MelvinBragg

While the small area they gave us clearly caused problems (stewards early in the game having to try and get people off the stairs and into seats), in some respects it did us a favour. The fact that the Motherwell support was concentrated in a small area made it easier for us to generate noise and atmosphere. Notice on the highlights how clearly you can hear the sarcastic cheering as we win the free kick that led to our first goal. Would we have generated as much noise if our support had been spread across the full bottom tier? I'm not so sure...

Voted for Tanner. Moult and Campbell were probably better but feel as if Tanner deserves some recognition for the difference he made when he came on...

Cheers. I won't be back in time for that. Excellent second half performance. Campbell and Cadden again look like experienced players. Good to see subs again make a difference. Thought both Dunne and Kipré had their poorest games for us (albeit big Cedric's dribbling at the end was worth the admission fee alone). Character, fitness (we were running a lot stronger than them at the end) and subs that make a difference. All the same positives that have been there most of the season. Some of the same negatives as well. Shaky first half, defensive errors, giving away penalties. A draw after being 2-0 down with half an hour to go? I'll take that...

What time is it on Alba..?

A few problems with that. Dunne is not a left back. Tait is more suited to wing back as he's better going forward than defensively. Moult finds it difficult playing up front himself. For me, we don't have the players for 451. And not really for 442 either...

I think that while we're only two points ahead of where we 'should' be, there are reasons why people are much happier with how things look this season compared to last. Fitness. It's early in the season but we seem to be conpeting longer in games rather than holding on and looking shattered with 20 minutes to go. Add to that we look at lot more physically imposing than previous seasons. I feel that in the past that the Hearts team would have physically bullied us out of the game. Substitutions. Our manager makes some. When we're not losing. Who would have thought it? And generally they seem to improve us. Again this seems new. Team selection. Seems to be mostly on merit. Robinson signed Tanner, Bigirmana and Fisher but Campbell and Bowman have performed so they start. No apparent playing of favourites with 'his' signings (for what it's worth, I think the three guys I mentioned that aren't in the team will contribute over the season). The only one that seems to baffle fans is Rose but given results, and the fact he's been keeping his place in the team, have to figure that Rose is doing exactly what his manager asks of him. Team spirit. There seems to be a genuine good feeling around the squad (absence of a short fat Australian helping?) but I suppose the real test will be when results aren't going our way. I think these are some of the reasons that people's optimism seems disproportionate to actual results. Compared to the start of last season when McGhee seemed to not know his best team and was signing people on loan he knew nothing about, there at least seems to be a plan. Will that plan work? Who knows but having one is a start...

Was he playing up front or on the wing..?

Hearts at home isn't a should win game for us. It's a game that ideally we'd win but a draw wouldn't be a disaster in real terms...

I'd agree that it's best not to get carried away. We should be beating the likes of Killie and Ross County at home if we want to not be in a relegation battle. Hearts were in a bit of disarray when we played them. Having said that, given the number of changes made to the squad, do we have any right to expect to be beating teams of a comparable size at this stage of the season? Robinson should be commended for getting players in early enough and getting them to gel. As for your assessment of individual players, like others I don't think Tanner, Rose and Dunne have done much wrong other than maybe not start as strongly as some of the others...

Good three points but the lack of an alternative to Elliott Frear is starting to concern me. We finished the game with Cadden at right back and our first choice right back at left midfield. It says a lot for Tait that he goes out there and gives it everything and he contributes but several times today the fact that he wasn't on his natural side cost us opportunities. I mean no slight on Tait here. His attitude and workrate are excellent, never gives anything less than 100%. As others have said, poor first half and an improved second. Bowman looks a new man with some confidence, Kipré is as good a centre half as we've had in a long time and Campbell was simply outstanding. Cautiously optimistic, going forward...

We haven't been playing Dunne as a left back. I'll be interested to see who we play at left wing back if Frear is unavailable. Maybe Plummer with a back three of Dunne, Hartley and Kipré? I would like to think that Hartley will be ready to start given he had a preseason at Blackpool and is not coming in like Plummer or Petravicius having not had a preseason. I suspect that the team will be Carson Kipré Hartley Dunne Cadden Bigirmana McHugh Rose Tait Moult Bowman Not saying that's how I'd set up, but I reckon that's how we'll go...

Question from a 10 year old in my house that didn't occur to me. What happens in the Betfred Cup when everyone is pretty much paying cash?

Robinson stated that it was a good move both just now and potentially in the future so certainly sounds as if there's an add on of some sort...

Given over the last few days it's become clear that Heneghan was the player generating the most interest, I'd hope that we have a replacement in mind and aren't relying on someone suitable getting released today. By the sounds of what Burrows was saying on twitter, we hope to get two in tonight. Given free agents can sign anytime, sounds like it's not necessarily the market we're looking at, at least initially...

Mentioned in this article.. http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/15507479.Burnley_defender_makes_season_long_loan_move_to_Port_Vale/

Didn't take Shrewsbury long to suss him out, did it..?

Burrows on Twitter. Fee agreed for Heneghan with a Championship club. If he goes, we hope to bring in two players...

Unless he can play centre half or left wing back, he wasn't what we needed...

Just saw the same tweet. Think it's Blackburn Rovers (different BRFC?) and have seen £500k quoted by a Chester fan miffed that they don't have a sell on. If true, good business by us...

In these days of forums and social media, never sure if it's a chicken and egg situation. Some Preston fans read it on here or twitter and start to post it and then Motherwell fans start to post that the story is being rumoured by Preston fans. Time will tell. Certainly fits the description of a versatile signing...

He only converted to midfield in his last season at Plymouth. Prior to that, he played as a defender...

He's the one we would miss the most and he's the one we can ask the largest fee for. All points to a deal being unlikely unless we get a ridiculous bid. Wouldn't rule out Forest testing us though if they can't get McGinn...

I agree with you that we need another central defender as things stand and that McHugh should stay in midfield. However if Heneghan leaves that would leave us needing two central defenders. If two suitable players aren't available but we can find one defender and a midfielder good enough to take McHugh's place in midfield, it's a solution I could live with. I stress that I'd prefer McHugh to stay in midfield but sometimes you need to adapt to the situation you find yourself in and McHugh at the end of last season certainly showed himself a more than adequate central defender...

Dreadful? He has played five games for them. I think he's been injured a fair bit so it might be a gamble there. Manager that signed him has moved on so I suspect he's surplus to requirements and that may be why fee might not be an issue..

That smells like McHugh to centre back and Grimshaw in midfield. Which I could possibly live with. Would prefer more cover at centre half though. Any talk of the position of the other possible signing...?