MelvinBragg

What's he saying?

No, but I'm a realist. Away to St Mirren was among the worst draws that Motherwell could have got. Given our record against them, there are few teams in the draw I wanted less...

Can any of us say we are surprised by the result? I have to say that I'm not sure where this belief that Gannon would automatically improve his team following Saturday more than McPherson would comes from. Not criticising Gannon, just think that he's not the all knowing messiah... Away to another SPL side in the cup was always going to be tricky. Particularly when it's a side like St Mirren where we always seem to struggle. I expected to go out of the cup tonight...

Can't say I'm really surprised by tonight's game so far. Going three at the back for the first time in ages in an important game is something I and others slated McGhee for last season so should Gannon also escape criticism? Seemed like a puzzling team selection when I saw it. Coke was subbed on Saturday and things improved, yet he starts tonight. Humphrey made a difference when he came on at half time on Saturday yet he's on the bench. As they used to say on Question of Sport, there are more questions than answers...

If you don't react, he'll go away...

Maybe not...

Sounds like we're not creating much from open play again this week...

Oh dear...

Hutchison on??

Anyone know how the penalty was won? Dodgy or stonewall?

Were I a betting man, I'd say 4-4-2... Humphrey Hately Forbes O'Brien Jutkiewicz Murphy I figure it gives Jutkiewicz a chance to play with a partner up front. Sutton might get thrown on for him later on...

From what I've seen from the games I've been at, this is a fair assessment. He may be more mobile than Sutton, but Jutkiewicz doesn't have same experience enabling him to bring others into the game as Sutton did when he was playing up top. I notice somewhere that Forbes was getting slated on the radio. When did he last have a great game...?

Myself and a couple of others had the good fortune to have James McFadden in our quiz team for the Association quiz a couple of years in a row. Quiet guy but knew his stuff football wise (even managed to point out when the quizmaster had got an answer wrong). Met him at a POTY do a bit later and he'd come out of his shell a bit. Could obviously remember what I drank from the Quiz night and bought me a drink without even asking. Met a couple of others (Clarkson, Quinn, Fagan, Fitzpatrick) at similar association events and they've all been sound enough guys. Thing is, playing for Motherwell is unlikely to (or shouldn't) give you a massive ego...

It was the single incident where he lost possession and got a slight pat on the coupon. Fair enough, go down if you think you deserve a foul. But the rolling around like he'd been shot was embarrassing. We've had our fair share of divers over the years, some of whom I've loved despite this. But invariably when they didn't get the foul, most of them got up and got on with it. Apparently (I didn't notice, someone else at the game said they spotted it) Gannon was, like me, going off his head at Mouatouakil at the same incident...

As one of the loudmouths in the second end section, I feel no need to apologise. It's not church, you know, and if you can't talk pish loudly at the football then where? I very rarely berate individuals in the Motherwell team (I was disgusted at Mouatouakil on Saturday more for his rolling around on the deck than anything else). I'm not expecting free flowing football all the time, far from it. But when we're not getting said free flowing football, we need to learn to pressure the opposition a bit better. Sorry if expressing that opinion offends anyone round about me. And as for the non football pish we spout in that section, well, you have to do something to get through games like Saturday...

Humphrey for me.

I think the general point that Fox getting picked for Scotland on the basis of 4-5 decent games is pretty ridiculous still holds. Particularly given the fact he is English...

Bizarrely, there's an auld-fashioned sweetie shop right next to sports shop in question which would meet your bonbon needs...

As I said in the Humphrey thread we need to get back to the shape that served us well earlier in the campaign Ruddy Moutaouakil Craigan Reynolds Hammell Hately Jennings Humphrey Coke O'Brien Sutton Could even play Murphy wide right if Humphrey is not match fit. Having Forbes on the bench could keep Coke on his toes. If Coke's not having a great game, we have Forbes to come on directly in his place. It's a bit harsh on Saunders getting dropped, but I feel we need a wee bit more organisation at the back as slackness is creeping in...

Not so much changing the system, it means reverting to the system we were using until Slane and Humphrey became unavailable. For me the ideal line up would be GK RB CB CB LB DM DM RW CM LW ST It's the system we were using pretty effectively at the start of the season and only stopped doing so when Jutkiewicz arrived. Even against Kilmarnock, we played a similar system with Jamie Murphy playing as a right winger. Sadly it seems that that doesn't really suit Murphy. With Humphrey and Slane unavailable we've been playing more of a GK RB CB CB LB DM CM CM LW ST ST No real balance to the side in my opinion. And maybe part of the reason that Moutaouakil is bombing up the field quite as much is simply to offer width on the right side. I know that one up front with three playing off him will not work against every opponent, but I reckon we'll create more goalscoring opportunities playing this way. And while not being a fan of one up front, at the moment I can't really see an obvious partnership from any two of the four strikers. For me, as soon as Slane or Humphrey look anything like match fitness, one of them should be in the team...

Went for Humphrey. In 10 minutes or so, he showed more enthusiasm and threat than most others on the park...

Spot on. Nae use greetin about it. Fans are quick to dish it out...

Someone mentioned Nish not being booked for diving. If that was the one in the box in the first half, I wouldn't complain. Looked like a stonewall penalty to me and those around me...

I'm sure I mentioned Steelboy's point about goals from open play before now. We don't look like creating much at all. Which is fine, if the defence holds. An over-reliance on Jim O'Brien and Ross Forbes. If one is off the park and the other is off form, we offer nothing. We need to get one of the midfielders a lot closer to Sutton and get back to playing two wide men so that teams don't know which way we're going. I know thay Gannon's hands have been tied by the fact that both right wingers have been unavailable for the last few weeks, so hopefully the return of Humphrey will give a bit more balance to the side. Bright spots? Humphrey looked up for it and showed some nice touches when he came on. O'Brien still looks dangerous (can't do it all himself though). Still scoring from set pieces. Negatives? Ooooooh, where to start? Coke's third bad game in a row. Forbes apparent lack of fitness. Defensive errors creeping in again. Sutton and Jutkiewicz not really looking like a partnership. For the first time under Gannon, the whole shape of the team looking wrong. I notice some saying how Hibs bullied us physically in midfield. I don't think that's the case. There were no real physical midfielders on show (Hately excepted and he was dropping so deep it looked like 3 at the back on occasions), just that their guys hounded our guys better. Ach, well, there's always next week...

Y'know if we get 5-0 up, I'm going to go down and when Yass is taking a throw in, pass on the message to let McBride score. Just for the comedy value...