star sail

Regardless of this evenings events, last nights performance by the referee was a strange one. As someone interested in Motherwell and interested in football I was very interested to read the papers take on things this morning and could find next to nothing about the controversal moments in the game. I was not looking for a lets all feel sorry for Motherwell approach. Any sort of unbiased analysis on a very strange performance would have been welcome. There was next to nothing. The media are not doing their job if they do not comment and analysis on key moments in an SPL game. It shows once again that unless the OF are involved the press are simply not interested. That there has been a complete absence of coverage of what was a strange moment in a game of football, regardless of betting irregularities, shows that the Scottish Press have their eye well and truely off the ball when it comes to commenting on the game as a whole in this country. Another reason why I feel that, as others have mentioned the ba' is well and truely burst regarding the game in this country. That this moment in the game could actually turn out to be of greater significance should be a source of embarrasment to a National Press who have let the incident completly pass them by because it did not involve either side of th Old Firm.

Good info. Does sound a bit Gannonesque and but for a couple of players in the ointment who did not like getting told that they had a few things to learn, it just may have worked for Gannon at FirPark. Unlike Hibs, I think that Motherwell probably have a bunch of players that may just buy into what Collins was preaching. Brown himself said how response the players were (should we chose to believe that amidst all the other pish) and we don't have in our squad the Riordans etc that would undermine that message. John Boyle would buy it I am sure so it would remain to be seen if Collins actually applies for the job. For me it is worth the risk because the same old same old is taking the Scottish game nowhere.

So, hypothetically speaking of course, if Walter Smith was to take a brainstorm on Monday morning and decide that Craigan was the man to step into Davie Weirs shoes, Crags would not go because of his loyalty and the fact that he bleeds claret and amber? I have no issue with what Crags has done for the club but I'm not going to dress it up as something it's not. Craigan found his level at Motherwell hence the reason he has stayed so long. The last couple of days has shown that loyalty and bleeding claret and amber etc is not something that football people do well.

It would not have mattered how Craig Brown left, the reaction would have been the same. If he had gone at the first time of asking I do not believe that these boards would have been full of positive comments about the wee man wishing him well. Were Butcher to do what the old boy did, then I am sure that there would be little in the way of outrage from Well fans about the way in which he went about things. In fact he would be getting commended on his commitment to the Well etc, etc. Football fans have an ability to be very selective when it comes to taking the moral high ground. I agree with you about the last bit, would not want Butcher back.

How come we are all outraged by Craig Browns antics and yet we are happy with the thought of Butcher bailing out on ICT. Even a thread on here saying that Butcher has already indicated that he would come. The Double Standards of football fans is staggering at times.

Yeah build a team because the last time I checked you can't play with only 7 players (and you missed Humphrey). As far as ripping the heart out the club goes, how did he do that exactly?

Was underwhelmed when he arrived and underwhelmed that he is leaving. Highlights were 6-6 against Hibs (but do not forget that was a Craig Brown team conceeding 6 goals) and the Euro run. The rest was very sterile in my opinion and included a few Old Firm humpings along the way. Lets not forget also that the euro qualification was achieved with a team built by Jim Gannon. Brown does not have that starting point with Aberdeen. Looking forward to the future. How i would love to see Gannon finish what he started but it will never ever happen.

Tell you what, this has been great. No games for a few weeks and no games on the horizon and suddenly all this comes out of nothing. Now we can wildly speculate, make up spurious (I don't actually know what spurious means) rumours and vent our anger at the villian, wee Craigy Brown all the way to Christmas. Odense apart, it's the most exciting thing to have happened since the wee man arrived.

John Collins, Jim Gannon (for old times sake), Mark McGhee.

:wank:

Got a bit of the Craig Browns about it this post.

It's like one of those Euro away nights when there is hunners of people online. Beats talking about the weather.

Our attendances have been poor despite good results, something that I have found a bit odd. Suggests that as a support we never really fully bought into the Brown era (maybe because of his age). For me there was a bigger buzz about the future when Gannon was around although we all know how that turned out. For me, if he goes I will feel less upset than I did when both Gannon and McGhee left. There has been something just a bit to dull about the football for me recently. Having said that would rather he stayed.

Loyalty is obviously a one way street in your eyes MJC. He has not taken the Aberdeen job and for all we know is using the situation to strengthen the Well squad and you are on with this rant about our Manager who has done very well for us in the last year. Craig Brown would be humbled by your loyalty.

Having read this thread I am now convinced that football fans will never be happy with the amount of loyalty a manager shows a club. Wee Craig would have to tattoo himself Claret and Amber and run round the Fir Park pitch naked screaming 'I love you Motherwell' before being given any credit for showing loyalty. What amazes me is that we all sit judging managers decisions to move when we have no idea of the offer that is being made. I would think that 99% of the people on this board would move jobs for a hike in their salary of £20-30k. and yet blind to terms and conditions offered Craig Brown is already being slated for daring to listen to offers. Craig Brown has shown as much loyalty as can possibly be expected of a football man and his reason for staying (i.e the commitment of the players) is about as pure a reason as you are ever going to see. He may still go but if he does you would have to imagine that Milne's offer is pretty seductive. I know what is going to happen anyway. Craig Brown will go and a year to the day after being sacked from Well Jim Gannon will come rolling into town wearing a pair of Hugh Dallas skinned shoes, Mark McGhee carrying his bags, and will go on to take Motherwell to Champions League glory.

The potential comes from the fan base. Motherwell's biggest problem is that even when going well, like just now 5000-6000 a game is all that can be hoped for. Aberdeen can generate 15000+ a week when things are going well. This must be an attraction for any ambitious manager.

I don't think that we can now ignore this story. Bookmakers know what they are talking about, it is their business too and the odds at the moment are strongly in favour of Brown. Reading the Evening Times article as well Brown by no means rules himself out as he has done so emphatically with previous links to jobs. As Well fans we have to accept that Aberdeen are a bigger club who can command crowds in excess of 15000+ when thinks are going well. I was very lukewarm about Brown arriving with us but he has had a fantastic year and I would be sad to see him go. On the positive side Boyle has been shrewd when appointing managers so I am sure he could unearth another gem for us again. A big IF right enough and I really hope it does not happen.

Agree 100%. The Aberdeen game you speak about was one of my all time favourite Motherwell games. Could not believe I was watching Motherwell or any SPL side for that matter (Was it not 3-0 after about 20 mins?). I had a Celtic fan sitting beside me that day who said that he had not seen Celtic play like that never mind Motherwell. I think that the really good football that season had a lot to do with the influence of Stephen Hughes. I seem to remember however that sandwiched somewhere between the Aberdeen game and the fateful Dundee Utd game was a howler of a game against Falkirk when we lost 2-0 at home. I had a friend over from America that day and had been raving about how good we were and as happens when you say that we were rotten. Phil O Donnell also had a poor game that day having had an excellent season. Sadly it was the last time I saw him play. It is the fact that Mark McGhee shared with the Well fans such a traumatic experience as Phil's death that will never allow me to wish ill upon him or gloat at his bad experience with Aberdeen. I would not have McGhee back simply because I don't think that he could have the same impact again, but I am thankful for the time he spent at the club.

Aye. The boots need a right rubbin in this weather.

That is ok for the fans who have the freedom to make their own decisions. The players don't however and for the Hearts players travelling aong the M8 this is the right decision. Safety first. Has to be.

Levein was right to loose the rag on that occasion. In that Ibrox game there was two or three decisions all going against Utd (and for Rangers) that were at best sheer incompetence from the referee and there was a case that day to suggest that it was possibly more sinister than that. Forbes disallowed goal at FP was another example of a decision that reeked of something more than mere incompetance. What we are dealing with in Lennon's case is controversy over a decision that the ref called correctly. Even the Broadfoot incident, for all clear on replays was not as clear cut as the media made it out to be at the time. Collum was fooled by a player who was cheating. Happens every day in the game. The Walter Smith situation astounds me. He has, for whatever reason, got the Press by the short and curlys. He can moan, cry foul, be aggressive and offhand and is still reported as being a gentleman and ambassador for the game (remember Boyds goal that never was at FP). To this extent I can understand Celtics complaint. I think that over the years Rangers have had more than their fare share of decisions go their way backed by a Scottish press that is like a lapdog to the Ibrox club. Having said that Celtic come 2nd in the league table for decisions going their way which is why it is so laughable that they are the one's to throw the dummy out the pram.

I think that Browns approach is the right one. There were two big decisions in the game, one went for us, one against. The offside decision was tight and for all it is clear to see on a freeze frame at full pace it is possible to see how the linesman could get it wrong. The one time that I feel Brown should have gone to town was on the Forbes goal against Rangers last season. That was an inexplicable decision and a case for crying foul. Ultimately it cost us 4th place in the league. On the point of booking both players at flashpoints I think that is a SFA directive that gets the ref's off the hook. If in any doubt book them both. We see it time and time again. Just to keep our perspective balanced however we have benifited from these offside decisions in the past. Was it last season at FP when Accies had a good move down the left called offside when it was a mile on? For me the big test in terms of decisions is would you have got that at Ibrox or Parkhead? For me the penalty for all it was definetly a penalty was soft because Murphy would not have got it at Ibrox or Parkhead. We just have to be grateful when we get them and take the good with the bad.

The Motherwell Stewards would have a nervous breakdown if this kind of evil uprising was to start. Standing up, singing, the flying of flags. A health and safety nightmare and it may even offend Old Firm fans that travel a long way to graciously come and visit us. This is a non starter in my eyes. Shame on you Happyslappy for even suggesting such a thing. The image of Che Guvara alone could offend our sterile wee environment.It is fans like you that do the game no good whatsoever and would bring DISGRACE upon our club.

Find this very difficult to make a decision about. Hibs were heading nowhere fast untill midweek and suddenly showed us what they are capable of. That shows for me that there is an attitude problem at Hibs. Good players that just don't want to play for the jersey. The question is has the mid week game resolved the attitude problems or will Hibs sink back into their old ways. Well on the other hand have been relatively consistent and doing well on their travels. Wednesday night was a bit of a freak score as Motherwell did not play as well as the scoreline suggests but to score 4 when not flying in top gear is fairly impressive. Humphrey and Blackman to make the difference in a very tight game. 1-2 for the Well!!