star sail
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Posts posted by star sail
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First home game I have managed to get along to this season so it was interesting for me for a number of reasons.
Firstly, I thought Firpark was looking as good as I have seen it. Nice to see that hard work is going into to maintaining the stadium.
The first 10 minutes from a Motherwell perspective was like a training session. I was taken aback by the lack of intensity. Biereth coming on in the second have made the contrast of the intensity with which the game should be played all the more notable.
Biereth was a level above any other player on the park. I was particularly interested to see Bair given the negativity when he first signed. He is no striker certainly but I thought for a big lad he had some nice touches and decent close control. It would be interesting to see him play with a couple of pacey strikers playing off him.
The second RC goal in particular was a lovely goal and shows that they can play a bit when they get going. We were fortunate to escape with a draw
The last 10 minutes reminds me of why I keep going back to the football. 80 mins of dross and then 10-15 mins of high drama and entertainment.
Biereth could be the difference between a top 6 finish and a relegation battle.
All in all a fairly typical Motherwell performance. A kind of four seasons in one day performance. Anybody saying it is the worst performance in decades cannot have spent decades going to FP.
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Does anyone know what the form league table is from the moment that Kettlewell took over ? We must be very close to being top of that table along with Celtic albeit they played 5 games in the top half of the split. I can't think of another team that has been as successful in the last six months. Maybe Aberdeen?
As I stands, Kettlewells win statistics are very impressive indeed.
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36 minutes ago, Robbos boy said:
Just don't get the criticism of O'Donnell, if young Max had made the run and cross for the goal, many on here would be adding a million onto transfer fee. But as I said none more fickle than some on here. On a lighter note heard that the Rangers are on 2 quiz programmes next week, The Chase and Pointless, over to you Grizzly!!!!!.
I agree with this 100%. He seems like a decent guy and solid pro who for a time represented the club for Scotland. It is a very strange attitude that a small minority of Well fans have adopted with him. The lack of support he got from some of the Well support during the Euro's was baffling. He was a fraction away from scoring at Wembley. Had he done so he would not be playing for us right now. The fickle nature of football.
His assist yesterday was lovely. Really nice to see two underfire players ( crazy though that is) combine to get the goal
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9 minutes ago, steelboy said:
Both strikers are murder.
Absolutely brilliant. Delighted for the boy after the shite on this forum over the last few days. Hope he can kick on from here.
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My prediction is that we will make the top six this season.
My second prediction is that we will go out of the Scottish Cup to a Louis Moult goal(s) and he will not celebrate the goal(s) as a mark of respect.
I also think we will lose to Dundee today because the promoted teams seem to hit the ground running untill they are found out after the first round of games.
I hope this prediction is already wrong by 5pm this evening.
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8 minutes ago, Kat said:
Mika has arrived.
He looks like a young Scott Brown.
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On 8/1/2023 at 6:06 PM, David said:
Just for even more perspective, Stevie May scored 10 the season before the one you mentioned, and has hit double figures five times in his career at varying levels and for different clubs.
The most Bair has managed was four in one season, where he played 17 games in the Norwegian second tier. He's played in 92 games during his career and has scored eight goals.
I was not trying to underplay Stevie May's ability. The very opposite in fact. I was using him as an example of a player that has proved himself at our level and yet still had a season where he struggled to score in a St Johnstone side. The point is that a player can have a poor season ( even an experienced player like Stevie May) and sometimes it is for reasons other than the player himself. The other point is that having had a poor season one season does not guarantee failure the next season.
SK clearly believes he can make a player out of Bair. Maybe he thinks he can man manage some confidence into the lad. Maybe he feels that St Johnstone were not playing him to his strengths and believes that a different formation/ role on the field will play to the players strengths. Look at what he was able to do with KVV by simply changing a few things.
One thing is for absolutely certain. If it is a confidence issue, the fan reaction to his signing will not have helped. Even if Bair has been advised by SK not to read social media, the fact that a negative impression has been created already will mean that the first misplaced pass or lack of control during his first game will result in a negative reaction from the stands.
Football fans will never learn that their behaviours and reactions can actually handicap the team they are supposed to be supporting. Give the boy a chance. A couple of early season goals could be all that is needed to kick start his career. Let's try and provide the environment which best allows that to happen.
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16 minutes ago, fizoxy said:
I'm not particularly enthused about this signing either, but we should also take into account that his manager was Callum Davidson.
Also for a little more perspective, Stevie May scored 2 goals in 30 appearances on season 21/22 and then scored 10 goals in all competitions last season.
The two points I would take from that are that the performance of one season does not necessarily predict the form of the next. 10 goals is not prolific but they are goals that contributed to St Johnstones safety last year ( including a win against us).
Secondly if a proven SPL standard forward in Stevie May is struggling to score goals in that St Johnstone team then a young Canadian trying to find his way in the Scottish game may also struggle to find his form for reasons other than that he is useless.
It does not look like an inspired signing I would agree but SK's reputation as a manager capable of building a competitive squad is at stake so he clearly believes that Bair is worth signing.
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On 7/28/2023 at 8:35 AM, steelboy said:
We should be trying to sign players of the standard of KVV, Moult, Cole, Watt, Long, Lang.
Even Curtis Main is better than the guys we are bringing in.
There is nothing wrong with mentioning these players as being of the standard we should be aiming for.
The problem is that is is a post that is easy to make with the benefit of hindsight. Watt in particular was a massive risk. It just happened to work when it had not really worked for other clubs before or since.
The question for Steelboy or anyone else being critical of the signings is who is out there now,that Motherwell can afford, that would guarantee the output of the players mentioned? Name a name.
The risk is always there that it might not work. A success rate of 25% is probably about as good as we are likely to get. I think Motherwell have been more successful than most of finding gems, Higdon, Moult and KVV being the most obvious modern day examples
Imagine the reaction if Motherwell were announcing the signing of a young Dougie Arnott today. A player from the Junior leagues. It would be mayhem.
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Safety as good as guaranteed. A wonder goal to seal the deal.
If KVV is playing his last few games for Motherwell then what a way to sign off.
The 2-2 draw at FP derailed our season so it is nice to seal the deal with a win against Killie to put the demons of that game well and truly behind us.
The planning can begin for next season. Well done to the team and SK.
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22 hours ago, Robbos boy said:
Hello Rev Jolly, have a look on the BBC Scotland football website, Motherwell chance of relegation 0%, chance of play off 3%,stop talking pish!!!!!
That was an interesting read and very reassuring but 3% does seem optimistic.
If Killie and Utd win this weekend the table will read
MWell. 37
DUtd. 34
Killie. 34
St Johnstone 33
With 4 games still to play after this weekend it would all be a little too tight for comfort.
I am confident we will get there in the end but there may be some twists and turns yet.
A win tomorrow however would put things beyond reasonable doubt
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3 hours ago, MJC said:
Some of the usual suspects on here would drench their scants nowadays if we beat Celtic with a team led by ex-Ranger Tommy McLean and containing Bobby Russell and Davie Cooper. Then you throw in Rangers supporting Ulsterman Colin O’Neill whacking a Celtic player in the chops and getting away with it at the time.
If “Terry Butchers celebrations on Skippy Sunday are something I’d rather not see again” to paraphrase a quote from a poster on here a couple of months ago are anything to go by then beating Celtic with an ex Rangers manager, two ex Rangers players running the show and one being described as “loves scoring against Celtic” and a Rangers fan from NI elbowing one of their players in the face…god knows how they would cope. 😆
Are you sure your not a Rangers fan MJC?
I think the 'rather not see that again' quote might have been me. Sorry if it offended you. You have certainly been holding onto it for some time. I think that quote was months ago.
Just to clear things up on that. I loved Bobby Russell as a player. I loved Colin O Neill as a player. His goal in the 4-2 Scottish Cup semi final gave me my single most enjoyable moment as a football fan on what was for me the greatest night of being a Motherwell fan in my life.
I loved wee Tommy McLean. His management coincided with my most enjoyable days going to the football. I get nothing but pleasure from watching the videos above. They bring back many happy memories.
Davie Cooper was a gift from the heavens to Motherwell at the time and I consider it an absolute privilege to have watched one of the most gifted players in Scotland history wear claret and amber.
When I think of all these players I think of players who were playing for the Motherwell jersey. They were celebrating goals as Motherwell players. Tommy McLean sides were beating Celtic and Rangers for the Motherwell jersey.
My favourite ever Motherwell player happened to be Tommy Coyne, an ex Celtic man. I remember him having to take the abuse of Rangers fans about the tragic death of his wife when we played Rangers are Firpark and Coyne was visibly shaken. I think from memory Tommy McLean had to substitute him. It is those kinds of moments that strengthen s my belief that Rangers are not better than Celtic despite your claims otherwise.
On Skippy Sunday I felt that Terry Butcher was celebrating more than just a Motherwell win. It is a personal opinion of mine that has obviously caused you some offense but it does remain something that I would not care to see again.
I enjoyed Motherwell's draw on Saturday as much as I enjoyed Skippy Sunday. The impact that the Skippy Sunday result had on either Celtic or Rangers meant nothing to me.
As one last aside, if Celtic or Rangers were playing a European final I would and have supported both of them. Any bitterness I have for the OF does not extend beyond my wish to see Motherwell thump them both every time we play them. Sadly these days the pickings are lean. It's what makes Saturday's result something to celebrate and the videos above something to cherish forever.
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6 hours ago, Ya Bezzer! said:
Interesting to see all the hoopla over St Mirren making Top 6 when we scored more goals and conceded less than them.
In fact we had the best defensive record in the league after Rangers and Celtic.
Of course it's all about points but still kind of indicates we were a little on the unlucky side this term.
That has been a theme throughout the season. The BBC did an interesting article saying that some of the less obvious statistics in games were favourable to Motherwell and they suggested that we should have been further up the league.
I was very confident last week that we were completely safe but despite a fantastic draw at Celtic yesterday, I feel slightly more nervous this week.
It would still take a fairly exceptional set of results for us to end up in the play-off place but the notion that both Dundee Utd and Killie could both have a 3/4 game winning streak is not beyond the realms of possibility, particularly when RC and to an extent Livingston and St Johnstone are on a poor run of form.
My preference is that we stay off the plastic pitches so Livingston and Killie at home would do for me. We would have a reasonable chance of winning at least one of those games.
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Fantastic result. Well done to the team and the manager. Had a wee feeling for a draw today. So close to top 6. Brilliant!!!
Happy Saturday night everyone.
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2 hours ago, MJC said:
For the entire week leading up to that game all we were being told about was how Celtic were coming to Fir Park to win the league. How their fans had bought tickets for the home ends in their thousands and there was nothing we could do about it except sit, watch then slink away to leave them to celebrate winning the league at OUR home ground. That their obnoxious, sanctimonious, smug, arrogant followers were going to party in our stands as they cheered Martin O’Neill, Chris Sutton, Neil Lennon etc parading the league trophy around FP.
So to stop them doing all of that, to rip it out their grasp and hand it to their bitter rivals with minutes to go and get the satisfaction and the glory of seeing them all deflated, broken and in tears was absolutely epic.
Each to their own, absolutely, but to me only winning a trophy would top the feeling I got that day. We’ve had bigger and more important results over the years since that day, but 22/05/05 was just so, so deliciously sweet.
I do understand that to a point MJC and I have felt anger and frustration when playing both sides of the OF but by being dragged into that bitterness and hatred as Motherwell fans we become no better than either Rangers or Celtic who collectively have stained the culture of life in the West of Scotland for a century.
It can be difficult sometimes but I try to focus on Motherwell's positive achievements rather than getting caught in the bitterness of the OF rivalry.
I did take joy from Motherwell winning that day but I took no joy whatsoever from having a helping hand in Rangers winning the league.
Let's not kid ourselves, had the role been reversed and we had been playing Rangers that day the build up from the press and their fans would have been exactly the same. Both Rangers and Celtic have proved that time and again.
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I really feel that we could sneak a draw today. It would be a huge point if we can get it
Of the matches mentioned above, the 4-2 semi final game was my favourite. One of the best nights ever, football or not, with some world class goals thrown in For all I enjoyed the play offs eventually it was a nerve shredding week that I would not like to experience again.
Skippy Sunday did nothing for me other than the normal satisfaction that comes from beating the OF. It had been an average season generally for Motherwell and I have never really understood the joy with which some Motherwell fans celebrated that result. Each to their own I suppose.
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I wonder if we are reaching an equilibrium point in Scottish Football where each season we will lose three quarters of the top flight managers. There has been seven stackings in the league already this season.
The trend seems to be going like this: the second place manager of Rangers and Celtic loses his job. Van Bronkhorst lost his and Michael Beale is probably only a couple of poor results away from losing his.
Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen have set our their stall as the 3 rd place team in Scotland. Don't finish 3rd, you lose your job. Jim Goodwin and Robbie Neilson gone, Lee Johnston a couple of poor results away from losing his job.
Then there is the safe haven of mid-table. St Mirren and Livi are sitting nicely in those spots. Martindale and Robinson must have the safest jobs in British football at the moment.
Then there is the 8th-12 th black hole. Get within 6 to 9 points of relegation and club owners/ directors get nervous. Davidson at St Johnstone is the latest victim. Hammell and Fox are already ancient history. Will Mackay at RC and/or McIness at Killie keep their jobs if these teams go down?
So only three from twelve teams (Celtic, St Mirren, Livi) have managers that can sleep easy at this time.
We hear that it is a result driven business. So what is the result that's driving the business? It is certainly not long term development of clubs or a nurturing environment for young players.
It seems like the owners of the clubs have no real notion of what the result or destination is. The vision is short sighted if it exists at all. Maybe the manager merry go round is just part of the entertainment package now. A side show as enthralling, if not more so than the football itself. Certainly the lust for blood seems to be shared by football directors and some supporters alike.
That there is rumblings about Kettlewell after one poor results seems ridiculous, but it simply a reflection of the crazy world that football now inhabits..
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2 hours ago, Kmcalpin said:
Yes, we have to be professional in our approach and treat each game as very, very difficult, but winnable. I always thought that yesterday's game was a very real probable loss. Have teams sussed us out yet or was it a one off blip? Time will tell. Either way, teams will suss us out at some point and then Plan B should come into play.
Post split, all the teams below us will be fighting for their lives and they won't give a damn how they gather the points. We have a cushion, which will narrow before the split, but should still be advantageous. After the split, I'd expect to play Ross County and Killie and home and Livingston and St Johnstone away, but who knows given we're due 3 home games. Dundee United at home? Maybe, given we played them 3 times away last season. Our recent record at Perth is abysmal and we've found the Arabs and Killie very difficult opponents this season.
We're in pole position but need those points to ensure mathematical safety. I don't care how we get them. Over the years of following the Well, we've all learned to take nothing for granted. Oh, I almost forgot about next week. No hammering, no red cards and no injuries please. Is that too much to ask for?
We are safe for this season. Whilst one of RC, Utd or Killie may go on a 4-5 game winning streak it is highly unlikely that all three teams ( or two of the three) will. They will take points off each other on the way as well so it would take an exceptional set of circumstances for us to end in the bottom two now.
Every draw in the last round of games will play into our hands as well.
One more win for us, if it does not come against Livi ( I have written the Celtic game off)will 100% seal the deal.
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16 hours ago, Ya Bezzer! said:
Excellent win.
The projection is 1 more win for safety but let's aim for 40 points at least.
What makes you say that? I thought 37 points was generally considered the marker for safety based on the last decade or so.
Are you working on the basis that Killie, Utd and RC will take points off each other and that two of the three can't now reach 33 points?
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14 hours ago, texanwellfan said:
Very important point and perhaps more so in the way we got it. Strange how the same score can invoke different emotions. Had we been 1 up and lost a late goal it would feel totally different than us snatching a point at the death.
Indeed. If we look back to the Kilmarnock game at FP now, that point cannot be better illustrated. That one result seemed to completely derail Stevie Hammell's spell as manager. Would Hammell still be the manager now if we had won that night?
The facts will show that we got one point that night and one point yesterday but the emotions that surround the result are very different.
It is for that reason that I think that we may well look back on Slattery's goal as the one that keeps us safe this year. A defeat yesterday would have pulled us right back into the relegation battle with Kettlewell having to lift the players for a massive game this coming weekend. As it is the mood stays positive and everybody makes the long trip to Dingwall with optimism. The goal will have been a real body blow to Killie's morale yesterday.
The quality in the playing squads between the teams in 4th to 12 th are so similar that it is moments like Polworth's wonder goal at FP or Slattery's free kick yesterday that can change the fortunes of a season. Confidence is king.
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If for whatever reason Kettlewell was to turn the offer down, it would leave the club in a difficult situation. You would imagine that McCann or Holloway would not be happy about being second choice to a relative rookie. It could mean that the process would have to start again.
Also if Kettlewell was to turn the offer down, would he be in a compromised position for taking the team this coming weekend?
Hopefully they are just ironing out the details and it will all be resolved soon.
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43 minutes ago, David said:
I've seen the "cheap option again" patter trotted out a few times now, with Kettlewell and Hammell before him.
Here's my question. What does that mean? I can understand fans saying that when it's a club owned by a rich individual or whatever, and they're not keen on throwing away millions on a manager, but that's not where we're at.
What benefit would the board draw from sacrificing the right candidate to save a few quid? Why would we go for "the cheap option?"
I think by cheap option people mean affordable option. This is maybe the point you are making.
Jack Ross has been spooked by something and if it is wages then it gives us an idea as to the market we are working in.
As a mindless and wild conspiracy theory however, Ross could have been persuaded by Alan Burrows that he is under serious consideration for Aberdeen. I suppose this highlights the compromising situation than AB finds himself in just now. Hand tied for two jobs.
As a complete guess, I would think we are closer to the Ian Murray, Kettlewell, McPake market than the Holloway, Ross, McCann one. I think opting for Hammell in the summer showed this. It was a decision influenced by considerable financial constraints.
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Jack Ross would be my choice. Putting his 7 games at Dundee Utd aside his management record is impressive. Regularly around 50% win rate. Third place finish and two cup finals with Hibs.
I suspect that if he wants it, it will be his. He will have a point to prove so he will be motivated. Exciting prospect should it come to pass.
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Football is a simple game. Hard work goes a long way. Great result. Let's hope it kickstarts the season.
Stuart Kettlewell discussion thread
in Club Chat
Posted
So is the Motherwell Football Club manager strategy to replace the manager every season for the new manager bounce then sack him?
Alexander got about a year before the support started to turn. Kettlewell has had 9-10 months. A month ago people on these boards were posting Kettlewell's fantastic managerial stats and touting him for the Hibs job.
This bad run started with us running both Rangers and Celtic very close, so we are really talking about the last four games as being the start of the loss in form.
The notion that we have any pre determined right to beat the likes of Aberdeen, Livingston, RC or Killie is unrealistic. If after a season, we find ourselves at the bottom of the league then it may be time to look at a change of manager but are we seriously suggesting that this is the correct decision after four poor games? As a sustainable model for any club that type of strategy is unworkable in the long term.
RC were a whisker from relegation last year and they stuck with the manager. Killie likewise. Is it poor decision making from these two clubs to keep those managers or can we recognise when taking the emotion out of the argument, that these football managers are doing good jobs in difficult circumstances.
The manager of Motherwell has a task that is equally challenging. Kettlewell did a great job to keep us up last season. He has proved already that he has the skill set to turn things around. The notion that we bin him after four poor games is ridiculous.
St Mirren fans wanted Robinson out after a run of bad results early in his time there. Aberdeen fans were starting to voice concern about Barry Robson. He has just won two games on the bounce. It is the fans more than anyone that drive this unhealthy desire for change at the first hint of trouble.
Give Kettlewell a chance. He deserves the support of the fans.