David

Exactly what I was thinking. Are other clubs in the business of putting out statements when they play badly or lose a game that their fans half-expected to win?

There's an interview up on MFCTV with him. Sounds like he's hoping that the move is extended longer than a month and he can get a run of games. Just my opinion, but it sounds to me as if he's looking to get some gametime and put himself out there for a move when his contract is up. I doubt we'll see him back at Fir Park as a Motherwell player.

Yeah. I consider posts like these to be unreasonable;

Away you go with that kind of chat. We're sitting top of the league with only seven games played. The game on Saturday won't even come close to making or breaking our season.

Whatever blows your hair back I guess. I'm as disappointed as any about us losing the game last night, and the manner in which we did so, but I'm not going to lose the place about it and act unreasonably. We've consistently finished in the upper half of the table despite our record against the Old Firm, so I'm happy enough as far as the big picture goes. I don't even want to think what this place will be like if we lose to Celtic this weekend...

From all acounts thus far we'll get to see how McCall fares in the transfer market next summer. If we lose as many players as it looks like we may he'll need to rebuild the team, and he'll have a fair chunk of wage budget to play with. As I said earlier, I'll judge him after that happens. If we can maintain a challenge for a European spot over the next two or three years and he's at the helm he'll have answered all of his critics in resounding fashion.

As I said, it was a disappointing performance and result, no doubt. The fans have every right to be critical of the team & the manager. What I refuse to accept is the usual suspects, who have pretty much just been waiting in the wings for something like this, going to town on McCall, talking as if the guy secretly sets out to give Rangers the win and suchlike. That's absolute nonsense, and anyone with half a brain should know that.

It isn't ridiculous at all. I'm simply highlighting that fact that I'd take consistency over the course of a season rather than the odd win over Rangers or Celtic. Three points is three points at the end of the day, and we managed to amass more points than any other non-Old Firm club last season despite only taking one point from a possible twenty four against both Old Firm clubs. Not too shabby at all.

I viewed last night as a game we could win just as easily as we could lose. The bookies obviously thought the same. This talk of us losing to a 3rd division side, as though we were beaten 2-0 by Annan Athletic or Peterhead simply doesn't wash. The Rangers side that was on that park last night would give any club bar Celtic some trouble at Ibrox, especially coming in as fired up as they were. Couple that with the fact that we played nowhere near our best and you get what happened last night. Disappointing, without a doubt. But not the catastrophe that it's being made out as. The memories are all well & good, but I'd take a season of us challenging for a European place and losing against Rangers & Celtic over us sitting mid-table with nothing to play for, and getting the odd victory over the Old Firm. Yes.

That's how I view every game against the Old Firm. Celtic have much better players than us, and short of us pulling the odd shock we're always going to be up against it. Our games against the likes of Dundee United, Hearts, St Johnstone and Aberdeen will dictate where we finish in the table this season, not games against Celtic. I'd take a draw all day. I wonder if any of those teams would trade us our past few league positions in exchange for the odd victory over Celtic?

As someone mentioned, McCall will be judged when his time with us comes to an end. If he manages to steer us to another cup final for example, and maintain a high league position every season then he will go down as a Motherwell great. Only a cup win will see him become a legend though. That kind of status is rare and hard to attain.

Yeah, that'll be it. Both of those sides were simply better than us. I understand the frustration, but when a manager is leading a club like ours to third in the SPL I just don't think we can complain too much. Calling for his head, saying that he's thick and suchlike is ridiculous. There's a shitload of knee jerking going on in this thread tonight.

No doubt, but the reaction that we're seeing towards McCall is fucking ridiculous. We're top of the league, and have suffered one domestic loss this season. Rangers may be a 3rd division club, but I think we all know they're not a 3rd division team. Their wage budget still dwarfs ours, and they're still the 2nd biggest club in the country. That team would finish mid-level SPL I reckon, and if we'd gone to Aberdeen, St Johnstone, Killie or Inverness in the cup and lost 2-0 I'd be disappointed, but not to the extent of some on here.

Well, to each their own I guess. I'll take three points in the league over a win in the league cup any day of the week.

I'll take that if you don't want it?

They may be a shadow of the team they once were but they'd still do well enough against most SPL sides.

I knew we'd see some over-reactions in this thread tonight if we lost, but I didn't think it would be this bad.

At least Lee McCulloch was happy with the three points, the tit

The odds would suggest so, considering the quality Celtic have in their side.

At least I'll have this thread to cheer me up after that disappointing performance tonight. C'mon lads, let's hear it! McCall must go! Ojamaa is shite! Higdon can't jump! McCall's a H*n in disguise etc!

Are you shitting me? A win against the SPL champions, pushing us five points clear of them won't make up for us losing 2-0 at Ibrox?

We're sitting top of the SPL, have been playing some decent stuff this season and had our first season in the Champions League. Away you go.

Rangers may be a 3rd division club, but their team would finish mid-SPL I think. If we'd went away to Aberdeen, Inverness, Kilmarnock or Hibs in the cup and lost 2-0 I wouldn't be overly disgusted. Disappointed, yes, but not disgusted. It's not Annan Athletic we're playing.

This is the same lineup that faced Aberdeen. There's really no reason why we should have fallen apart as we have, other than it being a mental block. You could stick Wishaw Juniors out there in Rangers shirts and we'd lose.

All that means is that they've been battered a right few times