MelvinBragg

Is Just not a left winger? I agree with a centre back (although I wouldn't moving a defender on first, avoid the bloated squad of last season) and another striker. A midfielder if Miller leaves. If we could get said defender out the door, would I then maybe consider looking for a right back as well...

Happy that we seem to be signing a number of players with a decent number of first team games at a decent level behind them (Sule the exception, but there you're looking at a promising youth record). Obviously every signing is a gamble irrespective of their previous history (look at Casper Sloth's pre Motherwell track record and tell me you thought he'd be a bad signing) but we seem to be trying to minimise the risk in our signing policy this summer... As an aside, I see calls for us to sign a centre half dominant in the air. If we need one of them, what exactly is Liam Gordon's role..?

Can you buy a ticket at the game on Saturday or do they have to be purchased in advance?

Nope. Every signing is a gamble. Hendry was one that very much didn't work out.. I'm struggling to remember the last striker we signed where even before they kicked a ball, you felt certain they'd get goals and it actually came to pass. John Sutton? Tommy Coyne? People with a track record at our level, we don't often sign...

Aye, but the world is full of guys who are outstanding at youth level and never make the grade at senior level (going back, was John Hendry's goal record not great for Spurs reserves). Don't get me wrong, as soon as he started playing for us it was prety clear he was too good to be loan turned to permanent. But I don't think any of us saw the kind of rise he's had coming. I even saw him mentioned as a potential Man United target...

Aye, but before we actually clapped eyes on him, there was no way to tell. We've had good and bad loans (and signings) from big clubs. For every Biereth, Jutkiewicz or Ruddy, there's a Cosgrove, Bellic (?) or Plange...

Let's not rewrite history, Biereth had scored two first team goals before signing for us. He was in no way a sure bet...

Motherwell don't sign sure things. If they're a "sure thing" for SPL level, they go to Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs or Dundee United. Gambles are where we live. Scott McDonald was rejected elsewhere. Moult had dropped down divisions. These ones paid off. Others don't. Just need to get more right than wrong. Fact we've not been relegated in nearly forty years suggests we tend to...

If they're paying him money that West Brom couldn’t or wouldn't match, that's a lot of eggs in one basket. What if he gets injured? Or he and Sunbed Sammy don't get on? As for professional athlete? He doesn't move the quickest for someone in shape...

You're right in that he's way out of our league budget wise but if Hearts are spending that much on Fat Larry, it's an act of folly...

If we'd appointed Docherty, I wouldn't have renewed my season ticket...

As you point out the shortcomings in our team were there last season. Unreasonable to expect the manager to have addressed them all in under a month surely..?

It says much about our current defensive options that he probably walks into our first team...

The guy that's changed hands for much, much more than we'll get for Miller? That Van Wolfswinkel..?

That's a player we couldn't afford...

Would that then be the Twatt signal? Seems appropriate...

Need to buy at least two wingers for that...

This should probably be in the Ins and Outs thread but I wouldn't dismiss it. 22 years old, runs all day, 6 goals in 21 starts most of them at wing back. Someone may show an interest...

Aye, he showed a bit of human decency, offered some leadership. I suspect many other Motherwell managers would have been equally capable of handling what was a horrible situation...

Both are past 30. Both pretty experienced. Both previously right backs who probably don't have the legs for the modern attacking full back role. Both probably more suited to playing in a back three. Do we really need what is effectively two players filling the same role? Had I a choice of the two, I'd probably have renewed McGinn. But given O'Donnell renewed automatically, I'd have chosen to sacrifice McGinn in order to free up a salary for a younger defender with a bit more legs/energy/power.. But, hey, as it is they are both under contract now. I don't know how much value for money we'll get out of that fact, but not much we can do about it now..

Agreed. As soon as O'Donnell's renewal clause kicked in, McGinn should have been shown the door...

Someone said to me that they hoped he can find a defender the same shape as himself...

The thought of working for Steven Pressley not exciting them..?

I'd agree that lack of positional sense and concentration has been more of a problem recently than lack of physicality...

Don't know much about Sylla, I must confess, and I'm aware of the Ebbe Skovdahl line about statistics but we've already signed a defender from a Dundee team that conceded 77 goals last season (highest in the division). Not sure signing a 31 year old defensive midfielder from that same team is guaranteed to help our defensive solidity...