MelvinBragg

Terms have been agreed but nothing signed as far as I'm aware. Medical tomorrow. Remember we snaffled Porter from under the nose of Dundee United? Go on, JB, you know it makes sense. Any other chairman wouldn't entertain you, but I get the feeling Massone would have no qualms about going back on his word to Dundee...

In a few of my posts this morning, I've mellowed my thinking. I still think DC will be a major loss, but IF the new guy is given some of the Clarkson and Quinn fees to spend (and the way the squad is, that has to be the case or no one will want the gig), then it could work out fine and dandy. As it is at the moment, no clubs have any money to spend. If we can get in some cash it puts us ahead of the rest of the SPL (two clubs excepted obviously) in terms of bargaining power. The only thing I would say is that any new manager would have asked about money to spend and now he may get it. Maybe the guy didn't know he'd have to do without his best striker to get his money to spend... If we use the cash to get 4 or 5 decent signings for at least a couple of years, hopefully we'll not be in the same boat next summer. I'd still rather have kept him in the hope that Muprhy was ready to make the step up for 2010/11, but due to Reynolds form tailing off, Clarkson was the main marketable asset. If you need to rebuild a squad, you need cash. Just need to hope that the new manager spends it wisely. And can get us putting crosses into the box all the time. Cos at the moment, John Sutton, you're het...

I think someone started a thread before the split last season how we should play a lot of the kids for the last 5 games to have a look at them and see what they could do. I can't think who that was...

What are you doing to do if it is over a million??

Aye, I get angry. Aye, at the football. But just cos you cannae get a ticket? Lighten up...

Well, what was the purpose in mentioning it? "I've been a Well fan for 35 years, I'd never want to see us lose". Y'know, guess what, it's a Motherwell forum, the rest of us never want to see us lose, so what exactly were you trying to put across?? Honestly, give me one solitary reason it was relevant...

The highlighted section, has that ever been confirmed or is it just rumour and hearsay? If not confirmed, a bit silly to get worked up about it. A lot of people will not see Motherwell's first away tie on European soil. Financial reasons, work commitments, domestic situations, clashing with a holiday booked over 6 months ago, the reasons could be many. Most people are dealing with it with a shrug and a "ach, well...". You're lucky that you can be "quite prepared" to lose money on this when there are others who couldn't afford to go. Sorry for going on, but you seem to be getting really worked up over this and quite frankly, the petulance you're showing, if it was quoted on any other club's board, we'd all be laughing at...

Even having clarified it, you sound a bit petty. So it would please you that any Motherwell fans going to Airdrie next week would have to sit and watch us toil to a 1-1. Oh, and, what are you trying to prove by telling us how long you've been a Motherwell supporter. I was wondering how long before we got the "I'm a better supporter than you..." nonsense. THIS is why I hate ticket scrambles...

I think the point that was being made that seems to be passing you by is that most folk would be buying a season ticket regardless of any of these things happening. Most people buy a season ticket irrespective of who the manager is or who's in the team, they buy a season ticket because it's Motherwell...

I know, I apologise. I was a bit grumpy this morning. My point still holds though that we really shouldn't be getting billy big time about this and anyone who booked travel right after the draw assuming they would have a ticketmust have known there was a risk involved. Or have real memory issues, because Nancy should have been the lesson there...

The tone of my posts has changed, I'll grant you. The anti-depressants must be kicking in...

No conflict in those opinions at all. I reckon we will struggle to replace Clarkson's goals and all round play. So I think we will be fighting relegation. Nowhere did I say that we would definitely go down. In fact, to quote... I said in that post that it looked bleak to me at the moment. Anyone who thinks it doesn't look bleak, has had too many happy pills this morning. But I did say that I'd been wrong before. Let's hope I am again...

Could argue that if he didn't give a toss about the club he'd be refusing to go, waiting the year out and leaving for nothing next summer. Just another way to look at it...

I know what you're saying, but if these guys were likely to leave for nothing in a year's time and by selling them just now we can 4 or 5 decent players for at least this season and next, it looks like some forward planning from JB...

Can only echo those sentiments. I think we'll find it difficult to replace these two guys with anything like the same quality of player, but worse than that we're going to lose two guys who would have run through brick walls (and in Clarkson's case, often did) for the club...

Aye, on another thread someone asked how much our crowds would drop if were to be relegated. I reckon they'd be about the same. No team really brings a massive away support outwith the Old Firm and most people that go to Fir Park now are those who'll go irrespective of what division we're in. Who knows, the crowds might go up if we're in a race for title. We've been run reasonably frugally since coming out of administration. Relegation shouldn't be the terrifying prospect some seem to think it is...

If we're going to sell Clarkson in the next couple of days, I'd be on the blower to Livingston saying "I know you accepted a bid from Dundee for Griffiths, but we'll offer you a wee bit extra..." and re-route Griffiths to Fir Park for talks when he comes back from holiday rather than Dens...

No, your crime is bitching about it like a wee schoolwean. Grow up. As I've said before, everyone knew the capacity of the grounds we were maybe going to because the list of teams has been around on this forum for what seems like weeks now. If you book flights and accomodation for a trip knowing the ground only holds 1000, and then complain because you've paid out and you're not guaranteed a ticket, then you sir, are an idiot... PS Ever occur to you that wanting to play it at their own ground might not be defeatist. Maybe they think they'll have a chance in the second leg, and then why would they want to turn it into an away game with their support outnumbered. Son, if brains were dyanmite, you wouldn't have enough to blow your nose...

Calm down, so we're in for a relegation battle. Been there before and we will be again. I would imagine that some of any fees brought in will go towards strengthening the squad. Wait and see what the season brings. I expect us to struggle, maybe even get relegated but I'm not going to get myself worked up about it. I've been wrong before and I'll be wrong again...

Kind of sums up my feelings on the matter. I don't have a bad word to say about the guy and he would go with my very wishes. I'd still be pretty gutted he'd be going. Interesting thing is that the Express article states that the money would go to the new manager to re-shape the squad. Time will tell on that one. Thing is, I'm sure the candidates would have expressed a desire for money to spend. Don't know, though, if they'd want their top striker sold in order to have said money to spend...

Ach, don't worry. With the players that are leaving, the wage bill will be down to next to nothing anyway. On a serious note, should no television deal materialise then there really will be no real major loss of income from relegation. Since administration we've run a fairly tight ship so we should be one of the clubs mkost equipped to cope should the worst happen. The thing is, my friend, better start trying to get your head round the idea. Cos if these rumours are true, it's a distinct possibility. John Boyle has a very big month ahead of him...

I notice you didn't say that they'd be sane for applying for it though...

If we are to sell Clarkson for £800,000 and Quinn for a similar amount, given the squad we have at the moment, the manager should be insisting that the cash be spent on bolstering the squad. What's that? We don't actually have a manager to make any such demand?? That's why the club are selling them now?? As I said in another thread earlier in the summer, part of me wishes we were in Division 1 anyway. Good away days; Ayr, Raith, Dunfermline, Inverness, Ross County, Queen of the South...

I've heard that the new manager will be unveiled on Monday and it'll be Michael 'King of Pop' Jackson. Let's face it, he's the only guy mad enough to take on the gig if we sell Clarkson and Quinn...

While not wishing to be all doom and gloom, I think some people on here are taking being positive to a ridiculous level. "Easily replace these players" someone said. Ah, that's Mark McGhee found it so easy to bring players to the club that were better than what we had . In the last year we've lost McCormack and Porter (you could argue Sutton will replace Porter to an extent), do you really want to sell another guy who'll get you at least 10 goals a season? In a year's time, Murphy may be fitter for purpose, others may have come to the fore, so letting Clarkson go for nothing might not hurt quite as much. Maybe the squad will be in a better nick... Oh, and Paul Quinn is the physically strongest, most ruthless (in a good way) and the greatest will to win of all our defenders. Flog the ginger liability and keep Quinn, give him the armband and a new contract. OK, I know the last part won't happen but I can dream...