen. Guys like Max Johnston and David Devine nowhere either. Same team, more or less, same tactics. Not using these matches to try out various things or look at players. It all seems a bit....rigid.

Like I said at the weekend we are miles off it right now. However I am prepared to wait until the window closes before I start hitting the panic button. That said there is very little proven quality at the club, we are significantly weaker than last season, and if we don't take the appropriate measures it will likely be a long hard season. Let's hope we get it right in the coming weeks.

Setting up my super duper spreadsheet for the season and I noticed that of all the players we've used in the opening league cup matches NONE of them have played 50 league matches for the club. Highest is grizzled 'Well veteran Tony Watt with 39 league appearances. Liam Donnelly is the highest scorer with 8 goals. Overall the 14 players used so far only have 274 appearances and 16 league goals for Motherwell. Even if you include all contracted players the only one that can better Tony Watt's league appearances tally is Liam Grimshaw with 101. Just shows you how much player turn over there has been recently. Totally bizarre we could put out a side where guys with 20 or 30 appearances are the old guard....

Let's hope he doesn't have a dip in form.

It's so the guys at the back of the Hampden terrace could read what teams were playing.

He's too busy inviting lower league chairmen to his hollowed out volcano base and showing them his shark tank before subtly suggesting they might be going for a swim if Rangers and Celtic colt teams don't get into a reconstructed league.

This. We all know the first XI and squad are short of quality especially in midfield. Today's result was irrelevant to our league season, win, lose or draw. The player recruitment between now and the window closing will determine how we do this season. Until then it's premature to judge our squad, our form or our results.

We're miles off right now you'd have to be super duper happy clappy to think we aren't. However it's July. Everyone just needs to calm down a bit and wait and see what happens.

OK, let's go out and get 5 world beaters in for training on Monday.

This result (so far) just proves more so it's essentially we don't rush people in and get the recruitment right.

Which we won't do if we sign crap and are stuck with them. Like I said it's about getting the right guys.

There is about 7 weeks till the transfer window closes. I'd rather get the right guys than who ever is willing to sign now.

Wasn't watching it but had the radio on. Didn't sound to good. However Queen's Park already had a game this was our first so you are going to expect them to be further ahead than us in terms of sharpness and fitness. Also a midfield of Cornelius, Maguire and Crawford probably won't be playing too many league matches so I wouldn't worry too much on tonight's performance. We need players in, we all know that, especially a creative midfielder, but if it takes another 4 or 5 weeks to bring in the right player, I'll put up with ill deserved 1-0 wins.

You got any more? Would be nice to get a second goal before HT.

Carson had a great first season but honestly I think his form shaded off after that even before his diagnosis. Not saying he was a bad keeper but I don't think he matched his first season levels subsequently. With Kelly in now I think we've improved that position. Have to assume Siegrist won't be at Dundee Utd much longer.

I think the strips this season are OK, nothing more, but I'm a bit surprised how negative the reaction seems to have been. Especially when you consider some of the horrific efforts some other clubs have had to put up with. I mean check out Dundee Utd's! Puts ours into some kind of perspective....

I'm not a fan of black strips in general but it's not THAT bad.

I think we have 16 outfield players and that's including Cornelius, Johnston and a couple of long term crocks. So I hope so!

Great news on Kelly. Who's proved himself at this level.....

Our level is Scottish Premiership. Remind me what Scottish Premiership teams these guys have played? Maybe some teams in our league are comparably with League 1 and League 2 but not all which is why our league is unique in and of itself. Oh, and we've signed players from League 1 and 2 before that have failed. It remains to be seen if any of these players adapt to 'our level'. Personally I'll judge these guys on what they do in a Motherwell shirt, rather than making claims about players I've never seen kick a ball. If you want to put your cards on the table now instead of say, December, cos we signed someone that played half a season for Bolton 5 years ago, that's fine by me.

None of these guys have played at our level so a lot remains to be seen if they can cut it. At least van Veen has a track record of scoring goals. Our midfield rebuild is going to be the most important part of the close season along side perhaps getting a new goalkeeper since that number 1 shirt is currently vacant on the squad list.

*Bart Verheul

Fixed that for you.

Turnbull was ignored at Motherwell. He could have played in our team at least 6 months earlier if not a year earlier but we were too busy playing hoofball. He was then ignored by Scotland U-21s when Campbell and Maguire were 1st picks as well as lesser players from other clubs. He then moved to Celtic and was given a cold shoulder by Lennon for half a season until, much like at Motherwell, the manager had no choice to throw him in as a desperate measure. Then after being Celtic's best player outshining guys like McGregor and Christie, he only gets picked for Scotland after injuries and squad extensions and even then doesn't get a single minute of football at the Finals. This is how we treat probably the most technically gifted footballer that the Scottish Premiership will produce from this generation of young footballers. The mentality of Scottish football FUCKING STINKS. The distrust of youth and talent (double so when combined) is why we are where we are.

I never said they were finished. But I think their days of being automatic picks ahead of guys like Turnbull and Gilmour should be. Clarke has continually played players out of form or players who's international form has been nowhere near their club form or potential. That needs to end.