gordy

In my opinion we have got to have a five man midfield with big Sutts as target man. My team would be: Randolph, great keeper. Would go for Ross at right back, because of experience, but I think he is injured. I think it will be Saunders, hopefully, no mistakes and a threat at corners. Hammell at left back. Solid and dependable. Left us then came back, he deserves a winners medal. Big Hutchinson at centre half, we haven't missed Mark Reynolds with the big man in there, another threat at set peices. Craigan our Captain, another guy who left and returned, talks big Hutch through the game and this will be the game of his life, he deserves it. Hateley as the holding midfielder, sitting in front of the back four allowing Las and Jenno to push further forward. Humphrey on the right, he has speed to burn and hopefully will run at the left back all day. Keith Lasley in the centre mid, another guy who has left and came back, player of the year and will run himself into the ground to win this. He told me that last night. Steve Jennings beside Las. Another cracking player, will run all day. Murphy on the left. his pace and dribbling skill will cause them all sorts of problems. Has really came on to a game recently and his confidence is sky high. Sutton up front. A great target man and will be a handful for them. Subs: Hollis, had a great game today. Forbes, looked alright today and played against them in the 2 - 0 game. Gunning, a good loan signing but not better than anybody in the team. Jeffers, good experience and link up play. I can't make my mind up about the last place, McHugh, Meechan, Casagolda, Page or Jones? I spoke to Stuart McCall last night and he wouldn't give me any clues about the team except to say that the guys rested today would be starters along with Hammell and Hutchy. I think the other option could be, Hateley at right back, Saunders on the bench with Jeffers playing behind Sutton. I think he will go for the more cautious approach which is a 4 - 5 -1 in defence to a 4 - 3 -3 in attack. In McCall we trust.

The Church on the Hill is exclusively for Well fans only. More than 700 plus have booked into it. Beer garden, kids allowed and BBQ food to be had. We will be travelling from Holytown (73 seat double decker) and hope to be there for about half past one, quarter to two. 5 minute walk to Hampden after a few pints . :drinks:

Was wondering, what to do in the morning of the Final. We are getting the bus at Holytown and Idn't want to have a party in my house then taxis. The tap shop in Holytown (Crown Bar) is now having a party from 11. Doesn't usually allow kiddies in but is letting them in the pool room, so that the troops can have a few medicinal bevvies. Everybody who is travelling on that bus should head for the tap shop, lets have a party. Next stop for the bus will be Church on the Hill. Is it only 6 sleeps?????????????????? P.S. I was dancing with Keith Lasley's wife last night.

Brilliant mate, keep us posted. :yahoo: :yahoo:

I have been looking forward to the Cup Final with a wee bit of optimism until watching that performance tonight. I fear a repeat of the CIS Cup Final 2005. I hope Stuart McCall has some magic wand or masterplan for the final because on that showing tonight we are on to a hammering.

Voucher "C" El Capitan.

I am exactly the same. I wouldn't say I was over confident but I felt that if we played the way I know we are capable of playing, the cup could be ours. I did not think we were capable of such an inept performance as that and if we play like that it could be a humping. Why was Hutchy left out? Why was Jones so bad, if that is him trying to get a contract/ new team or looking to get a place in the team for the final then he's got no chance, nothing going forward, apart from a deflected shot and he did not track back at all, especially for the second goal. I hope Humphrey is back for the United game. Lasley and Jennings were not firing on all cylinders or maybe holding back, not risking injury and missing the final? Sutton was invisible as was Jeffers, Murphy again looked lively, our best man, Hammell didn't get forward enough and Ross did as good as he could with Jones in front of him. I was not impressed with the pairing of Craigan and Gunning in the centre of defence. I know people want to rest players before the final but I am the opposite, get your final (strongest) team decided and play them in all the games from now until then. Give some of them 70 minutes or so if they are tired, there will be plenty of recovery time from the 15th to the 21st and if the team has had 3 games together it will help them gel. I honestly could not care less about the league games.

There was no abuse in my post. I put across my opinion and mentioned some famous victories against Celtic. My positive post was counteracting his negative post. It is a Scottish Cup Final for fecks sake, only our 2nd in 59 years? If you don't have a wee bit of hope what is the point in going to the game? We do have a chance, of course we do! The games I mentioned were all famous victories against the mhanky mhob:- The 3rd round Scottish Cup game mid 70's 3 -2 after being 2 - 0 down, Willie Pettigrew scoring the winner. The 4 - 2 victory in the 1991 semi final replay after being 2 -1 down at half time. Colin O'Neil's long range screamer to make it 3 - 2 then Kirkie seals it. The 1994 / 95 Scottish Cup Tommy Coyne 1 -0 game and, not forgetting, Skippy Sunday, when we were rank outsiders but came back from being 1 - 0 down when they were poised to win the League on our territory. Celtic are not, nor ever have been, unbeatable, as these results show. In every one of those games we had no chance. (Or so they thought) Have some hope guys, where there is a Claret and Amber shirt then miracles can and do happen . I know, coz I was there. :woop: :woop: :woop:

Who's all wearing a kilt to the final???? I'll need to put mine in for a serious industrial deep clean after my European adventure to Odense.

Yep, a Premier League championship trophy, winner takes all. When we beat them in 77 or 78 in the 3 -2 game it was the 3rd round of the Scottish Cup and in 1991 it was the Semi Final of the Scottish Cup. Forgot to mention the 3rd round Scottish Cup game in 93 or 94 when Tommy Coyne scored the winner. Every game was a "must win" for them and they had to beat us, but guess what?..................................................They Couldn't !!!!!!!!!!! Roll on the 21st of May.................................COME ON YE WELL !!!!!!!!!!!

While I think it is good not be over confident going into this, I think you are giving this Celtic team too much praise. You make it sound as if we didn't play well against them, FLUKE????? I think it is all well and good to look at the strengths of the Celtic team but we are not too bad ourselves. We have been getting steadily better under Stuart McCall and the Semi Final last week was very, very professional, we don't usually do things that way. I have been going to Well games since 1966 and I have seen us in the good times and bad but I have vowed to never, ever talk my team down. We are stuck in Lanarkshire, a place full of bigots from both sides of the evil, you just have to walk down the street to see the shitey blue and green tops. I found it hard being a Well fan as the ugly sisters fans unite to slag the team the whole of Motherwell should be supporting. It must be very difficult to keep our club going when you see the crowds this year and it is why I thank John Boyle for the money he has put into the club, this cup final must be brilliant for him. Do you not think how guys like Craigan, Lasley and Hammell must be feeling? 3 guys who were with us, left us, then returned home. This game will be the pinnacle of their careers, they have achieved, just by getting to the final, a place in history that legends like Joe Wark, Willie Pettigrew, Bobby Graham, Johnny Gahagan and James MacFadden couldn't get. The boys in the East Stand had a banner with the words, "Time for New Heroes" under the 91 cup winning team and that sums it up for me. Every interview with players now and they mention the pictures of the 91 cup winners around Fir Park and our current players want that cup, make no mistake about it. You may be right about us losing on the day, that is your opinion. I will, however, always remember famous victories against the mhanky mhob:- Mid 70's in the cup, 2 -0 down at half time, we won 3-2 with the winner by Willie Pettigrew. 1991, 2-1 down at half time in the Scottish Cup Semi Final Replay we won 4 -2. Then there was Skippy Sunday, 1 -0 down at half time, yes we won 2-1. Every single one of those games the Celtic team were "absolutely desperate" to beat us. You know what?................................... They couldn't!!!! 3 - 0 down to Hearts today, no way we could come back??? WRONG.............................. Final score Hearts 3 - Motherwell 3. This team wants to win, trust me. We should go there and sing our wee hearts out, we might get a doing but you know what??????? We might just WIN THE CUP!!!! C'MON THE WELL

I am sitting here, canny sleep, too early for a swally, nothing in for breakfast I think I will head to Gaffars, buy some sausage,some rolls and see if he will give me a cheeky wee bottel of buckaroo. I hate the build up to a big game, but love it as well??? I used to be indecisive, now I'm not so sure. Roll on 9o'clock.

Is nobody up yet???? Lets get right behind the team as soon as we get in Hampden today. When we get into full voice we are the best supporters in the world, I remember the semi final replay 1991 when we weren't supposed to win, the CIS semi final 2005 when we weren't supposed to win but I also remember the semis against Airdrie and I was at the semi against St Johnstone in '69, Both of those games we were favourites in and were expected to get through. Everybody remembers the past and thinks about omens, etc. but that was then, this is now!!!! Stuart McCall has surprised me, I always liked his work ethic, although I didn't like him when he played for them. He has the team playing in a manner which I love. High tempo, pressing, fast down both wings, big target man, solid defence. Today is all about the players and how they perform. On form, we will absolutely blow St Johnstone away, a couple of guys off form and it will be a close affair with us dragged down to their level. I just hope that the team will realise we are 90 minutes away from a final and the chance to be legends. My team would be if everyone is fit:- Randolph Ross Hutchison Craigan Hammell Humphrey Hateley Lasley Jennings Murphy Sutton (difficult to pick a team and leave out gunning and jeffers) I have, however, total faith in the boss and think that he will have watched the sainties and will know how to beat them. This is our time, this is our moment, this is our team, we are Motherwell, Lets get right behind them. C'MON YE WELL :thumbup:

He really has the players up for the fight every game and today he showed that he has faith in the fringe players. He even rested our stronger players for next week when I thought he would have played Sutton and Murphy, well done boss. Lets win this next week!!!!!!!

Football is all about opinions and I think Esteban had a decent game for us today. How do you think you would do as a lone target man???

I posted this on the travel info section as well:- My mate is running a bus to the St Johnstone semi final leaving from the car park behind the General Motors Club Holytown. He has about 20 names for a 49 seater, anybody from the Holytown area looking for transport?

No you didn't mention it I am glad you did, that is how I feel as well, The man is a dick.

When judas Broon left I thought any body coming in would have a difficult job. I thought the players we had were good but not good enough to get us, (or keep us) in the top six or a Scottish Cup semi final. I know we cannot ignore the bad results, however, the Killie away game for instance had circumstances which would have affected the best teams performance. Lasley (our best player imo), out suspended, Hammell out injured the day before, Jeffers (looks a good signing), injured in the warm up and then Saunders went down injured very early in the game. I wasn't at Inverness,but heard we were poor, Rangers was a freak result and St Mirren again we did not seem to have a clue. Having said that, McCall was / is trying to change the formation and playing style of the team and it can't happen overnight. What does surprise me is the speed in which this is happening. The game at Dundee, a potential banana skin, was a great performance and result. The Celtic game at Fir Park, a great performance and result, Dundee Utd Quarter Final at Tannadice good performance getting a draw after being ahead twice. The replay at Fir Park was another great performance and result. Aberdeen game was one that I thought we were going to lose but another solid performance got us the win. The guy has came in, his CV is not impressive but at least he seems to be trying things different and playing players in the right positions always helps. I slagged Jamie Murphy earlier in the season for his finishing but he is now playing out of his skin as is Sutton, Randolph, Hateley, Saunders, Hammell, Hutchison, Gunning, Craigen, Humphrey, Jennings and Lasley. The full team are all playing with renewed confidence and energy levels are fantastic. Jeffers looks to be a very good signing and Mo Ross looked OK on saturday and he is an experienced full back I am not convinced yet about Casagolda, Jones, Forbes, Page or McHugh but that could be down to game time that these guys have had. Meechan seems to have fallen out of favour or is he injured? To sum up in my opinion Stuart McCall has came in and taken over a squad which looked stale, he has freshened them up got them playing up tempo crisp passing football, (at times), pressing when we lose the ball and threatening when we have the ball. I like what he is trying to do and I like the e-mails, Top six and a scottish cup semi - final, in the words of a 91 legend, "Ya Beezer". Onwards and upwards boss.

1. Where were Brown and Knox working when John Boyle asked them to help out ? 2. If they did not sign a contract why the f*ck should John Boyle give them bonus money, a gentleman's???? agreement works both ways. 3. John Boyle has invested and written off a significant amount of money to Motherwell F.C. and he was angered enough at Brown that he felt that he had to speak to him, only turning up for that purpose. 4. Did "clubber" Brown not throw punches at an opposition coach in the Odense game? To sum up, in my opinion, John Boyle gave these 2 arrogant tossers a job, albeit they did ok for a while. They then took a job with Aberdeen citing the fact they did not have a contract, the day after saying that they wouldn't leave. We owe them nothing. Brown is an arroggant tosser and his actions proved that,................................. Dignified?????????????............................... MY ARSE. John Boyle did that wee show for our benefit, do you not think that them leaving for a lesser team was less of a kick in the teeth to him than it was to us?

Hampden would be great but how many fans will be there? The atmosphere for the Celtic semi and replay in 91 was brilliant as were the semis against Rangers in 2004??? and this season. I still think the atmosphere at the Hearts semi at Easter Road was phenomenal, so, I think we could have it at Easter Road or Tynecastle, To be honest I couldn't give a feck where we play it, another semi final and a great chance of getting to the Final.

The Fox in the Box, more like Class on the Grass. Great find, the whole team were brilliant but Jeffers gives us composure and great hold up play, (and finishing). Hampden here we come!!!!

I will be renewing my ticket for next season but I am a bit concerned at the attendances this year. We need to be pro-active and get people to go to Fir Park. The club can and will rely on the loyal fans to purchase season tickets but our numbers are dwindling. Season tickets should be well publicised and reasonably priced with a free child ticket with any adult. (This gets you into 18 league games and 1 cup game at Fir Park and discounted entry to some away games, get talking to the other provincial clubs) We can start the initiative of allowing all pay at the gate children in for a nominal amount of 2 or 3 pounds a game. They, in turn could or would bring along an adult family member. Posters in some shops would help but in my opinion we need to move the Well shop to the town centre. Having the Well shop in the town centre would have so many benefits, not only selling more merchandise but selling tickets, programmes and generally informing people of game times, prices, results and the clubs proud history. It should be bright, colourful and have free offers, discounts and competitions every week Every time I walk down Motherwell town centre I see Old Firm strips in the sports shops, not one single Well strip or scarf to be seen. Even last week the first choice travel shop was advertising a package to attend the old firm cis cup final, what chance have we got? How can we expect to attract people when we have no means of informing potential fans when our next game is?

I think the guy was slagging off the thick smeltlick supporter and the word catholic wasn't mentioned. And any need for what? I must have missed something but they can slag us like fuck but when we slag them back, our own fans take offence at our replies? We are neds and scum???? They sing songs about the IRA and generally try to bully us because there are more of them than us. The only reason they support Celtic is because they are catholics, only some catholics support other teams because of where they stay. The carry on on Wednesday just shows them and the blue bigots up for what this shitey wee country is all about. Seperate Catholic schools in this small country breeds sectarianism, bigotry and hatred. Why do we need seperate state funded faith schools for catholics only????? Can't everyone go to the same school????? Then we might have people supporting local teams, too easy.

What about "a bad day at the office"????? When has any body played football in a bloody office.