El Grew

The only way Hearts could take him would be to wait until the summer and pick him up once his contract has expired. They couldn't afford a transfer fee because they are potless and up to their Lithuanian arses in debt.

I think other than the OF all clubs' fans look forward to the SCup with a degree of optimism and expectation. Personally, it will never lose its appeal for me. Its always with a great sense of anticipation and expectation that I look forward to seeing who we will get in the first round and then wonder/dream about what lies ahead. As far back as I can remember, we have always taken good sized supports away with us when we've been drawn away in the first round. We had as many if not more fans, even though we lost, at Rugby Park and Love Street a couple of seasons back and we took a fair number all the way down to Stranraer. And at home we've had some really decent and big gates, here's a few - 1969 - v Clyde - 10,000 1970 - v Klimarnock - 14,000 1971 - v Rangers - 25,000 1972 - v Ayr Utd - 13,000 (midweek replay during the day) 1976 - v Celtic - 25,000 1976 - v Hibs - 19,000 1977 - v St Mirren - 27,000 1987 - v Hearts - 14,000 Viva the Scottish Cup.

Motherwell legends:- - John "Sailor" Hunter - The entire 1932 League Winning Squad - George Stevenson - The entire 1952 Scottish Cup Winning Team - The entire 1951 League Cup Winning Team - Tommy McLean - The entire 1991 Scottish Cup Winning Team - The Ancell Babes - Charlie Aitken - Joe Wark - Willie Pettigrew - Martyn Corrigan

Just as a guide to potential costs - St Mirren's new Barr Construction stadium holds 8,000 and is reported to have cost £15 million which works out at about £1,875 per seat. The Norwegian club we are reported to have taken a trialist from recently (IK Start FC) have just spent £38 million on their new stadiumcwhich works out at about £2,657 per seat. If we do eventually get to build a new stadium I hope we get something with some design aesthetics and not a 4 box job from Barr. Something along the Livingston stadium, with all four corners filled in and a capacity of say 10,000 would be ideal.

I'm assuming St Mirren will beat Brechin and we'll beat Inverurie. Our Scottish Cup record against St Mirren is quite good and we've not lost to them at FP so home advantage is highly significant in this one. Overall Motherwell Wins = 7 St Mirren Wins = 4 Draws = 1 At Fir Park Motherwell Wins = 4 St Mirren Wins = 0 Draws =1

Man so many to pick from. Just some and in no particular order. 1970 - Beating Spurs 5-4 on aggregate in Texaco Cup after being 2-4 down at one point. Spurs full of internationlists. Pure magic. 1971 - Beating Hearts 4-2 in Texaco Cup after being 0-2 down at halftime. Pure pleasure! 1976 - Beating Celtic 3-2 in Scottish Cup after being 0-2 down at halftime. Unbelieveable! 1991 - Winning the Cup beating Dundee Utd 4-3 . Cried my eyes out. 2005 - Beating Hearts 3-2 in League Cup Semi-Final. Unforgettable. 1970s - Beating Celtic 3-2 at Parkhead in the League. 'Grew double. Superb. 1991 - Beating Rangers 3-0 before Cup Final. Oh how sweet. 1969 - Div 1 Beating Kilmarnock 1-0. First game of the season after promotion. Invaded the pitch at the finish. Fantastic. Got my ear clipped by my dad as somebody cliped on me. 1969 - Beating Morton 1-0 at Ibrox after 3rd game to reach Semi-Final of League Cup to meet St. Johnstone. Thought we were nailed on for the final as we'd gubbed them 4-1 at FP only weeks previously. Cried my eyes out - again. There are others to numerous to mention but these for obvious reasons stand out.

Always great stuff when we beat Hearts. To be honest a piss poor game of football. I thought despite statements abour formations, both teams ended up starting 4-5-1. This ensured it would be a dour game with perhaps only a goal in it, so whoever got it would win. Thankfully, for a change it was us. Best three players on show were Klimpl, O'Brien and Porter. Klimpl definitely gives us a physical presence in midfield and he stuck to Obua like a clam and played him right out the game and was always there doing the dirty work of a midfielder that so often goes unnoticed by fans. Still not impressed by Quinn (still can't pass to a fellow player) and Hammell (too many aimless balls launched forward). Strangely, Reynolds looked more comfortable with Craigan beside him. We had nothing on the left side of the field though and that must be addressed. A midfield of O'Brien, Hughes, Klimpl and Lasley left us looking too one sided and unbalanced. Having said all that a great result and with 7 points from last 9 hopefully we have turned the corner after a really sticky patch.

I was one who criticised Jim O'Brien and MM for signing him. He showed f*ck all anytime he appeared and MM was never off his case. Having said that, his application and work rate against Hearts were terrific and a big improvement on anything he'd previously shown. Still not sure about and end product from him yet and on the basis that one swallow doesn't make a summer, I'll reserve further judgement until he has hasd a run in the team and displayed performance levels like this consistently. But well played on Wednesday Jim. Hope you maintain it.

My dad used to tell me that the football classic of the season that was looked forward to was Motherwell V Hearts either at FP or Tynecastle in the 1950's when both clubs had right good players. For me however I began hating them after the 1970 Texaco cup carry-on. My dad took me and brother and we both came home greeting that night as we'd been dirty beat. Ever since then I love to see us beating them.

TBH just another pretty poor game of football from Scotland's top professional league. If it hadn't been for the occasion of St Mirren's last game at their old ground then nobody would have given it a second thought. They were best in the first half and we were best in the second but alas not one creative player on show and they could have played until this time next year and not scored. Probably a better point for us being away from home than for them and it continues to stop the rot of our losing streak.

Like many I've been priviliged to see many great players in C&A. Best Goalkeeper Keith MacRae Best Defender Brian Martin Best Striker Willie Pettigrew Most Gifted Footballers Davie Cooper, Bobby Russell and Vic Davidson. Best Stirking Partnership Willie Pettigrew and Bobby Graham. First FP Hero Dixie Deans. Favourite 'Well Player Ever By a park length Mr Motherwell himself, Joe Wark. Joe put his heart and soul into every performance he made in C&A and if he had a bad game it wasn't for lack of effort.

I think Lasley's form has dipped in the past couple of games but then he's been carrying the rest of the midfield for some time now. Maybe a wee rest will let him recharge his batteries.

Just wondered who might be for the chop this season and how many points we'd need to avoid it. Based on all seasons of the SPL the stats below might give some clues. ALL TIME (1975/76 - 2007/08) Average number points of teams relegated = 22 Highest number of points to be relegated = 36 (Dundee Utd 1994/95) Lowest number of points to be relegated = 11 (St Johnstone 1975/76) IN 12 TEAM SPL Average number points of teams relegated = 24 Highest number of points to be relegated = 33 (Dundee 1994/94) Lowest number of points to be relegated = 13 (Gretna 2007/08) So how many points will we need to be safe? Here are our fixtures up to the split: ST MIRREN (AWAY) HEARTS (HOME) DUNDEE UTD (AWAY) FALKIRK (HOME) HIBS (AWAY) HAMILTON (HOME) CELTIC (HOME) ICT (AWAY) HEARTS (AWAY) DUNDEE UTD (HOME) KILMARNOCK (AWAY) ABERDEEN (HOME) RANGERS (AWAY) ST MIRREN (HOME)

Aye a good and much needed result. But better not to get carried away after all it was ICT who are probablly the worst team to have been at FP for a long while. Porter scored 3 goals but could be offski so pressure on Sutton and Clarkson to start scoring. Smith (again) managed to make a right a*se of a cross ball which he had no right even thinking about going for to let ICT back into a game they should have been well out of. The defence looked as fragile as ever and better teams have and will continue to exploit this. The midfield still don't do enough and their failure to chip in with goals is a real worry. That said the rot was stopped and if ICT keep this kind of stuff up then they are for the drop.

Press Officer??!!! I thought the strips went to the laundry and got ironed there!!

In all the latest pandmonium, suggestion and counter-suggestion as to why the team is playing badly etc. I don't know if anyone has mentioned it before but one of the real mainstays of the side last season was Phil O'Donnell and we are truly missing his box to box style of play which helped link back to middle to front. Even getting onto the veteran age his true class always shone through when he played. We just don't have anyone at the club who can provide the quality of football and enthusiasm that Phil brought and he is a really big miss.

Emergency call to Gerbil Jaws?

Haggischomper suggested yesterday that maybee MM has lost the dressing room and I accused him of being a conspiracy theorist. However having thought about it afterwards, I began to wonder. Reason? Well a bit thin but has anybody noticed how in the last two games Keith Lasley has looked totally disinterested and hardly got involved. Now this is totally unlike Keith as he always plays his heart out regardless. So maybe Haggis is not as far off the mark as I first suggested. Also, like him or loathe him, did you see Malcolm's body language yesterday sitting on the bench? He looked totally pissed off. Can you blame him? Been tried at centre-back, right-back and holding midfield and yet can't get a place before Klimpl (train wreck), Saunders (17-year old inexperienced kid) and Quinn (useless as a defender and tried in midfield). McGhee pulled out all the stops to sign him and now.... Also, given MM had given a clear signal to the players that preferred going to Hearts at the end of last season as opposed to staying with them I for one don't think the players have responded to him in the same way they did last season and the seeds of the present malaise may lie there.

Lose to ICT and St Mirren and I don't think we'll need 5 tickets never mind 500.

Mark McGhee knew!

The Green Guide The Guide has no statutory force but many of its recommendations will be made statutory at individual grounds by their inclusion in safety certificates issued under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 or the Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987. The key phrase is many of its recommendations will be made statutory. That means its the law and that means the club could lose their ground safety certificate and could be prosecuted. Or do you just break laws when you don't agree with them or dislike them?

Almost exactly 12 months ago, we humped Aberdeen with some of the best football seen in a long time from a Motherwell team. The team that day (15th December 2007) was:- Smith Quinn, Craigan, Reynolds, Paterson Lasley, Hughes, McGarry McCormack, Porter, Clarkson Since that game we've only lost Paterson and McCormack so why are the rest so f*cking poor all of a sudden? Apart from losing two damned good players I think one of the major reasons we have 'gone backwards' has been the introduction of Chris Sutton which has taken us back to being a one-dimensional side again favouring long ball football. This type of football requires midfielders to do a lot of running and chasing all over the place for second ball knock downs as opposed to them getting possession, playing passes and creating openings for the forwards like last season. Football is a very tiring game when you don't have the ball. With Hammell in for Paterson could Murphy not be slotted in to the McCormack position? Could MM not do this and see if it works?

Excellent post mate! Hits most of the right spots re-our manager.

Smith; Saunders; A N Other; A N Other; A N Other Lasley Hughes Reynolds Murphy Porter Clarkson Try and get Murphy to adopt the role played by McCormack last year and start getting the front 3 to interchange during the game the way they did last season. Tell Hughes to get his finger out his arse and get Lasley re-motivated - he looked totally disinterested in last two games.

You'll be supping it up yourself mate. The support at FP even last season when the team were playing well was piss poor so just watch it now.