MelvinBragg

While I agree with your general point that it's a malaise that's been coming, I reckon if that early chance for Murphy had fallen to Clarkson, we'd have been 1-0 up and looking to add to it. That said, I think it's a pointless discussion. We might as well discuss whether we'd have won with McFadden or a young Willie Pettigrew in the team. We are where we are, let's focus on what we can achieve from this point on...

I think it'll be interesting to read Gannon's post-match thoughts. He can't be too scathing of too many of the players as he must know he will have to work with some of them at least in the medium term. However, if he seems unconcerned by the result/performance, I think it's safe to assume that he saw these European games as a distraction and simply as a warm up for the real thing in August. The only thing with that would be the fact that a lot of fans have paid a fair bit of money to go to Wales. I'm sure most of them don't see these games as simply a distraction...

Ha. Just saying to someone last week how I was dreading this game. My birthday is on Saturday and I'd always said how it was handy having your birthday in early July cos it takes away the possibility of Motherwell putting a downer on it for you...

The same Darren Smith you were discussing with me before the game...?

For those who are champing at the bit for news of Paul Quinn's departure, I would say only that I don't know if he would have taken tonight's result as meekly as some of the players seemed to. Would he have channeled his anger at the performance/defeat in the right way? That I can't promise, but at least he'd have been angry...

John Sutton must be cursing the fact that Fitzpatrick wasn't playing tonight...

Try and play someone up front with him til we find someone who can play the lone striker role...?

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I'm not Sutton's biggest fan (far from it). But last season it was clear to us (as I'm sure it will be to Gannon now) that he cannot play with his back to goal. He does not have the all round game of a Porter or Clarkson as you said, but if we could get people to the byeline and get decent crosses in, he will score goals. He scored a few in a season of poor performances last year. He did his best tonight in that role, but it was not good enough. if we are going to persist with a lone front man, we might as well sell Sutton. I don't see any use for him with that set-up...

I thought Saunders and Murphy were both pretty poor tonight. Slane impressed me, and Forbes did well in a holding role (albeit against a team with no real attacking intent). McHugh looked keen. Let's not fall into the old trap of blindly praising young guys when they break into the team, then slag them for the exact same type of performance 18 months later. Fitzpatrick...

Oh dear. Have we come to this already...?

Not long in for the game and have quickly scanned the thread. A few points... It's very easy (and tempting) to blame the more experienced guys and say that the young players showed promise. But it's a sweeping generalisation that's simply inaccurate. Murphy and Saunders (ironically the two young players with most first team game time under their belt) were very poor this evening. Slane and Forbes did well. Slane at least ran at their defence and Forbes did a decent holding midfiield job. I thought until Slane appeared that O'Brien looked our best (only?) bet of creating anything. I also find it hard to criticise Sutton since it must be hard for any centre forward with no team mate within 30 yards of him. Could he have done better? Undoubtedly. Was he helped by those around him? Not that I could see. The goal we conceded was a basic set piece and you could pick any one (or two) from about four players to blame. Frustrating thing is that for the first 15 minutes, it looked like it was just a matter of time before we got a goal and that a couple more would follow. We played the 4-2-3-1 that Stockport fans said that Gannon liked. If we were using tonight as a pre-season game to familiarise the players with the formation, I can see Gannon's point. But it is a competitive game with a financial reward for progress, so I do wonder at the wisdom of playing two holding midfielders and one up front against a team with no real urgency to attack. Hard enough to break a team down without only having one man in the box. Maybe we should have waited til we had the players for such a formation (or until he had had more time to work on it in training) before using it. Not all doom and gloom, just questions to be answered...

Can I swap lives with you...?

Decent player but I'm not crushed by McLean's departure. Was never going to be part of our first choice back four, even given Quinn's impending departure. Any time he played at right back, even while doing a decent job, he looked like a centre back playing right back. Which is fair enough, cos that's what he was, but I would imagine that we'll be looking for someone who is a full back first and foremost...

So is it 100% that he'll be joining then? If he comes into the first team (whenever that may be) looking as assured as Saunders did, then we'll have won a watch...

No Fitzpatrick? I can't believe how much panic that thought is causing me...

Surprising as it will be to some people on here, I have taken no pleasure in McShovelface's apparent inability to sign players. Yes, the quotes are familiar, and already Gannon seems to move a hell of a lot quicker in the transfer market than our previous manager. The thought strikes me that this is perhaps because the state of our squad at the moment means that it is easier to find someone to improve our squad. Perhaps. I'm excited by the Gannon appointment and look forward to seeing his team in action, but it is very early to be stating that he will do a better job than McShovelface. But there are a few revisionists on here. A lot of those now slagging our previous manager and his quotes in the press are those that were defending him to the likes of myself when we were questioning some of his decisions and his inactivity in the transfer market... EDIT Aye, welcome Steve. Sorry, got sidetracked by the sudden move of some to join the Anti-McShovelface bandwagon. Looks like he'll take no prisoners, but his goal return makes it look like he may have more to offer than Klimpl. Young, yet with a few games under his belt, only downside would be if it turns out to be a 1 year deal...

Aye, but it also says he's 27. Let's wait for official word...

Havign re-read some of the stuff that's been posted by some of the Stockport fans, mention is made that Gannon likes players that can play in several positions (he played both centre back and midfield himself). Could be the reason he only sees the need for 5 or 6 signings...?

I think we might find Clarkson harder to replace. Hughes has more natural ability than the others, but in terms of effectiveness in a team unit others were more pivotal. He was our "creative player" who was left way, way behind our left back in terms of assists...

The Foran debate is pointless, he's re-signed at Inverness. We hadn't shown the slightest interest. All I would say is that I thought that Foran would have been an excellent signing last summer when we lost McCormack, if McGhee wanted to continue 4-3-3. He would have been a different type of third forward than McCormack was, but playing on the left of a front three, his defensive frailties would not have been as exposed as they were in a 4-4-2. But that kind of discussion is for another thread. We've moved on from Foran and he's moved on from us, and if people want to debate his qualities, start a thread about it. This is for potential departures and arrivals...

I still would consider Murphy not s first team player but a young player. The point about Darren Smith is that he's been in the squad for some years. He may make an impact this year...

McLean and Hughes leaving doesn't break my heart. Are Motherwell fans seeing Brian McLean line up against us next season really going to think "Aw, naw, we'll never get past him..."? Hughes, unless Gannon can give him fresh impetus, probably needs a move. he's become too comfortable simply being the big fish at Motherwell. I suspect we might see another guy called Stephen in midfield for us next season. I'm told that we've made an enquiry about Stephen Gleeson of Wolves although we're competing with MK Dons. I know Beevers is away to Colchester, but what of Patrick Boyle? Or Gary Smith, the young boy from Queens Park? I know the boy Smith would be one for the future, but surely Boyle would be one that should be in contention...

The mention of 5 or 6 signings given how many players we've lost (Klimpl, Hughes, Clarkson, McLean, Sheridan, Malcolm and possibly Quinn) suggests to me that he'll be looking to promote a couple of the younger guys. And maybe use Darren Smith more. I was going to say "the likes of Darren Smith" then realised he's the only player with first team experience we have who has been on the fringe of things. Impressive interview and saying all the right things. Though talk is cheap, it's enough to engender a wee bit of optimism in even this hardened cynic...

I thought we needed another striker before Clarkson left, so I reckon we need 2 strikers at the very least...