MelvinBragg

I'm guessing, and it is only a guess, Gordon Young. Which is fine because given the shallowness of the squad, the entire bench could be U19s he was coaching last season...

This isn't the Barras, Boyle should tell Milne, the price is marked on everything...

Nothing to compare it against at the time...?

Point taken, though, mate. Only reason the post regarding him having enough of having no money caught my eye was because it was very specific about being outbid by Gillingham (I'm assuming the lad Beevers?) and the mention of a managerial candidate right out of leftfield (Kevin Dillon). I think everyone would like an end to the speculation and rumour so we could move forward and know who was going to be the man in charge next year. Though speculation and rumour are certainly ensuring that, as short as our close season was going to be, it's not been a dull one...

Just going on the post that garymurdoch made which seemed quite specific. And I carefully put 'if he tries to blame'...

Couldn't have put it better myself. The financial restraints at Motherwell weren't on their minds last summer when they doubled their salaries. If McGhee tries to blame that for his leaving, he's a joke. Not that he'll need to justify it, his pals in the media never ask him the tough questions. Oh, and aye, stick yer recommendations up yer arse, McGhee. You recommended we give Bob Malcolm a contract. I recommend you sign the fat bastard for Aberdeen...

Never? Never ever? And you're basing this on...? I'm not suggesting he should be a shoe in, but he has as much coaching experience as McCart, and while he's only been a manager in his own right for 3 seasons since retiring as a player, he's been on the coaching side longer than McAllister, Lambert and Billy Reid. I wish people would bear in mind we are Motherwell and experienced managers with blemish free track records will not be queueing up for the job. It's not like Nijholt (or McCart who I wouldn't say no to either) would be doing a McLeish and going straight from playing in the Premier League to first team manager in the Premier League. St Mirren had to take a chance on Alex Ferguson remember. Everyone has to start somewhere and as long as the person getting the job hasn't just completed their coaching badges or just been coaching for a year, who are we to judge? We're not likely to get a candidate who ticks all the boxes...

JB should just phone and say "If he's that good you were willing to wait til Celtic had said naw, he must be worth £200,000..."

IF that's accurate (it is Clyde after all), I can see it being a few days of nothing happening because that's a big difference of opinion...

I'm kind of hoping we need the Harri Kampman lawnmower again...

I'd like to think you're right and JB's talk of convincing Shovelface to stay was just a negotiating tool. Let's just hope so, eh...?

Part of me agrees with you, Steve, to say "Gaun yerself..." to John Boyle. But another part of me just wants this over and done with so we can move on. More time spent arguing with Willie Miller, less time available to spend looking at CVs...

Aye, you're right in a sense. No use McGhee leaving us 16 players if the new guy didn't like 5 or 6 of them, only giving him 10 he really wanted. But if the new guy doesn't like 5 or 6 of the ones we have at the moment, he'll be enrolling us in a 5 a side league...

It's a fair point you make but a new guy will have to bring in quite a few players in a short space of time to get anything resembling a squad together. As it stands (counting players who've played more than 5 first team games - for anybody) GK Fraser (although there is talk on another thread that pre-contracts might not be binding) DF Quinn Hammell Craigan Reynolds MF Lasley Fitzpatrick O'Brien McGarry DL Smith FW Clarkson Sutton Murphy are the players we have under contract. By my reckoning we have enough for a 4-4-2 with a couple of subs. Even then a midfield of O'Brien Fitzpatrick Lasley McGarry doesn't fill me glee. I appreciate the new guy will have a blank canvas, but he'll also have a lot of work on his hands...

Latest name I've heard thrown into the mix is Neale Cooper. Surely not??

I think that prior to this I would have agreed with you. I had no problem returning last year following his dalliance with Hearts. I think the utter disrespect he has shown our club since then just leaves too bitter a taste in my mouth. No mention of Motherwell whatsoever in his Sunday Herald comments, the fact that as this all rages on he has left a threadbare squad leads me to believe he never had any intention of starting next season with Motherwell, it just sickens me a bit too much. Sorry if that sounds like me being a grumpy old sod. Mibbe cos I am a grumpy old sod...

Well aware I'd be in the minority. Like I said, I just think I'd personally find it too hard to stomach...

Not an outrageous idea. The nature of football being as it is, any management team will probably have a two to three year run at a club at the moment. So while this time might be a bit early for him, I think he's probably a good shout next time around...

I know this is a very very long shot but should McGhee still be at Fir Park next season, I wouldn't be at a game until he left. I've put up with rubbish managers, rubbish teams and all sorts, but I think it would be impossible to stomach seeing him in the dug out now. And to dig out an old favourite. Just my opinion, mind...

Feel free...

The three names that Andy Devlin mentions in the Sun this morning are Chris McCart, Gary McAllister and Luc Nijholt. Any of those three would be fine with me if we get the choice of assistant right. With McAllister and Nijholt, I reckon we'd need to find an assistant who has worked recently in the Scottish game. With McCart, I'd like someone more experienced alongside him. Thing is, all three of these guys bring with them a degree of a gamble. However, none of the other names that have been discussed on this forum (Chisholm, Billy Reid, Brian Reid, Derek Adams) inspire much confidence or excitement. As I've said elsewhere on this forum, this could be a tricky appointment for John Boyle to get right...

I still reckon Calderwood would prefer a chance at managing in England at the moment. For some reason, I just don't see him being interested in the Motherwell job. Would I be happy with him as manager? Well, he can positively influence a game with a substitution/tactical change so that's one up on McGhee. Unfortunately, his transfer record is as patchy as that of McGhee...

That is good to hear although less encouraging to read in The Sun is the fact that it could be next week before anything is resolved. I know Aberdeen are probably counting on the fact that we are working within a short time frame and need things sorted and it might help them drive the price down. I don't envy Boyle in the hard balancing act he's having to manage between getting this sorted ASAP and making sure we don't get fleeced...

While there will be those who still dislike John Boyle (and I respect their strength of feeling and reasons on that), there can be no argument that he's done himself no end of good PR wise recently...