Kmcalpin

Interesting article in the Daily Express. https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/sport/football/kevin-thomson-considered-motherwell-job-27631926 If you ignore the Kevin Thomson element, the timeline is interesting.

As others have said, our fans are no worse or better than most. I've heard some pretty vitriolic stuff being chanted at a good few other grounds - Tannadice and Falkirk being but two examples. Given the size of our club, our fans are an easy target and the red tops can print what they want about them without upsetting their readership to any extent. Their judgement call was that Liam Kelly's status was more important to them than that of our fans. Would they have printed those comments about the grueseome twosome's fans - absolutely not. Aberdeen, Hibs, Hearts fans - probably not. A lot will also depend on Graham Alexander's reputation within the game. I have no idea what that is. What will Stephen O'Donnell's contacts within the game make of it?

Thats it in a nutshell for me. Job done by Hammy & Kerr to steady the ship at short notice. Quite a few players were well short of match fitness and Slattery was instructed not to play. Good too to see young Speirs get a chance although maybe not the game you'd choose for him to make his debut. Before KO my concern was the midfield which looked very lightweight - the wrong mix but choices would have been limited. An away win on the opening day of the league season isn't to be sniffed at. Hopefully positive changes to come in the next month with a new manager and 2 or 3 new players?

A strange time to be changing manager but it had to be done for various reasons. We are where we are. In recent times, the club has taken its time to make appointments but on this occasion we can't afford to take too long as it will be important to give the new man time to sign a couple of players before the window closes on 1 September. I would say then a couple weeks. Apart from new faces especially up front I think the new manager will have to get more out of the squad than GA did. I think we do have some decent players at the club but they have to be played in the right way. None of the names mentioned so far excite me and I've never been one to think because someone has been in a coaching role at a big English club automatically means they'd be a great catch. However, you never can tell. At our level, appointments are a gamble. Our club has a reputation for appointing someone unexpected.

Now now Yorky. While that might be true to an extent, the same goes for many public sector organisations like the NHS, teaching, Police and indeed many private sector businesses. In any large organisation there are workers who are excellent, good, ok, poor and very poor. Thats life! Anyway, I suppose football is a bit different.

How do you know that? There are rumours, unsubstantiated certainly, that the Directors were unhappy late last season. At the end of last season many fans were happy with his achievements but were looking for some sign of improvement this season, which didn't come. The Directors would not have been happy with the performances and results against Sligo. In addition there are rumours, again unsubtantiated certainly, of an embarassing dressing rooom bust up last Thursday post match. Finally and most tellingly, there was widespread post match fan outrage on Thursday evening and Friday morning. GA left on Friday morning. The league season has not yet started.

I'm intrigued by Duncan Ferguson's name being mentioned by some. What is his managerial track record? Likewise Paul Lambert - ok he's managed top English teams but what is his actual record with them?

Pretty much my view Greg. No obvious candidates at the moment.

Had we not been fan owned we would have ended up in administration again. Thats the bottom line.

My concern is that if GA is still in charge, or even if someone else is in the hotseat, and wants to shake things up, any other players coming in will have had even less gametime than the starting 11(s) who played against Sligo. What gametime has the likes of Dean Cornelius, Sean Goss, Sondre Solheim, and Stephen O'Donnell had?

Safe journey home Allan. I feel for you and all our travelling fans.

Until this evening I was on the fence but wavering. I didn't even think that a loss tonight would lead to his ousting, but I've now changed my mind. Perhaps last week would be a one off? Tonight has shown that it wasn't; anything but in fact. Little changed between the first and second legs. I looked at the team selection and wondered where the goals were going to come from. All our eggs in one unfit "basket". GA showed faith in a poor defence and picked them again. In all my years of supporting our club I've rarely seen the support so united and brassed off with a manager - maybe the power of social media ha swhipped up the frenzy? The manner of our exit has now meant that his departure in the near future is inevitable. I had thought he'd be given perhaps 2 months but I now very doubt that. The Board will ignore the fans' outrage, for thats what it is, at its peril and I don't think they'll do that. I have no inside information but I think he'll be gone by Sunday or Monday at the latest. Dragging matters on will benefit no-one and could lead to an undesirable atmosphere at the St Johnstone game. Time for change and now.

Well at least some more players got more time in their legs tonight.

Good to see Tierney get his chance but we can't rely on him too much. Same defence?? Serious lack of firepower up front - if Van Veen is injured/isn't fit/ off form? Come on the Well.

Too early to tell, as quite a few important signings could yet be made by clubs before the window closes. You obviously think Livingston and Ross County will fare ok. I simply don't know enough about their 2022-23 squads to form an opinion. A curious comment about Kilmarnock. I really haven't seen many comments at all about them not faring well. For some reason, most pundits and fans expressing views on them seem to think they'll do well. I don't know what this optimistic (from a Killie point of view) assessment is based on. Again, I don't know much about their current squad.

Quite pleased at this announcement, but he's not a player I'd build a long / medium term strikeforce around. Very talented, but he's too inconsistent in various ways.

9,10,11 or 12 as in previous seasons?

Pretty much my view. Every squad needs a few additions every year to keep it fresh and address weak areas but not too many. You don't want massive overhauls that disrupt continuity with new faces taking time to settle in. Continuity/cohesion and stability are vital, but as OTF says you need the right players. Look at St Johnstone under Wright. Not everyone's cup of teaincluding mine, granted, but they got the right players in for them and their squad was settled for years. Look what they achieved. Like , many I too was hoping to see some kind of change in the right direction last Thursday but saw no evidence of that. His brand of football isn't easy on the eye but as long as it yields results results, fans will go along with that. When the results don't come then thats a different matter entirely.

Glad to have you on board Yorky. Anyone who wants to support our club is welcome in my book.

Given that our fixtures are a lot tougher from the start of October onwards, I think the Directors would have a decision to make before then. If we fail to perform against the weaker teams before the end of September any decision will be based on results and fan unrest. As I wrote previosuly getting knocked out the ECL by Sligo this week won't make or break GA but it'll certainly set the tone for the coming weeks. He's already lost the support of many of our fans and it won't take much more to unsettle the rest. Personally, I'm sitting on the fence but wavering right now. I'm less concerned than most by style of play, but results do matter to me and I'm looking for some evidence of progress, however modest, from last season, in terms of style.

I had assumed he was still injured from last season. We've heard nothing about him for quite some time.

Is Morris a striker?

Different kinds of players in there, but I agree about Maguire. Like you I'd have Dean Cornelius in but my only concern is how much pre season game time has he had?

Lamie is the best of a poor lot but that doesn't say much. Ojala is finished; the jury is still out on Sol; and we've already discussed Bevis. Our central defence wasn't fit for purpose last season and it isn't now. Contractual obligations complicate matters but its still an important unresolved issue.

Yes, but the issue is how many mistakes can we tolerate? One or two a season - ok, but if they become the norm or a regulalrity, which they are, then thats not good enough even for us.