MelvinBragg

You've taken that too far... As I said, it does feel kind of odd knowing the game is on Sunday and I'm not going. I was offered a freebie yesterday and turned it down because quite frankly I'd feel like a fraud being there. Sitting surrounded by thousands chewing their hands off with the tension while I sit not that bothered, I'd feel like a fish out of water. Sad thing is, I have a funny feeling we might win. Obviously we wouldn't if McGhee was in charge...

If I'm still in the same frame of mind, probably not. I was at the Hibs game to catch up with the guys I go to the games with. I have my season ticket so I'll pop along to home games out of habit and for a blether. Beyond that, don't see myself getting to any games...

I'm glad I'm not going if I'd have to sit with the "holier than thou" brigade. Is this going to become "you're only a real fan if you were at Bucharest/Nancy/Inverness away that cold November three years ago*"? *Delete as applicable Ever occur to people that some people might not be going simply because they're not that bothered about the result? If we win, I'll smile and get back to reading the paper. If we lose, I'll grimace and get back to reading the paper? Feeling that way about it, should I really be going to the game? I know, reading that makes it sound like I'm not a "true Well fan". Well, that may be so, but a couple of months ago, I'd have given my left testicle for us to win on Sunday so it's a new state of affairs for me. Do I feel slightly odd not going? Absolutely. Should I feel as I'm performing some kind of dereliction of duty by not going? No, get yourself to fuck, it's only a football game...

While I agree that this season is pretty much a dead duck and we should be trying to bed in the team that will start next season, can you imagine the rage on here as we lose to St Mirren, Accies and the likes while trying to do it. And if you're going to do it with the back four then you need to do it with the full team. Given Jennings and Sutton are out of contract (not sure about Lasley and Craigan), you're looking at a team of Randolph Hately Saunders Hutchison Hammell Humphrey Lasley Meechan Forbes Murphy McHugh That is, of course, assuming we don't cash in on Humphrey in the summer when he'll have one year left on his contract and assuming that we don't get an offer we can't refuse for Randolph or Murphy. All very well saying that we need to start bedding in next season's team now, but for a lot of people watching defeat after defeat would be too much. That and the fact you'd then be paying Craigan, Jennings and Sutton for doing nothing...

What about if you actually think Motherwell are going to win but still aren't going because you can't be arsed? Maybe can't be arsed is the wrong phrase. I feel very disenchanted with it at the minute, so much so that even though I have a sneaky feeling we'll do it on Sunday I can't bring myself to go to the game. What does that make me? Those who are not going because we're going to lose, I agree, need to take a look at themselves. Just don't tar everyone who can't bring themselves to go with the same brush...

If you're basing it purely on ability, Arnott wouldn't even come close. I can think of several goals that Clarkson scored that Arnott could only have managed in his dreams. And Porter is probably a more complete striker than Arnott. If you want to base it on sentiment, then, aye, pick Arnott...

Each to their own. My opinion is probably invalid anyway as I'm not going on Sunday simply because I can't be bothered. Don't know if Motherwell winning anything right now would shake me from my apathy...

I'd take Porter or Clarkson ahead of Arnott any day of the week...

I'm sorry but this is a load of guff. If God were to say to me "Motherwell will never play in Europe ever again, but I'll let them lift the league cup", I'd be ripping god's arm off. 20 years since a trophy, it could be another 20 or 30 before it happens again. A trophy or a couple of days bevvying in some foreign shitehole? Hmmm.

Has it been confirmed which two young players are going out on loan...?

Not an out and out striker then? Just when you compared him to Snodgrass, I thought "midfielder?"...

Heard from a very good source yesterday that a return for Stephen Hughes was on the cards ("supposed to be coming back" was the phrase used) but it looks like it's not going to happen now..

That wouldn't surprise me. Remember Man United have signed that Aalesunds keeper and Randolph looked better than him. Good young goalkeepers are rare. Would not surprise me at all to see Randolph end up at a very big club. I had heard talk a couple of months back that one of the Premiership's big four were looking at him...

Anyone think we'd be talking this much about him if his name was Stevie Goldcastle?

Any idea how he did there?

All this talk of strikers has got me thinking, what happened/is happening with Gary Smith...? I seem to remember him featuring in one first team game and he doesn't seem to have been heard of since. Perhaps not surprising with Sutton, Murphy, Gow, Blackman, Casagolda and McHugh being ahead of him in the queue for the last six months. With three of them away but again talk of us trying to bring in a forward, just wondereed whether he had been discarded...

For what Fitzpatrick brings, he's probably not on a large wage. He's a decent back-up centre midfielder wwith a load of SPL experience. If Lasley or Jennings were to get injured, he'd be able to step in and do a job. Find another midfielder with the number of SPL games under his belt that he has, willing to sit on our bench and with the knowledge of the rest of the team and how the play for the same wage and you can be Motherwell's Chief Scout...

Norway has a population of under 5 million. And it manages to run a 16 team top league. And as far as I'm aware, football isn't quite the obsession in Norway as it is in this country...

Interesting read. One thing leapt out at me though. The U21 rule scrapped is on the list of positives. In a league where fear will be word of the day, to scrap this rule which has gone some way to encouraging teams to blood young players seems to me personally to be the kiss of death for the development of young players. But I'm sure will suit Celtic with their massive squad. Not so much Rangers these days, but I'm sure in future they'll find themselves in a position where they have a squad big enough to consider the U21 rule an inconvenience. I'm sure Walter Smith has stated as much in the past...

To be fair, for long enough on here and in other football forums people have moaned that football is too expensive. You can't then turn round when they talk about reducing admission fees and say "Aw, yer bribing us now...". Not that I'm coming out as a major supporter of the 10 team set-up, just that a reduction in admission fees would address one of the issues that people seem to have a problem with. Seems a bit churlish to dismiss it...

If it's Murphy, let's hope the fee quoted is similar to that quoted for David Goodwillie or we're being fleeced. And no, that last word isn't a hint that I think it's Aberdeen...

Indeed. Were I a betting man, that's where my money would be going...

Should be interesting. Not to see who's leaving. Just to see who's considered one of our top players...

Habit, call it what you will. I still have an interest in what happens to Motherwell. Just wouldn't bother me if I never saw another game again, the way I feel at the moment. I suspect (possibly fear) I may become one of those guys who just looks out for our result in the paper. Anyone who knows me will tell you how worked up I could get at a game, so it's a new feeling for me. As I said, I feel as if I'm coming on here out of habit. .

I'm mental, me. Cos I ain't going. Might watch it on the telly. But right now, even that doesn't appeal to me. Just can't be bothered with it at the minute. And if I can't get motivated for a semi final, god knows when I'll be back...