El Grew

Get rid of McCall. Appoint Ian Murray from Dumbarton. Simples!

I'm not one for slating the club on the back of 1 win out of 3 in the league however clubs who don't get off to a good start in this league traditionally end up struggling against the collar for the rest of the season. Personally I think our problems lie more off the park than on it and they have been well enough documented on this site on numerous occasions. We've had one of the most successful periods in the league in our history however two things that have failed to follow this, are no increases in attendances and no increases in the budget available to the manager. Indeed in both cases the perhaps the opposite has been true. Ultimately both of these have lead to a lack of investment in the playing side of the club which is now beginning to show through as the manager is finding it harder and harder to maintain the standards previously set.

Absolutely spot on mate. Like Higdon before him, he is at his best when he is in the penalty box. And as you say he was our top scorer last season which played a large part in our second place finish last season. Jeez only two league games gone and some folk are getting the hammer and nails out already.

For me not a surprise / shock result. Who do we think we are. We have no divine right to expect to beat anybody. IMO we are not progressing under Stuart McCall and it may well be time to seriously consider a change of direction because he simply lacks any tactical know how. Sure we've had a couple of good runners-up finishes - not to be sniffed at for sure - but the players no matter whether long-standing ones or new ones brought in by McCall are making the same errors over an over again. He has continually failed miserably to address our defensive frailties which seem now to have worsened as nobody has been sought to replace Huthinson. Stevie Hammell has been a great club servant as has Keith Lasley but it is beginning to look as though this season is a season too far for both. Added to this that McManus who was expected to anchor the defence and prevent us losing 'daft' goals, seems past it now. We should be concentrating and investing more in getting young players in. Where were we (and others come to that) when Dundee Utd were raiding the excellent youth set-up at Queens Park and signing players. The latest example is the young lad that Hull City have just offered £2M plus for and he's only been with Dundee Utd for aabout a year!!! So sorry not a knee-jerk reaction to last night in suggesting getting rid of McCall - simply harsh realism that he has taken us as far as he can. We are strapped so we really need a manager and a scouting sytem that does what Dundee Utd's does as opposed to picking up poor loan signings from the lower reaches of the English league.

Ainsworth one year contract? Any thoughts on why only one year?

I posted about this quite some time back. I can't mind which season it was but at the back of the season ticket book there were "vouchers" for Rugby Park, Love Street and Tynecastle which if presented at the turnstiles at these grounds let you in for £10. There may have others, I can't remember but I recall getting in at these 3 away grounds for £10 which I thought was a brilliant idea. I don't know whether or not we had a reciprocal arrangement with these clubs but I would imagine we must have had. It was a great way to encourage supporters to go go to away matches where the clubs concerned were getting £10 they otherwise wouldn't get plus maybe some additional income from programmes, catering etc. It was obviously considered and tried by some clubs, ours included, previously but for some reason it was not continued. Surely it can't be beyond the wit of the SPFL clubs to arrange something along these lines. After all it's for mutual benefit.

Hard hat on here. Now that Falkirk and Dunfermline have failed in the play-offs it may be worthwhile seeing if they have anybody that could make the step-up to SPFL level. Same goes for the Accies should they fail to best Hibs. The lower divisions were traditionally a decent source for players in the past and there might just be a couple of rough gems lurking there.

I hope we avoid anybody from the other side of the old Iron Curtain because it would only end up like last year's visit to to the back of beyond in Krasnodar with the club losing money. Preferably somebody within relatively straightforward travelling distance.

Has to be Marc Fitzpatrick's winner in the League Cup semi-final against the Jambos. 1. Last minute winner in extra time.2. Cup semi-final.3. Against the team I hate most. Doesn't get much better.

Aye very proud and I don't mind admitting to shedding a tear or two. Only the Cup win comes close to how I felt at the end of the game when I saw the players and what it meant to them. Lets not kid ourselves on this is like winning the bloody league for us. It's certainly as close to winning the league for us as it's ever likely to be. Thanks Motherwell today will live long in my memory.

I think over the years, with a few exceptions, I've seen better players at FP than the ones we had during the past few seasons but not better teams! And that's a big difference! The players we have had during these past few seasons have shown something not many 'Well teams that I've seen have had and that's sheer guts, a never say die attitude and a fear of nobody. I would say that only the Cup winning team could equal them in that regard. Jeez when I was younger and we went to Aberdeen it usually meant a right humping! So to answer the question, yes there is always the potential for things to get better but whether they will or not who can say? But guys please don't think ahead, just take the time to soak all this in and enjoy these times because they won't last forever. Football is cyclical. C'mon the 'Well.

I can only really echo what others have said and add my sincere heart felt congratulations to Stuart McCall and the players. I never thought I'd see the day when we'd amass 70 points in a season. It's quite an astounding feat. These past few seasons for our club have been heady ones indeed and IMHO having been going to FP for nigh on 50 years they have been the best ever. Surely only the truly great 'Well team of the 1930's era surpass them. As another poster already said, some day in the future the (younger) fans will look back on this as a truly golden era.

It was great to hear Stuart McCall barking back today when he reminded the interviewer of the diabolical decisions that Aberdeen have gotten when playing us this season. It's time somebody stuck it to the media who have been fawning all over McInnes and his team this season. Well done Stuart.

For me both honking. What's with the white collar and sleeve trim on the home strip? The away strip is just howling. There is far too much needless trivial detail on both.

Yes I'd like to add my sincere congratulations to everyone at the club on a terrific achievement. It's hard to believe but there was once a time when I thought I'd never ever see us playing in European football!

Yet again another vitally important game where Stuart McCall and the players have been found badly wanting. Why go to Tannadice against a quick, young energetic and technically superior team and try to play an open expansive game? Another poster got it spot on when he said that McCall and Black are simply incapable of setting us up to be difficult to breakdown and score against.

I think it starts in goal. We have been fortunate for a few seasons in having really good goalkeepers in Ruddy and Randolph who gave our defenders comfort and confidence in that they confidently commanded the area in and around the 6-yard box. This meant the defenders don't need to worry about having to clear too much in that area. Next, the manager doesn't seem to want our two full backs to operate as orthodox defenders but more as auxiliary wingers. This allows teams to counter attack us by playing passes for runners into the big spaces they leave behind them when we ilse possession. Our two centre halves are too similar in their manner of play - both old fashioned and able to deal with things straight in front of them but far too easily turned and pulled out of position and very immobile. Having 'had a go' at the defence, in their defence, they are continually exposed to runners because of a serious lack of cover from our midfield. Main reason for this is we playi with two wide midfielders which means the central two midfielders have to cover a hell of the pitch both supporting the forwards and tracking back and from side to side. The 'simple' solution and one I've always favoured (maybe I'm an old fashioned traditionalist) is to use a system of play which the players are capable of operating in as opposed to using a system in which they are incapable of operating. First and foremost I believe that all four defenders first priority is to defend and not operate as auxiliary midfielders/forwards. Next we should operate with four in the midfield, with two whose main role is to track runners and protect the centre halves and two supporting the two forwards. It maybe old fashioned but I believe 4-4-2 is a system that our players understand and can play in and be at ease in. We simply don't have the class of players to be playing the type of systems that only top class players can play in. All the best teams have usually been built on a good sound defence and I see no reason to deviate from that.

Quelle surprise! Our forwards must be getting right pissed off at the defence. Continually doing the business of putting us in winning positions only for the defence and goalkeeper to toss it away. Our goals scored is highly impressive but our goals against column is as bad as those at the other end of the table. McCall needs to get this addressed. To lose 3-2 from being 2-0 up is just unacceptable. However I seem to recall being 2-0 up at home to this lot at FP in the last game of the season a few seasons back when Malpas was in charge and we ended up losing 3-2. Who says lightning never strikes in the same place twice? If there is a hard way to do things the the mighty Dossers will not only find it but do it!

What about going after Tansey, Shinnie and McKay fro ICT?

A real down to earth modest guy. One of the greatest footballers ever to have played in Scotland and for us. For the short time he played with us he gave terrific entertainment and brightened up many an otherwise dull grey Saturday. Lifted a fairly good side into being a really good side when he arrived at FP. Watching him and Bobby Russell playing together was a real pleasure. Seeing the true joy on his face when he lifted the cup for us and whilst on the open-topped bus round the town will be a lasting memory.

BBC used to provide the best TV service in the world and their coverage of sport was unrivalled and they particularly exceptional at horse racing, golf and football. However they have all but dropped out of sport now and the organisation seems to be getting run by a cabal of chancers, doowallers and wahoos who employ third rate presenters, commentators and reporters - particularly in Scotland. As for the credit or lack of credit given to our club, it's been like this for a long number of years. The Scottish sporting media, particularly the football media, have been in denial of Motherwell going way back. As for the coverage being afforded Aberdeen. Yes it's way over the top and totally unwarranted but just watch how quickly this gets dropped when The Rangers get into the SPFL. Maybe we are our own worst enemy though because we are after all a well-run, well organised, non-sectarian, family-oriented, fan-friendly, non-controversial, reasonably successful football club that just goes about its work quietly, effectively and efficiently. Our manager does not court the media nor provide them with lurid, noisy outbursts and comments or seek publicity just for its own sake neither do our players. In short maybe we are too boring for the tosses in the Scottish media!! Long may it continue.

I'm with you there. Worse was seeing us grubbed 8-3 by Partick Thistle. I remember seeing Kilmarnock, Dunfermline, St Johnstone all getting into Europe and wondering if we'd ever get there. Guys soak it up while it's going because it won't last forever. The only thing I would ask UEFA is why they don't consider having the preliminary rounds organised on a regional basis to help smaller clubs avoid heavy travelling costs.

Another 3 goals conceded!! Inability to keep a clean sheet. If you look at our goals against column it is that of a team from the bottom 4 and not 3rd in the league. In our last 5 games we have now conceded 13 goals. This just puts undue pressure on our forwards as it looks as though they need to be scoring 3 or 4 goals to win a game. There was no excuse for going from 2-0 to 2-3 today. And okay we managed to get a draw in the end but hardly reasons for celebration.

Goalkeeping problems. Pish poor defence. So what's new?

To Wellfan09. A well thought and articulately constructed response. Well here's one equally well thought and articulately constructed response.