MelvinBragg

As much as I agree, sadly life is not that good...

I'd be guessing but Sir Nick Cusack is probably up there, and perhaps his one time strike partner Dougie Arnott. But that's only my first instincts...

I'm guessing not so surprising in those days when entire teams played together for a number of years. No squad game then, if someone asked you to name, for example, the right back for the top 10 teams in the country I suspect that you would have 10 names that played almost every week of the season. And most of them would be with a club for 2-3 years at least...

The Scouse Simo Valakari...

When people say McGeady is worth over £10million, you have to ask yourself why they closed Hartwood Hospital...

If you want to say that Reynolds is a better player than any of the current Scotland Centre backs, the target you should be aiming at is Steven McManus. Even Celtic fans I know don't cut him any slack as he's one of their own. One actually said to me that the real sadnes of John Kennedy's injury was that it gave McManus a chance to masquerade as a centre back...

The thing that gets me about this whole (non)-story is the fact that the referees keep declaring it playable. Are the SPL suggesting that the referees can't see if we've simply got the pitch ready for 3pm and that they're not wise enough to see if a pitch will deteriorate during a game? I'd be interested to hear Mr Dallas' take on the fact that Doncaster is suggesting that his boys are letting these games go ahead in unsafe conditions...

Agree with a lot that's been said so far. The pitch is proving a psychological weapon for us at the moment. Teams are dreading coming to play on it. Despite looking horrendous, it didn't play that much worse than a lot of parks in the country right now. Yet Hibs left Riordan and Zemmama on the bench and brought their midfield battlers for a scrap. With Coke, Lasley and Jennings in our midfield, that suits me fine. I said it in the MOTM thread, Humphrey is a great impact sub. I was crying out for him to be unleashed on Murray from the start of the second half. Given most of the full backs in the SPL, his pace is a real weapon. He just needs guided as to how to best use it. Under Brown and Knox. he'll get better. His crossing has improved already. Three guys had outstanding games today. Sutton, Murphy and Jennings. With every game, Jennings is looking more mobile and although more of a midfield destroyer, he can certainly use the ball well. Nothing flashy, just finds his man. Murphy scored another great goal, but his all round play is impressing me more every time I see him. Linked up very well with Sutton. Sutton. This guy had a f***ing fantastic game. Brought guys into play, held the ball up, gave Bamba a real torrid time (when we played the ball into his chest, never going to win it at head height). As well as I've seen Sutton play for Motherwell. Like Lasley and Craigan, though not noticed as much by the press, he looks like a guy with a new lease of life since the departure of Gannon...

On the subject of Stevie Hammell, I can see East_Stand_Al's point. Hammell's performance levels are fairly consistent but rarely is he a standout. I'm reminded of the polls on here a couple of years ago when Chris Porter had only one MOTM award leading up til the end of the season. Guess the number of MOTMs you receive shouldn't always dictate the POTY running. Consistent guys like Hammell get overlooked... As someone pointed out today, there is a concern that Hearts will be looking for a left back this summer and Hammell is out of contract. Let's hope it's sorted soon...

Tough call as others have said, but I'd go for Sutton. Absolutely outstanding shift. When we got the ball into his chest, he was making it stick all day and generally finding a Motherwell man. Can't expect him to win too many headers against Bamba, but he was brilliant with his back to goal today. This is what got us the goal. Murphy and Jennings were, as others have said, also excellent. Thought Humphrey made a real difference coming on. Still think he's probably best used as an impact sub at the moment, but with the right coaching and his pace, he could be terrifying...

Ye'll need to tell me cos I refuse to register just to find out what it's about...

Aye, when I picture Sieb, he's standing over Alan Lawrence giving him dog's abuse for diving. He was by no stretch a bad keeper, but probably should feature more in lists of "Favourite" players rather than "Best" players...

I don't see him playing for Everton next season to be honest with you. They've agreed a deal to sign some keeper in the summer and Howard is still an excellent keeper. But as he's out of contract next summer, I suspect Everton will be selling him this summer. To pockets deeper than ours. I reckon we'll see him in the Premiership in a couple of years time playing for one of the lesser lights. To the original point, is he the best we've ever had? Like Frazzle, still have a soft spot for Sieb Dykstra, so if I'm to say he's the best we've had it would be grudgingly...

John Sutton at left wing with McGlinchey and Murphy up top? Unusual...

Doesn't help your argument since he played in the 6-1 game as well...

Apparently Radio Scotland with Jim Traynor last night was full of Well fans (and of course, Celtic fans) complaining about the decision...

I still maintain we'll finish 7th. Have thought that for a while now and I'll stick by it. Be delighted if I'm proved wrong obviously. It would be mental if we were to have European football 3 seasons in a row with three different managers...

Nah, more likely the 8 words we seemed to use in contract negotiations... "So how much do you want? No problem"

Easy to say with hindsight, but it was the best thing that could have happened to us. At the time, it was a horrifying thought. But looking back now, it simply ensured we woke up and smelled the coffee before we got in an even bigger hole. On the field, even at the time it was a fantastic thing for the team. The guys with the higher wages were always going to be the ones shown the door by the administrators. And it was just a happy coincidence that these were the guys not really earning their corn. Guys like Ready, Dow and Martinez getting the push hardly weakened the team. Meant we were left with kids and guys willing to take a paycut. Team spirit? Buckets of it. OK, we finished bottom the following year but what a season it was. Youthful naivety cost us on a few occasions but there were three great nights under the floodlights that season, beating Celtic, Rangers and Hearts (6-1!), games that still bring a smile to my face. And for a brief time, the Motherwell support was united in a common cause. More than at any other time, it seemed a time of "Sod the result, we are the Well can you hear us?"...

In defence of Frazzle, he is entitled to an opinion and having sttod next to him for enough years at Fir Park, he generally doesn't barrack players when they're on the park. I think he's trying to put across his "Reynolds is overrated, Craigan is underrated" which those who sit next to him have heard about 1000000 times before. For what it's worth, I think he's right in that. His statement that Reynolds is "murder" is I suspect an exaggaration to get his point across. He is also right in that there's a difference between supporting the team and blindly accepting whatever the club dish up. If a fans' forum is not the place for airing differences of opinions on players then I don't know where is...

Not voting as I can't make up my mind between Lasley and Jennings? How often have we bossed the midfield against Rangers before?

More Tony Rialists??

I can't bring myself to lose sleep over the possibility of Rangers's players getting injured tomorrow night. In fact, the thought of it might make me sleep soundly tonight. Sweet dreams...

I dunno about that logic. A good passer on a poor pitch or an average passer on a poor pitch? I know which I'd choose. You might be right though about seeing him more away from Fir Park though. Maybe more to do with other pitches being less energy sapping though...

Is this the Craig and Archie effect? Jings?!?!? On to the game. Boyd and Miller being available is a concern. But as others have stated, Smith might not want to risk them on the surface at Fir Park. Brown's history with Scotland grinding out results against better teams has to be tempered with the fact that with Scotland he had weeks with nothing to think about other than said game. More time to address every miniscule detail. Whereas this game is just one of many he has to plan for... Line up wise, I'd go... Ruddy Hateley Craigan Reynolds Hammell Coke Lasley Jennings O'Brien Jutkiewicz Murphy I'd play O'Brien directly against Broadfoot. More likely to get something out of him than out of Papac. And although Sutton has been in decent form, I'd play Murphy as quick feet are more likely to give their back four problems. Predictions? I'll go along pretending not to care about the result saying that "these aren't the games that matter". And five minutes in, I'll be apopleptic with rage and screaming like a maddy (sooner if Boyd is playing). Result? Who knows but the earlier prediction of "they'll play shite and beat us" sounds all too familiar...