MelvinBragg

I'm assuming you also believe in the tooth fairy...

Can see your thinking there regards numbers. Just in terms of centre backs, if we move Balmer on (as we're rumoured to be trying to, notable we didn't bring him on and shunt O'Donnell to RB today when Koutroumbis went off), then we'll have moved on three (Casey, Blaney and Balmer) and brought none in. Even allowing for the fact we've gone from playing three centre backs to two, that doesn't sound viable. In terms of goalkeepers, most clubs like to have at least three available. Connolly is away til January at the very least so I reckon you might see something happening there...

One striker, one midfielder, one defender? Not much depth behind the three of Fadinger, Watt and Slattery...

As Allymax states, trying to come up with a definitive 'Best 11' is a nigh on impossible task. If I were to come up with an eleven of my personal favourites it'd look something like.. 433 Randolph Burley Nijholt Aldred McKinnon Russell Vslakari O'Donnell Humphrey Coyne McFadden Nowhere near the best eleven (although decent, I reckon) but my own personal favourites in each position...

This is the thing with this kind of list. Is is Best or Favourite? Is Boyd better than McKinnon and Hammell? Possibly (although I think there's a case to be made McKinnon was better) but Boyd's post Motherwell dismissive attitude towards us probably encourages people to pick others ahead of him... Krivokapic and Martin are two of the best defenders we've had in my time watching Motherwell but I have more a fondness for Nijholt and Aldred. It's an impossible task to be even handed about it...

When was the last time we signed a proven striker?

In terms of injuries, questions are being asked of training methods and the signing of players with patchy injury records. A lot of these injuries are occuring in training, what are the playing surfaces like at Dalziel Park? Just asking the question if it seems to be happening over several managers with (I'm assuming) slightly different training regimes and slightly different transfer policies...

I can see your point here. I reckon it's possible we'll be better away from home than at Fir Park this season. Can't see the fans of the likes of St Mirren and Kilmarnock tolerating their team sitting in against Motherwell at home, fans of the city clubs even less so...

Two points dropped on the opening day isn't ideal... Seriously though, it was a great performance, only problem being our finishing or final ball on occasions. Often before when we've had good performances against the Old Firm, it's been all agression, blood and snotters that did it. And while we weren't afraid to get stuck in yesterday, it was the football we played when we had possession that really impressed me. Full backs have rightly received a lot of praise (Koutroumbis turning into a solid right back wasn't one I saw coming when he couldn't get a look in last season) but I'm really liking the midfield three. Watt and Fadinger look like great signings. Fair play to Fadinger, it can't have been easy being convinced by one manager to join and then find someone totally different in charge. Another thing I was pleased by was the patience shown by the fans. There were very few calls to "just get it in the box" even chasing the equaliser late on... As an enjoyable a day at Fir Park as you can have with that lot in town...

He wasn't good enough but I'm waiting to see more of Longelo before I start taking the piss out of Thompson.. We haven't had a good permanent left back since Hammell. Given he retired in 2018, it's a fair drought...

I'm assuming all this talk of pricing is because no one wants to actually talk about what's going to happen on the park? Having watched them the other night, they look as though they're going to give up chances. Sadly like Panathinaikos, we look likely to miss a fair percentage of them. I expect it to be the same team that started against Morton and Hertha. Which would be a pretty attacking selection for this game but the manager doesn't strike me as ready to compromise yet.. I have a funny feeling it'll be 3-2 tomorrow. Which way, I have no clue...

I'd read somewhere that Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt were apparently interested. The profit that Dortmund seem to make on young British players, that would be an ideal destination from sell on percentage point of view and not a bad move for Miller...

You did well to avoid the phrase 'if you don't like the circus, ignore the clowns' about the media..

Have a funny feeling we'll get Hibs at Easter Road in the draw. No idea why..

Frankly (and I say this every year) seeding in the cup draw is a nonsense. It's not like it was in European football where every single team has has to go through the group stages so finishing first rather than second in the group should entitle you to some advantage. But even there, I'm a bit 'open draw, see what happens'. If the 'big teams' want to win the cup, they need to beat everyone else anyway...

Seems pretty clear what the manager considers his first eleven at the moment given this is the same team that started vs Morton. Although I've only seen two games so far, irrespective of whether they're good enough, I find it hard to argue that it's the best eleven we have...

Someone did the maths including his wages, I'm not going that far. But initially I thought £500k profit, take it. I was forgetting Newcastle Jets may have negotiated a sell on percentage. So while we'd still make a profit, might not be a huge one. Large enough to make up for having to bed a new striker in seven days before the season starts? That's a judgement call for the board and the manager... That's the conversation people are having. No one is suggesting Stamatelopolous is the only striker on earth...

I'm not giving him a rough ride. But half a million profit after one (injury hit) season. If the Miller money wasn't incoming and we had another striker worthy of the name, I reckon that bid gets accepted. But the Miller money is coming and, as you say, we have no other strikers so it's a very much different situation...

Every player has their price and these days I get the impression that clubs rarely put a bid in for players where there's no possibility of a deal. Agents are contacted before clubs to test the water.. We may not be "actively looking to sell" but you have to figure that Viking have a fair idea that we (and Stamatelopolous) are open to a conversation. On that basis, we probably have a contingency plan in place...

Obviously I have no idea what we paid for him but it won't have been £800k so that'd be some profit after one injury blighted season...

Regards Miller, a bidding war would be great obviously but, unlike other players we've sold, I'm more concerned that he makes the right move for his career. Because as well the fee right now, I think any add ons we manage to negotiate could be huge for us down the line...

Nae need to get personal...

Without being specific about Bair, we do have a habit of bringing players back to the club. Sometimes it works, sometimes not.. There have been suggestions on here that it's lazy or unimaginative recruitment. But if (and this hasn't always been the case when we've done it) it's a type of player we need, I can see why it might be a thing that appeals to the club. Not for sentimental reasons either. If someone has been at the club before, you know what kind of personality you're bringing into the group. They know the area, you don't need to worry about them settling in. You know they're not coming expecting state of the art training facilities As I said, I'm not advocating for the return of Bair. But there are sometimes advantages of signing a former player...

Would be unsurprised...

For the second time. Apparently Robbie Neilson released him but the technical director (Naismith) offered him another chance...