MelvinBragg

The money he's made in the game, I suspect not...

Sounds like he's open to the idea of coming despite other offers. Unless he's trying to get fit and we're local. Thinking John Kennedy and McGhee...

Funny thing about Kerr. I've read here that Kerr himself thinks he's a centre back, but McCall sees him as a right back. Sound familiar? Saunders Mk II...?

Diggle's last word on Sutton was that was he was a good player but he made his bed at Hearts. Hardly a major criticism...

Did Ramsden not go abroad last year before signing his contract? That worked out.. It's already been said that McCall might be looking at Tony and Terry Rialist. Better to look at them in an intensive training environment. That and the fact that team spirit has been good recently, it won't do any harm to see how potential signings fit in with the group. And with the squad size now, probably a few spare seats on the plane anyway...

I didn't see much of Kerr last season, his few appearances seemed to be away from home. But I do remember one sub appearance from him early in the season at Fir Park when it was commented that he was too good for us to have him long term. Whether that was his true form or the more disappointing performances were more a true reflection, I don't know, but I reckon he's worth a gamble...

Given there was talk of a few new signings over the next few days on Thursday, could be one or two new faces due...

You should have tried travelling to and from Dundee for that game with two Utd fans...

Good signing for them. Part of me thought he might end up at Ibrox...

Slightly older slapper with loose morals.. Given your past track record, not impossible then...

Not impossible that we'll have three of last season's back four still playing for us next season. Keith Lasley is still there. And John Sutton knows what the club is about so there's a degree of continuity there. And most season ticket holders get a season ticket because it's their team and they always do. I know when I went to renew, who was going to be in the team wasn't a factor...

Aye, they wait til after I've renewed my season ticket before a Kris Boyd rumour surfaces. No, thanks. And people said Sutton was slow and immobile.. If we could sell Hutchinson and pick up Wilson for nothing, it'd be an outstanding bit of business but, like others, I can't see it. Having signed three players from other SPL clubs, I figure that the rest of our signings may be at the cheaper end of the market. Can't see McManus coming for the same reason...

Kyle might say he's fit but his recent record with injuries means that I'd have picked Sutton ahead of him. We can't afford guys who might spend half the season injured. But as you say, one target man is quite enough on our budget...

Naw. Just naw...

If he's not happy with the money on offer there, no chance we could afford him. Which is a shame because I'd love him back. Non starter though, I reckon...

Bob McHugh has started 8 games for Motherwell and scored 6 goals. Around 60 sub appearances, probably totalling around 900 minutes tops (average 15 minutes being generous). Assuming he finished all 8 starts (unlikely), you're looking at 1620 minutes on the field. Averaging a goal every 270 minutes. A goal every three games when not getting a run in the team to build up momentum. Aye, can't see why he got a contract...

I know the budget is being cut again but still expect us to sign at least five players. I figure that Vigurs will be on less than Law was, any keeper may be cheaper than Randolph. If Hateley was one of the higher earners, then it's safe to say that a replacement right back won't be on the same wage. This doesn't mean bringing in sub standard players, just means shopping smart. How much did Ojamaa contribute in comparison to his wage?

That's a best case scenario. And looks impressive. Take out McFadden and McManus (the two we're most likely to get outbid on) and it looks a whole lot weaker. But I'm pretty relaxed about it. In Vigurs, Sutton and Lawson, we've signed players who'd get in most other SPL sides...

Sutton has one advantage over Higdon. He's willing to play for us for wages we can afford. Be as well comparing Sutton to Lewandowski, another player outwith our budget. As soon as Higdon got beyond 20 goals, he was always going to have offers better than we could match. Is Sutton as good as him? Don't have their career stats to hand but pretty sure that Higdon's last two seasons were the best of his career. Prior to that, I suspect if you'd been offered Sutton or Higdon, opinion would have been pretty evenly split...

Interesting to read Sutton scored 44 goals in 115 games last time. Roughly one goal every two and a half games. Obviously Higdon blew that out of the water in his time here but I suspect that Sutton's average compares well with other strikers' records at Motherwell...

Only misgiving I have on this is the fact I may now have to move seats this season. There's a guy towards the Cooper end of the East Stand who had a habit of shouting "C'mon John Sutton!!" at seemingly random intervals. Having to listen to John Sutton Man as he was dubbed is the only negative I can see here... Streaky? Aye, but his hottest streak was under McCall. Let's hope that wasn't a coincidence...

Who realistically do you expect us to sign? Can't see much wrong with those signings. Nielsen. Been on the books of Blackburn and Man City, benefiting from fitness and goalkeeping coaches at that standard. Trained with some very good goalkeepers. Have to figure he's learned something. Played international football. Sutton. Proven SPL goalscorer. Didn't do it at Hearts but not surrounded by great players there before you even talk about the fact he was benched and sent out on loan by some of the managers there. Kerr. Had some good games last season and a few howlers. But young, that'll happen. What was Hateley's pedigree before he signed? Lionel Ainsworth. Know nothing about him but knew nothing about Humphrey before he came here. McCall has done well enough in the transfer market for me to have faith. Will we be weaker than last season? Possibly, but last season we finished second by a distance and key players left for nowt. Anyone who doesn't expect us to be weaker this season is off their head. But I have faith in McCall that he'll have us competitive. He's already signed a midfielder that scored nine and had nine assists last season in the SPL. Not too shabby. I like a moan as much as the next man but seriously...

Normally, this would be a cue for frenzied speculation but most people seem to be convinced that two of the names will be Sutton and Neilson. Am I right in reading this as a few signings in the next few days with more signings to follow? Or is it a few signings with more details on them to follow?

I don't want it to come across as my criticising Jennings. More my kind of player than Nicky Law (my favourite Motherwell midfielders tend to be guys like Lasley and Valakari). But, and the stats maybe don't back it up, I found last season's team more attractive to watch than the one with Jennings in it. Not to say that there's much in it, both pretty easy on the eye. Anyway, McCall needs to get his finger out and start signing people. If only so we're not here debating merits of centre midfielders that we won't be signing...

Not at all, not in McCall's nature. But last season we really seemed to go for it, more so than the previous season. With only really Lasley and our centre backs being defensive minded, second half of the season saw some of the most exciting football I've seen from a Motherwell team. I'd argue that it was even better than McGhee's first six months which is held up as the best recent Motherwell side...