David

I'm talking about the people who have us finishing fourth behind United before we even kick a ball this weekend. I can't speak for anyone else, but I'm looking forward to the run-in this season

I didn't quote your post Finlay, as I wasn't meaning you.

I'd rather be sitting three points clear, with only one Old Firm team to play than sitting three behind with both Celtic and Rangers still to play, that's for sure. We're in the driving seat, simple as that. Enough of the negativity, this is the kind of season finish that football was made for.

A non-story really. Let them get on with making fools of themselves like their manager does on a regular basis. I did have to laugh at one of their chants right enough. The old "Champions League, you're having a laugh" ditty seemed hilarious considering their recent record in Europe.

I'm willing to bet that the moaning-faced characters we're hearing from now will be the same folk looking back with fondness at this era with tears in their beady eyes!

Given that we have two home games left this season, and that both are vital in our race for a Champions League place (I still can't get used to saying that), what do we think the chances of bigger crowds are? The reason I ask is because it seems that short of the odd occasion when the club drop prices or put on a promotion we always seem to hit roughly the same numbers. Considering we've been sitting third virtually all season, and playing some of the best stuff seen at Fir Park in years, why is this the case? Is it simply a case of the people who get along most weeks being the best we can get? Are we destined to hover around the 4,000 mark regardless of how well we do? I shudder to think what we'd get if we were in Hibs position right now.

You don't need to tell me, I've been following Motherwell for almost 26 years now and I've seen some of the darker days you are thinking about. If we make the Champions League I'd be more worried about time running out for us as far as McCall goes. Him taking a club our size to such a stage, ahead of the likes of Hearts, Hibs & Dundee United won't go unnoticed down south, or even (whisper it) in the blue side of Glasgow. He's done a hell of a job since arriving, and if eventually finishing fourth and qualifying for the Europa league is failure, then long may it continue!

No mention of the north stand belting out a rendition of that old "folk ballad" The Boys Of The Old Brigade? Nah, didn't think so.

Jennings all the way for me.

To be fair to McCall, it wasn't that long ago that everyone was clamouring for Murphy to get some benchtime. He looked jaded and out of sorts. Now we lose a few games against the Old Firm and it was a mistake to drop him? It was a mistake setting up camp to get a point from this game. The players were obivously under instruction to play on the counter and look to defend, which they never do, so it's harsh to blame them for the result. Such a gameplan may be the reason why so many of them looked out of sorts.

If I was there without kids? I'd have hung on until the end. If I'd had any kids with me? Without a doubt. Regardless, it's simply an atmosphere and situation that I don't like. Others can feel free to disagree of course.

I think it's a mixture of all of the above really. We never play well, their fans are usually scum, and the games are on television.

In my opinion we'll continue to have problems selling seats when either of them come to visit. A lot of people simply don't see the point when they can sit in their own home and watch the game on TV. Today for example, I saw three or four grown adult men in Celtic colours pissing in the street next to the police station with no regard for the fact that there are people with kids walking past. We also had the pleasure of a few of them hammering on our bus window when we were stuck in traffic. I've heard other fans mention similar and in a lot of cases worse. We got just over 8,500 fans today. We managed to get over 7,500 for the cup game with Aberdeen & over 8,000 for our game with Hibs recently, so it's not as if this lot are packing in the numbers that we never see any other time. They brought a little more supporters than both those games I mentioned, yet we see twice the policing and personally I've seen twice the grief in the street afterwards. If the club want to "take their gold" then that's entirely up to them. I certainly won't be back for the Rangers game next month, or any other time the Old Firm visit. Judging by the spaces in the home support I'm not the only one who thinks it'll be a bit easier and less hassle to simply sit at home and watch the game on the telly.

Perhaps not the best time to bump this thread, given that a few fans on here sound as though they're ready to burn their current season tickets, but with renewal time fast approaching I thought it'd be interesting to see how many are looking at doing just that? With European football a distinct possibility next season I'm certainly renewing (unless we rubber stamp a NEWCO into the SPL of course).

This team has got us into third place in the SPL, that's all I need to see. We're more than good enough to beat St Johnstone at home, and Dundee United as well. Christ, this seems to happen every time we lose to the Old Firm.

We haven't lost a home league match to a non Old Firm side since Inverness beat us in mid January. St Johnstone will also be under pressure coming into this game, especially after losing to United at the weekend so it's hardly as if all of the pressure is on us.

Jim, we know you don't like McCall. Seeing the same people bump their post count whenever something goes against us is becoming tedious. We're sitting 3rd in the league, and it looks as though European football of some sort is on its way to Fir Park next season. That represents a good season as far as I'm concerned.

To be fair, with the exception on the far end of the east stand the fans have been pretty quiet at home recently, so it's difficult to know if the majority even know that Champions League football is a possibility.

Perhaps going out their way to try and draw home fans into the stadium for these games may be a better answer? As for the O'Donnell stand being empty, knowing that the club had handed a chunk of it over to that lot I wouldn't have taken a ticket for the stand if you'd given me it for free. Maybe some others are thinking the same? It's bad enough listening to their bile from a distance. I can only imagine having them right next to you.

No, but our two away games against Hearts & Rangers are on the telly.

If the club are smart they'll slash prices for both our remaining home games. We need as many arses on seats as possible. I can't remember such a vital end to a season in years. We need to create a big match atmosphere.

From the time I saw our lineup on television before leaving the pub I knew we weren't going to take anything from this game today. Playing Higdon up front by himself set off alarm bells in my head, and my worst fears were confirmed when we played a defensive game throughout the first half. We survived. Barely. It was always odds-on that Celtic would score eventually, and when they did that it would then be a case of damage limitation. Other clubs who have seen success against either of the Old Firm have all went at them in an attacking fashion, showing them no respect. We aren't capable of doing that, for whatever reason. Neither of them are all that good to be honest. There's no Larssons, Laudrups, Gascoignes, Lennons or Fergusons out there anymore. I can't really think of anyone in that Celtic squad who would get a regular game in the Premiership. Our players, and possibly our manager, is intimidated by the shirts these players wear. Simple as that.

Taking todays result & performance out of the equation, I feel that this issue has to be addressed. First of all, is there any rule that stipulates that spectators must be seated? Surely there can't be, as the entire south stand was on its feet for the full 90 minutes (not to mention that fucking huddle thing they do where they all face away from the park and jump around like mentalists)? When you find yourself leaving the stadium 10-15 minutes early simply so that you can avoid the vast number of cretins who'll be swarming all around Fir Park after the match you start to question why you even bother showing up. Until the time comes that our club look past the cash that they can make from basically giving these fuckers an extra home game I doubt I'll be back at Fir Park to see us play either Celtic or Rangers.

We'll need this thread when we find ourselves finishing in the bottom half of the table, fighting against relegation. We're fighting for third place for fucks sake! Even a fourth place finish isn't the time to start asking about the credibility of the manager.

I think some people around here need to calm the fuck down. We lost to Celtic. It was expected.