David

George Long. He actually looked like the 'keeper that he's supposed to be.

I can't be the only person who wasn't all that surprised by how we took them apart surely? I'm actually disappointed we didn't get another one or two, as they were right there for the taking. As I said earlier in the thread before the game, they're a half decent Championship side, nothing more. Remove the big stadium and the infamous blue shirt and you've basically got a team that we'd expect to beat eight times out of ten.

Can you not give it a rest until next week, Steelboy? There are more important matters to deal with than your apparent dislike of all things positive at Fir Park.

I meant our media as in Scottish, not club related.

Do Celtic want a strong Rangers? They seem to be coping just fine without them to be honest.

Did anyone see the press conference with Baraclough and McManus? Fucking hell, our media is cringeworthy. Asking the manager if it'll be the realisation of a dream or something like that to stand in the away dug out at Ibrox and suchlike! Fucking hell man! It's not Real Madrid we're playing!

Aye, I'd kind of forgotten about them for a bit, never really been one to follow their progress or anything like that since they dropped down, but this past week has certainly been a reminder as to why I fucking despise them. Us beating them followed by their Mike Ashley-led financial implosion due to another year in the championship would be just what the doctor ordered.

And poetically the management team that masterminded that abomination is now running things over there!

Bang on. If anything he's a good squad player to have on the books.

Very well said. I think a lot of our own fans would do well to take note of this.

One thing that really astounds me (even though I know it shouldn't) is the way the media are playing this as if Sevco are favourites. For the first time in ages I tuned into a football phone-in the other night. I had to double check my phone to make sure it was actually 2015 and not 2009. I've heard Sevco fans talking about putting 3 or 4 past us tonight. There's no prime Kenny Miller, Kris Boyd or Lee McCulloch playing tonight. No Carlos Cuéllar, no Pedro Mendes, no Charlie Adam, no prime Nacho Novo, no Alan McGregor. There is however the likes of Steve Simonsen, a 52 year old Lee McCulloch, Darren McGregor, and a Kenny Miller who couldn't cut in in MLS and who's scored a fraction of what he was supposed to. Boyd hasn't done much better, and i'm not even going to mention the comedy antics of Bilel Mohsni. I also read this quote from today's Daily Record website; "Motherwell should kick off as favourites and have a number of proven performers in their squad who have scored big goals for them in the not too distant past. But they also have a woeful record against Rangers - particularly at Ibrox where they haven't won in 18 years." Why are they talking about us not winning at Ibrox for 18 years? We're not playing against the same club that we've played during those 18 years! It would be the equivalent of us playing a cup semi-final against Falkirk at Ibrox and the media mentioning how we haven't won there in years against Rangers. We're not playing the same club who could field a team of highly paid footballers tonight. aside from the badge on the jersey and the stadium there is zero comparison to any of the Rangers sides we've faced in league action previously. Chat about the ticket situation made me laugh as well. Sevco fans phoning in claiming that a "wee team" like Motherwell are mental to knock back the "blue pound". Again, it's not 2009. We have a legit multi-millionaire running our club, with his wealth firmly "on the radar", no tax issues in foreign countries or any of that nonsense. We don't need Sevco's "blue pound". Our owner could have bought and sold Sevco five or six times over and still have enough cash left over to buy a small country. Honestly, if we go there tonight and beat this mob by a couple of goals it will rank as one of the most satisfying moments in my 30 odd years of supporting Motherwell. And not because we'll have beaten "Rangers". I fully believe that we're good enough to beat their squad over two games. We have better players than they do, simple as that. It'll be satisfying because the media and the deluded Sevco fans who've bought into the shite being pedalled will lose the place. This myth of "Rangers" will then be put to bed once and for all. They aren't "Rangers". They're a reformed club with championship level players who managed to finish 3rd in that league. Nothing more.

Some good news at last!

Aye, very good. You'd be on here kicking up fuck if that were the case and you know it.

Any word on the club continuing the flexi-pass thing the've been doing of late? Surely that's a better option for those who may find themselves working shifts or whatever.

If he's not a fan and just wants to help the community then why is he taking such a hands-on approach? Why not simply work behind the scenes and allow a "football person" to decide footballing matters? I could be wrong, but it sounds to me as though Baraclough was more his choice than anyone else's. The fact that he came out and basically said that the guys job isn't under threat regardless of where we finish, whilst admirable, is a bit strange in the football world, isn't it? How many clubs owners will say that a manager is safe regardless of if his side get relegated or not? Top that off with him not allowing Baraclough to answer any questions last night? I'm not sure why, but as time goes on i'm starting to wonder if there's something weird going on here.

I did find it odd that he didn't allow Baraclough to answer any questions. As has been said, why bother having him there then?

So, we want Baraclough out because he's not qualified for the job and can't cut it, but someone wants to replace him with a guy who has no managerial experience? What does Craigan have that Baracough doesn't? Other than the fact he's an ex-player, can shout a bit and knows how to clench his fist in defiance every now & then?

He's still been stuck with the same group of players that he inherited from McCall though for the most part, hasn't he? He's not been able to really unload any of the dead weight as of yet, and anyone who actually thinks his moves in the January window were anything more than attempts to stem the tide of points lost is deluding themselves. He'd been here less than a month at that point and was simply looking to cover injuries and suchlike. Nothing really gets done in the January window unless you're willing to spend decent money. No club is going to let a quality player leave on loan or on a free in January! As I've said, he should be judged on the moves he makes in the summer and on the team that emerges from the tunnel at the start of the season.

In short, no. I personally think that any manager deserves at least one proper summer to do his job, but at the same time I wouldn't be all that upset if the board decided to remove him after the season finishes.

I may be wrong, but I got the impression that the owner said Baraclough would be here next season regardless.

You think the new owner was simply lying then when he said that Baraclough was going nowhere?

Regardless of what division we're playing in next season, it's very likely he'll be given the summer to put a squad of his own making together, and then given time to make a real fist of things next season, which is quite right I think. Once a lot of the current squad are let go this summer we'll see what he can do with a proper summer window rather than the clusterfuck that is the January panic window. Saying that, if he's still not producing within a few months of the new season his position will have to be taken into consideration.

If we take the drop there's a good chance that he'll be the best 'keeper we have at the club! How many other better 'keepers than him will be interested in playing Championship football?

We don't know that, do we? It's changed days at Fir Park since those wanks last darkened our doorstep.

Erwin has come into a side that is struggling and playing some of the worst football we've seen in many a year at Fir Park. He's a young lad with what I believe to be a shitload of potential. Will he live up to it? Perhaps. I simply hope he remains with us for a bit longer so we can see him given more game time and a chance to progress.