Lobey_Dosser

Craigan was looking to recruit a few...

That would be my team if they are all fit. McManus, Cadden and Moult were all carrying knocks by the end of the Rangers game though. Suspect Lucas will play.

Is the budget really as small as you can continuously make it out to be? The rhetoric is we now budget for 10th place but I struggle to believe that. We have an inflated squad at present and we have in all likelihood spent the best part of £100k on transfer fees in the last 6 months - something that seemed alien for many years. It looks like we are bringing in 5/6 players this January - again something that you couldn't envisage pre LH. Just now we seem to be benefiting from the favourable debt repayment terms. As time ticks on though and the debt has to be repaid our budget will become much tighter if we don't hit the jackpot with the likes of Moult or Cadden. While the financial landscape has changed, McGhee looks to have had a favourable budget during his two spells at the club.

If it is then he is taking Motherwell for a ride.

My main gripe with McGhee is we are 25+ games into the season and McGhee is no closer to knowing his best team and best formation than when we rolled over to Rangers in mid-July. Sure injuries and new signings have hampered us but he's went into this season without a clear plan as to how we should play. Furthermore our lack of style and fitness suggests we aren't spending our time on the training ground wisely. I was baffled to hear that McGhee didn't join up with the squad until Wednesday this week...

Ayr Morton live on Alba just now. Textbook 20 yarder from Forbes.

Thought Cadden looked a bit more lively today and McHugh was relatively assured.

Next 4 games - Ross County, Hearts, Aberdeen and Celtic. Lose this and we are in real bother. There have been a few difficult midweek away games in recent years when we've pulled out a result when we've really needed it. With Skippy missing, we're going to need to shitfest our way to a result.

No secret I have a personal dislike for McGhee, something that I've tried to put to the side this time round despite thinking he has performed below par this season. Today, he has left me scunnered with his overly cautious tactics, tactics that seen us beat before we go on the park. The indefensible decision to replace Chalmers with a right back rookie underlined our inferiority complex. I'm not naive enough to think we will ditch him just now but I'd be very disappointed to see us offer him a new contract. Don't get me wrong, he has done well at complying with the club blueprint in terms of developing Hall, Cadden and one or two others. That said, as one of the better paid managers in the league and having inherited some talented players, he has underperformed imo. If he was likeable guy with a bit of bottle I'd maybe give him the benefit of the doubt but unfortunately he's not.

McGhee has shat it so far sitting back and bringing on McMillan for Chalmers.

Bowman and Blyth were the two I was thinking of. Still a wee bit heavy in the midfield mind you, particularly when we have Campbell on the fringes.

If we end up with Pearson and a striker surely a few have got to go?

Possibly. However iirc McGhee suggested yesterday that he was only getting one of his no.1 targets, which I presume to be Frear. I'm therefore not anticipating much long-term thinking with the remaining signings.

Whether it's Zak or not, McGhee confirmed yesterday that he wants a centre half, which seems reasonable to me. It was mentioned before Christmas that McManus sometimes plays on the Saturday without training through the week and I imagine that has happened throughout his Motherwell career. Heneghan meanwhile has been a consistent performer since arriving but there have been occasions where he would have benefited being withdrawn from the firing line. We therefore need competition for places and in McGhee's eyes, Laing, Kennedy and Ferguson are not up to the job at present.

It's happened before with Ripley... Having said that, as much as I have no confidence in Samson, he was relatively assured at Ibrox.

Griffiths was the player I looked at when the Everton hint was dropped yesterday. Played 28 times for Cheltenham this season before being recalled by Everton as cover. Can't imagine he's came here as backup.

Yeah, I'm a huge admirer of McDonald but assuming McGhee's take on events is accurate, this is hugely disappointing. Having said that, if he was fit, he should have played from the start at Ibrox and the indiscipline could have addressed afterwards. Edit - it still isn't absolutely clear that McDonald refused to train.

Yeah strange one if that's the case. He's playing regularly for the first time in his career.

Good to get a left winger in, one we obviously rate highly. Hopefully there is a left back to follow.

The injury to Callum Paterson is a recent reminder as to why any young footballer with decent talent will move to an English club as soon as the right opportunity presents itself. Celtic apart, the gulf in quality and athleticism between England and Scotland is so huge that it's getting more and more difficult to make the necessary development up here. Anyone with an outside chance of becoming an international footballer has to go for it.

Came away from Ibrox feeling positive about this, thinking Skippy might be fit and we'd possibly have someone to fill the gap on the left. Then McGhee's interview gave me the fear. Looking forward to it nonetheless and expect us to have a right good go at them. 4-3 Motherwell.

Think bigger Championship teams than Barnsley are interested in Marley, hence the transfer request.

Tend to agree with this. If we want to keep him, we may have to offer him the big job when McGhee's contract expires. Albeit its far from guaranteed that his methods for developing and motivating kids could be transferred into a 1st team dressing room.

If Erwin is available we should be in for him. Could easily play in a front 3 with McDonald and Moult, unlike Bowman. We desperately need someone with a bit of pace.

Wee bit surprised to see Christie go out on loan. Of all their fringe players, he's probably Rodgers' favourite. Quite funny he's ended up at Aberdeen to aid their bid for 2nd. If we were genuinely in for O'Halloran, I'd be surprised if we haven't enquired about GMS.