El Grew

Aye it is a sweeping statement. I'm an 'older member' of our support and I totally applaud what Jim Gannon's trying to do. Possession of the football is 9/10ths of the game. I for one am pleased to see it and he has been a breath of fresh air in the SPL unlike those on the usual managerial merry-go-round who perpetrate the 'long ball game'. How many times do you see Scottish footballers looking up to see that there is nothing on then just booting the ball up the park hoping that something will come out of it? Since Gannon arrived, we have played some of the best football I've seen from a Motherwell team in years. And, he has got us playing like a team all working for each other and not 11 individuals. As far as the East Stand's concerned, I thought all the 'moaning gits' were in the Main Stand. I've moved back to the East Stand after a few seasons in the Main Stand (for financial reasons) and it seems there are just as many if not more there.

Ruddy looks like a good goalkeeper in the making. Has made couple of errors but then that's the perils of being a goalkeeper. I personally like Jutkiewicz. From the little first team action he's had I've liked what I've seen so far. He has good physical presence, strong in the air and likes to take the ball into his feet and lay it off for others. He's the type of player that can do well in the SPL. Last week against Hibs he was played wide right (why, you'd need to ask the manager) and he showed some nice touches but was clearly out of position. Also, Jim Gannon said that the lad's fitness or rather lack of it, surprised him and that they were working to get him up to full match fitness. We need to give the lad a chance to settle. After ll he's come to a 'foreign' country with a different style of play to perhaps what he's been used to and yesterday was his first full 90 minutes and he scored the only goal of the game which turned out to be the winner.

I had the dubious pleasure of being invited to New Douglas Park a couple of weeks ago to see Hamilton play Hibs. Hibs were rank rotten and Hamilton thoroughly deserved to beat them. Hamilton played 4-5-1. Antoine Courier played up front and ran the Hibs centre backs ragged especially Bamba, with continual runs into the inside right and inside left channels backed up by midfielders feeding off him. The Hamilton midfield kept a high line and pressed and stifled Hibs so much that their defenders had no option but to go long and this played into the hands of the Hamilton back four. I saw Jim Gannon at the game - he was in the BBC radio commentary team. So I thought, well done Jim, you've just seen how to beat Hibs. I therefore thought turning up today that we would have it all sussed out and get the 3 points, However, I thought our performance was reminiscent of our opening game against St Johnstone in that the players didn't seem sure about the formation and as a result looked all out of sorts. I couldn't work it out either and the best I could come up with was that we were 4-2-3-2 but I'm still not sure about it. We seemed to have two holding midfielders in Hately and Cokes and two attacking midfielders in O'Brien and Forbes with two forwards in Sutton and Jutkiwietz. Although only Sutton seemed to play in the centre as Jutkiwietz seemed to have been deployed to play wide on the right. Hately and Cokes both had poor games today and as a result we just weren't able to get going. So come on JG stop messing around with the formation. The side, formation and tactics you used against Rangers worked a treat so why not stick with them? If its not broke then don't fix it.

Have to agree with this one. Seen all our SPL games so far except Aberdeen and although we play some really good football we lack real penetration and goal scoring threat. Today, for example, I thought we never looked like scoring from open play and that our best chance of goals were going to come from set-pieces.

Its well enough documented on this site that I never liked Mark McGhee from the day and hour he came to Fir Park however if it is correct that our fans shouted the kind of bile that it is being reported then I condemn it utterly. If it is true then those involved, and they may well be a minority, have brought nothing but shame on our club. Mindless morons.

Jim Gannon's been like a breath of fresh air for Motherwell and the SPL. IMO one of the major reasons that Scottish football has stagnated in recent years is due to the people who have come into management in the SPL. With only a couple of exceptions, eEverytime a managerial position has come up its been the same old tired guys that get tipped for it and generally get it and continue with the same boring old ideas and attitudes. Fair play to John Boyle (and I have been one of his biggest critics during his time at FP) but he appears to have unearthed a real diamond in Jim Gannon. Gannon has arrived without any of the baggage that usually accompanies SPL managers when they go and off the managerial merry-go-round and it is impossible to believe that he and the likes of Maurice Malpas etc. are in the same profession. He immediately noted the lack of athleticism, fitness and skill evident in some of the players at our club but that there were some terrific youngsters with great potential and unlike the previous regime has not been afraid to play them. He has (again unlike the previous regime) used his knowledge of the English game and lower divisions to unearth other good young players and play them. Necessity may be the mother of invention but Jim Gannon has demonstrated imagination and management ability way above others who have been 'kicking around' the Scottish scene for a long time. Good luck Jim and long may it continue.

A terrific performance from all players and a terrific result. Remember we failed to beat Kilmarnock on four occasions last season so this is certainly a step forward. I thought we played some lovely football, showed great energy and desire and were fully committed in every aspect of our play yesterday. The goals came at exactly the right time. The second goal gave us a vital cushion because at 1-0 any team is never out of a game and I thought they would've been delighted to only gone in one goal down considering the roasting they'd had. The third goal was vital and killed them off because they were just beginning to get wee bit on top of us and had they got a goal back it might have put us in trouble. I don't think we had a failure but I would give special mention to Saunders, Hutchison, Hately, Coke and O'Brien. The first three of these played with a style and maturity that belied their youth. If we did have a fault, it was perhaps in not converting some our terrific play into more goals and if we'd won 5 or 6 nil Kilmarnock could have had no complaints. I have been really impressed by Jim Gannon so far and I like his refreshing attitude towards young players and not being afraid to make early changes if he thinks something's not working out. And so far his approach has made for entertainment which is also a pleasant change. They probably will lose more games than they will win but if they continue to play this brand of on-the-carpet easy on the eye football I for one will not complain.

Note to Mods - I honestly won't mind if you explain 'untermenschen' to madscot'

I sincerely hope not. I've always rated Keith and hope that he will be staying at the club and playing a part in the Gannon plans.

I was merely expressing an honest opinion in response to a sensible question posed. And I was under the impression that this board was about honest sensible debate and exchange of views etc. between fellow supporters but I forgot that there are still folk like you posting on it!

Journeyed up to Perth yesterday to take in the first game of the SPL season and I think given that SJ were always going to be up for it big time and that our guys haven't really bedded-in yet then a draw was always going to be acceptable. Its a point away from home and regardless of the opposition that's always acceptable. As for the game. Overall, I felt SJ were the better team and probably should have won. First half definitely belonged to them and we were very poor. Our second half performance was much better and we always looked to go forward and we did create chances but they missed a couple of good chances to kill us off. Fair play to Jim Gannon. At last we have a manager who when he sees something isn't working, he makes changes - early. His two half-time changes in taking off Craigan and Sutton were brave but they were needed and they worked. The most disappointing feature of our play yesterday was that we are still incapable of dealing with bog-standard crosses into our penalty box. Both SJ goals resulted from a deep cross to our back post which was then headed back across the goal and caused chaos and resulted in both goals (although the first goal did take a wicked deflection on its way past Ruddy). SJ continually adopted this tactic all afternoon and got a lot of joy from it - long throws, crosses and corners - and we were atrocious at trying to deal with it. When we put Reynolds back with Hutchison and made Hutchison the 'attack the ball in the air defender' we did look a little better. Apart from our frailties with crosses we also looked very weak and poor on the left side of our defence with Hammell and O'Brien really struggling at times and SJ continually looked to exploit this, particularly Hammell's poor defensive positioning. Considering he was chucked in at the last minute, young Hately was excellent at right-back. Coke was terrific and along with SJ Jody Morris was the most accomplished player on both sides. From what I've seen so far (SPL and Europa League) I think we will struggle badly unless: - sort out the centre-half position; - sort out the left-back position; - get another forward in - one who can hold take the ball in and hold it up. But again good to have a manager who walks the talk as they say.

In a word, yes! Gannon doesn't rate him and IMO the only reason he's being kept at the club is because its his beneft/testimonial year.

He was as good if not better than Kenny Dalglish and but for injury would have gone onto play at the very highest level. He was a fantastically skilful footballer and a genuinely nice down to earth person. One of the few players I've seen that it was worth the entrance money alone to go and watch playing. My thoughts and prayers are with Brian's family at a truly sad occasion.

Having been relegated from the old First Division in 1968 we bounced right back at the first time of asking. Our opening game was against Kilmarnock. We won 1-0 courtesy of a Dixie Deans goal. It was a brilliant sunny day. The highlights were on BBC that night. What better way to start a season. We had a great first season back - reached the semi-final of the League Cup and finished only 6 points off 4th spot.

1969 League Cup 1/4 Final 1st Leg - Morton 3 V Motherwell 2nd Leg - Motherwell 3 V Morton 0 (won 3rd game 1-0 at Ibrox courtesy of big Jumbo Muir) 1970 Texaco Cup 1/4 Final 1st Leg - Spurs 3 V Motherwell 2 2nd Leg - Motherwell 3 Spurs 1 (after being 0-1 down after 5 minutes) 1976 Scottish Cup 4th Round Motherwell 3 V Celtic 0 (after being 0-2 down at half-time) I seem to also recall us being 0-2 down to Dunfermline at half-time in an SPL game at FP which would have put us in the relegation shit when Stevie Cowan popped up and bagged a hat-trick to win us the game. He's fat, he's round, he's worth a million pounds, Stevie Cowan. Repeat. Repeat.

Whatever else Mark Reynolds is, he is most certainly not central defender material. He lacks the height, build and strength to play there and his passing is woeful. He is useless in the air and is too easily bullied around by powerful strikers. Mind you he did begin his career with us as a left back and landed the left central defender role by accident through injuries. I think he is perhaps another example of a young Scottish footballer, to use horse racing parlance, who has not trained on. I think it has been a breath of fresh air to hear Jim Gannon stating the truth that British players lack the techncial skills, tactical awareness, fitness and athleticism of their continental counterparts. So questions should be asked of Reynolds (and those who were previously at the club) as to what he has been doing to improve himself as a player. Because I see no physical improvements in him never mind playing improvements. Its simply not good enough to do training, play a game then slouch around the rest of the time. Maybe if he listens to Gannon and puts some work in then he might improve.

Very good summary from Melvin on the newcomers. But comeone guys please give them time to settle in. You cannot seriously judge any of the newcomers on their performance against the Romanians - they come for the lower reaches of the English leagues and are asked to play against a side that probably could hold its own in the Champions League so lets get real. They are not only moving job but moving country and they are still quite young so we must give them time to get up to speed with things. The manager thinks they will do and given his record that should be good enough. The time to judge will be when they have got a number of games under they belt in the SPL.

Unbelievably sad news. Couldn't believe it when I saw it on teletext last night. My thoughts and prayers are with his family. Beginning to wonder if the cup winning squad is jinxed - that's four of them away and all under 40 when they died.

Undoubtedly the Romanians were a cut well above us and fully deserved to win. Like all top sides they have very good technical skills and terrific movement off the ball. They'd go through the SPL like a dose of cascara! No disgrace to lose to teams of this quality. That said, there was a lot of talk last season after Nancy did the same to us at FP about lessons to be learned, blah, blah, blah. And no doubt the same stuff will be trotted out again. IMO this is just spurious lip service. If our players in particular and and Scottish players in general want to improve then they need to start putting the work in and improve their technical skills and managers need to start drumming it into them about the importance of the players who don't have the ball in terms of their running and movement. Not singling anyone out but what improvement has Hammell, Reynolds or O'Brien made since then? Sorry, but none. Gannon has quickly sussed a number of our players out already and it will take time for the new guys to settle in. He's sorted the GK position out. Next he needs to sort out the rest of the defence. For the past couple of seasons this has been the weakest part of the team and was scandalously neglected by the previous management team. We concede goals far too easily - sure we let in 3 tonight but at least against a high quality side but look at the 3 we let in against Llannelli and Flamurtari. Craigan needs to be shipped out, Reynolds is not a centre-back, Hammell is good going forward but a train wreck as a defender and the young lad Saunders is far too lightweight (seen more fat on a butchers pencil). Stick with yong Hutchison, move Reynolds to left back and look for a centre-back and a right back. If we don't sort the defence out then we will continue to leak stupid and easy goals regardless the quality of the opposition.

This game against Celtic (we lost 0-5) was played at FP on the Saturday before we played and beat Spurs in the Texaco Cup the following Wednesday. Even though Celtic humped us Jock Stein predicted that we would beat Spurs as we played this game with one eye on Spurs.

Well players in picture are John Goldthorp (on ground) Willie McCallum (No.5) Tom Forsyth (No.4) Celtic Players are Willie Wallace (No.9) and Bertie Auld (No.. Was at this one - somewhere behind the goals at Taggarts end.

Great picture!! The two 'Well players in picture are Ian St John (scoring) and Pat Quinn. The Hearts goalie is Gordon Marshall - yes the daddy of our Gordon Marshall.

We might not get relegated but I think it's extremely likely that we will be involved in the shake-up at that end of the table this season. Given everything that's gone on I think if Jim Gannon manages to stablise things and keep us in the SPL then that would be more than sufficient for his first year in charge. After that he can begin to put his own stamp on things and take it on from there.

My comment upon Fraser was based solely on comments attributed to Gannon two weeks ago when he stated he would be seeking to sign (amongst others) a goalkeeper. So I am surmising that he wants to have his own man between the sticks. Anyway on Fraser's handling or rather failure to handle, of a routine cross against Llannelli - which by his own admission he f*cked-up) he looks no better at the aeriel stuff than Smith. As for the others I mentioned, I stand by my remarks. Oh and prepare to be shocked.

Don't know about the worst team but as for worst manager, pick from the undernoted, given in no particular order: Jock Wallace Maurice Malpas Ally McLeod Roger Hynd Bobby Watson