David

I'm actually pretty confident that we'll win this game handily. It's what we do, isn't it? Just when we think there's no way back we put in a good performance and grab a win. How many times in the past have we seen it said "oh, with our form we'll be lucky to get anything from the next 2/4/6 games" only to go out and get a few wins. I think we'll start with three points here. It won't change the mood much with most of the fans, mind you, but still.

This is key for me. Motherwell have been in this position before, but usually the players are still behind the manager, such as with Robinson. It just wasn't working for him. But there's something else behind this I think. Obviously we'll never know for sure, but the team just looked completely disinterested last night. However, with that said, I'd be shocked if Alexander was sacked any time soon. I think he'll get until October at the very least, and if things are looking horrible then he'll be let go.

You think so? Not sure I agree with that to be honest. I think we have the makings of a good team, especially with the "dead wood" that's been moved out. A few additions of starting-place quality and we'll be good to go I think.

I think most fans would rather we brought in quality over quantity, which means we'll have to wait until the right players become available. I'm thinking that once the clubs further up the pecking order finalise their own signings and decide who's being allowed out on loan and let go we might see some more movement.

The thing is, I think he knows exactly what our shortcomings are, he just doesn't seem to let much on in his interviews. Which is fair enough. As I said, I fully expect that his views and discussions behind closed doors with the board and the players are very different to what he's telling the media in pre and post match interviews. I take everything a manager or player says in the media with a wheelbarrow full of salt.

Just out of curiosity, what do you want him to say? With very few exceptions I've found virtually every manager media interview for most clubs through the years to be bland, by-the-book comments. Of course, we all know that what he says to the media in public and what he's saying to the players in the dressing room is entirely different.

7th or 8th for me this season, which isn't ideal as it's kind of no-mans land for us. Means the manager will have hit the targets set (avoid relegation) but failed to get us into the top six, which is less of a target than avoiding relegation, but still a target. If that happens, what then? Some of the fans will likely still be unhappy unless we've seen some marked progress in how we play.

I must be one of the few who isn't really concerned about this game. We've been down this road with Llanelli, where we lost 1-0 at home and went over there to win 3-0. I think we'll do the same again on Thursday. Couple of goals and through we go. Or is it blind optimism?

I don't think either of them will be moved on this summer unless we get a decent cash offer, but I definitely think they need to make it happen this season if it's going to work for them at all. Last season saw both Shields and Efford score 3 goals each, which isn't good enough. They're both still only 24 & 25 years old respectively, so they can still kick on, but I don't hold out much hope for them.

Absolutely no one, that's who. At best there's fans (like me) who simply know that he's going to be given some time to do his job, and who will support him so long as he's in the manager's office. It's been mentioned often enough, last season we did well to secure a European spot, but it's now ground zero again. New season, fresh set of expectations. If we're languishing near the bottom of the table in October or so then he'll be under real pressure and rightfully so. It's on him to get things moving in the right direction and make another few signings before the window shuts.

Exactly. It's a stick-on that what he says behind closed doors to the players is entirely different to what we see on television or hear on the radio.

Funnily enough, what they do is very relevant if it's something successful that some of our fans can point at when they're arguing how crap we are.

Surely St Johnstone, Hibs and St Mirren would have qualified from the group stage. Nothing is a gimme for clubs like us.

When you put it like that it highlights that we do have options with the squad we have. Just need to hope the manager can maybe look to change things up.

It could be that he just needs the right environment. We did it with Watt. But you could be right, he may be too far gone at this point.

Griffiths is a tough one. If he's on form and motivated he's probably as good a player as we're realistically ever going to get. I wouldn't be against him being brought in to train with us for a bit and give the management team a chance to see how he would fit into the squad, and for the backroom team to gauge his fitness. I'd also make it a requirement that he immediately hand over control of all his social media accounts to the team who do the club social media!

I can quite clearly remember numerous calls across social media and even this forum I think for Mugabi to replace him at full-back. And for the record, I found that thinking to be a bit off. I've always been a fan of O'Donnell, and think he's perfectly fine for our level. He makes mistakes on occasion, but everyone does, otherwise they'd be playing further up the food chain. I also like McGinn though, and certainly think we could look to find a way to play both of them. It's the left hand side I'm a little worried about at the moment.

Well, this subject has arisen following Thursday's game, so we may as well get it out in the open. Personally, I think he'll be given until around October or November and if things aren't looking any better by then it'll be time for both parties to shake hands and move on. Simple as that, really.

Absolutely. It's ground zero again as far as I'm concerned. I've never really bought into the idea that managers should get leeway based on previous seasons, so qualifying for Europe last year doesn't factor into anything. If we don't get results in the first few months it'll be an uncomfortable position to be in, and the board will need to take into account those results, performances, as well as factors we as fans don't see, such as the mood in the playing squad and what Alexander has said privately about what he can do to turn things around.

We could do. It'll also come down to how the teams around us do as well I guess. Simple fact is, if we're looking dicey come October or November then the board will have a decision to make, and it won't just be based on our results, it'll be based on various factors that the fans have no real insight into.

Wait, wasn't there strong calls for O'Donnell to be dropped in favour of Mugabe playing out wide in his position last season? Remember? He was supposed to be terrible, it was a farce that he even got called up for Scotland? Now that the manager has dropped O'Donnell and brought in someone else we're suddenly wanting him back in the team?

Again, look at my entire post and take that comment I made in context. I posted our overall results and accomplishments over the past five to ten years just before I said it, which should have provided the context. Our fans have nothing to complain about in the main. Do they have the right to moan about the football played last season? Sure. That's their call. But as a club we've had more good and even great seasons than terrible. Last season wasn't great, but there have been circumstances involved outwith the manager and clubs control which have been mentioned in the past, but a lot of fans simply don't want to hear about those because it would mean cutting the club and manager some slack. Again, see my point above. How many outright terrible seasons have we had over the past five to ten years? Despite the bleating almost every single year about how we're surefire relegation candidates, how many actual relegation fights have we been in? And yes, much of our fanbase is spoiled. Many of the younger generation have known only the results of the past ten years or so. They didn't live through the administration years or some of the absolute guff we've seen at Fir Park in the years before. They're used to seeing a club that finishes in the top four (even finishing 2nd!) and playing in Europe fairly regularly. And on your final point, I do stand by that. I've seen it said often enough on social media as far back as the start of last season.

No, I'm not saying the fans should be happy about the standard of football last season, but I don't think we have anything to complain about in the main. It might just be me, but I don't actually pay money to come to Fir Park and be entertained by the style of football. I come to Fir Park to see us win. How we do that matters not a jot to me. Entertainment is a bonus. If I want entertainment I'll watch the English Premiership on telly. I'm certainly not expecting to get entertainment from the level of football we see in Scotland. I watch Motherwell because I have an emotional investment in the club and the outcomes of the matches. If I was just looking for entertainment I'd spend my money elsewhere.

I think we also need to bear in mind our budget and the competition. As long as our defence is reasonably solid I'm happy enough.

Or we could do what we did last season, and stumble along spending most of our time in the top six before eventually securing 5th and European football. I'm honestly not that worried just now. I heard a lot of chatter about how clubs like Hibs and Aberdeen wouldn't be as bad again this season, but so far Hibs and St Mirren look like two clubs with real problems. I can see us hovering around the top six and hitting the final batch of games before the split still looking to secure that top six finish, all the while a lot of our fanbase will be moaning like fuck that we're not playing exciting enough football for them.