David

Well, his contract is up at the end of this month as far as I know, so you may very well get your wish.

At this point in time, he's the very epitome of a one-season wonder. If he goes on to replicate his performances and goalscoring exploits next season, then he won't be, but at this particular moment in time? He's done what he's done for one season. I sincerely hope he progresses upwards and onwards wherever he's playing in the next few years. He seems like a nice guy, and I hope we're not talking about him in years to come as that guy who scored a lot of goals for one season before disappearing into obscurity shortly after.

There's only so much even Kettlewell can do! But aye, I'd take the money, thank Theo for his time and efforts, congratulate him on his significant wage rise, and then try to find the next diamond in the rough or "project."

Lennon is an entirely different proposition. He's looked like a top prospect since he was a kid, which is why he made his debut less than a week after his 16th birthday. He's got obvious quality, and barring an unforeseen injury or something along those lines, his form isn't likely to suddenly dip. He isn't a one-season wonder at this point. He's far more likely to improve than I'd say Theo is.

It's outstanding business, and one thing we need to consider is how Theo himself would feel. Whatever he's earning just now, it's fairly safe to say that any club that puts £750,000-£1 million on the table is going to offer him the kind of wages he very likely never thought he'd get. I'll be interested to see how he does in the next few seasons wherever he goes because as good as he's been this year, it still doesn't change the fact that before this season, he scored 8 goals in 94 games, an average of 0.08 goals per game. Either it all suddenly clicked for him at the age of 24, and he's now a double-digit goalscorer per season, Kettlewell is the striker-whisperer and succeeded where 3 or 4 other managers failed, or it's a fluke season. I'd rather find out the answer to that question from afar while Motherwell is close to a million quid richer.

Or, to play devil's advocate, Theo stays another year, doesn't replicate his form, interest in him dwindles, and the club loses a potential million-pound transfer fee, and the player loses the chance to sign a multi-year contract at substantially higher wages. No one is happy.

Not sure if adding slow motion footage of fans screaming at O'Donnell to get the finger out, or booing like fuck when Kelly makes a mistake would really help shift season tickets 😉

We won't really know what's on the table anyway because this kind of thing is very fluid. One team could sound us out about Theo but also look at other options, and I'm sure we'll see more than one inquiry this summer. For me, considering Bair's track record outside of this current season, anything over £1 million in total is good value. Not to mention, the player is likely all too aware of where he's been and how he's performed in his career. He'd be absolutely mad not to cash in on his best season yet and try to secure as high a salary as he can on a solid three—or four-year contract.

When it comes to Bair, the old saying of "strike while the iron is hot" likely applies. For both club and player.

On Lennon Miller, I think Kettlewell addressed it quite recently... "I'm not worried about it and are we sitting here with a figure? Definitely not. You see Lennon walking about the place and playing out on the pitch. We're as relaxed as he is. "He signed an extension to his deal we were absolutely delighted to get. To secure the services of a very good player for a longer period of time is a good thing for us. He's come through the academy and from our side Lennon knows, we know, and his parents and agent and everyone who's behind him have all got that same focus. "That focus is that more minutes and games at this club is only going to enhance his reputation and help enhance him as a player. We know he'll have goals and so will his family. But if we can work together in the fashion I believe we have done then that's going to line the stars up and ensure he goes on to have a very prosperous career." Unless a really good offer comes in that appeals to both club and player he'll be here next season I think.

Have you ever watched a cup draw? It's quite literally a lottery.

The determining factor in such a situation would be multiple clubs wanting the player. Then, it turns into a bit of a bidding war, but if we have interest from one club and they offer what they're offering, then that's what he's worth in the market. We can only ask for more money if we think a club is willing to pay it. They can easily say "no thanks, we'll go elsewhere" and then we get nothing.

It's mainly because bigger clubs see a player do well with us, but there's always that doubt they can make the step up. There's a whole bunch of factors that go into it I think.

Ah, okay. So you not only want a top six finish as a minimum requirement, but also a cup run. A cup run, as others have said, is a bit of a lottery. We can't really rely on that as a minimum target. Just the same as we can't rely on a top six finish as a minimum requirement.

If we get a decent offer, such as the ones being mentioned, and he's open to moving, then it's pretty much a done deal. We're in the business of selling players for profit. It's then on the club to find the next guy we can utilise for a season or so and move on.

Dundee United, while insanely managed at the moment, are a big Scottish club with a top six budget I'd reckon. They should be up there or thereabouts most seasons.

And I wouldn't think Kilmarnock or St Mirren should be placing a "top six as a bare minimum" condition on their manager either. For me, the following clubs in Scotland are the ones who should be setting a "top six minimum" condition on their managers: Hearts Hibs Aberdeen Dundee United The likes of us, Kilmarnock, St Mirren, Dundee etc should be aiming for top six absolutely, and especially if any of those clubs falter, which often happens, but it should not be considered a "bare minimum."

Along with a decline in the quality of the defence in general that's playing in front of him.

No, any club that sets a top-six finish as a "bare minimum" when, like it or not, we're operating on a bottom-six budget will continue to fall short of those demands fairly often and see the manager and coaching team constantly changed, which does nothing to help us progress. That said, "bare minimum" doesn't mean the manager is invincible—far from it. What it means is that we're not speculating with our financial outlay, and we're making sure that if the bare minimum is what we accomplish, we won't be facing financial ruin. In the previous five years, we've finished in the top six two times, which is a 40% success rate, so we're doing not too badly. And to think that 40% was attained by two managers who the usual suspects on here lambasted during their time at the club.

The club has made it perfectly clear that it budgets for 10th and a bit of a cup run, but in no way aims for 10th place as a target. However, while we should certainly be aiming for top six, to claim top six should be "the absolute minimum" isn't very realistic. And saying that we should stop "pleading poverty" is a bit off. We're not "pleading poverty," we're being realistic. We are where we are financially, and deciding that top six "at minimum" is our target won't change that. We aim for top six every season. That should not change. But if we start laying that down as a bare minimum to our manager then we'd be chopping and changing every second season or so. By your thinking we should be looking at sacking Kettlewell this summer on the back of an unsuccessful season?

The thing is, the mindset of a professional player is never that they're not good enough to be 1st choice. Kelly will go there with the belief that while signed as second choice, he has what it takes to be first choice. I'm not saying that will happen, but he'll likely not have the mentality of "go there, sit about and make some cash."

I mean, is he any worse than Bain? He's been Celtic's backup for quite some time now.

This isn't a debate. It's you being told that you can post whatever opinions you like, just like everyone else, but if you keep using the tone and patter you've been using in the past you'll end up running into problems. You've already had a warning previously. Screw the nut and be respectful when posting your opinions, simple as that.

Again, people are free to post the opinion they wish. As long as they do so without belittling others and making out that their opinion is all that matters. And likewise, others are free to debate those opinions. That's what it's all about, after all. In a few weeks, we'll have nothing to discuss except rumours and innuendo, so we may as well get used to it!

No, he's perfectly entitled to disagree with people's opinions on potential signings, but he doesn't need to be telling people that their opinions don't matter. Their opinions are just as valid as his. Look at the post below yours. Cameron disagrees with Hanlon as a signing and manages to convey that without acting like a knob about it. He can't expect his opinion or approach to be respected when he's showing so little of it in return.