bobbybingo

In fairness, it tends to be the 'doom mongers' who refer to others as 'happy clappers'. Both terms get a bit tiresome.

If I ever think there are gloom and doom merchants on here, I'll just recall the guy I encountered online on Saturday night. No point in celebrating a 4-1 win, because in 66 years of supporting Motherwell, he's had one single enjoyable day - 18th May 1991. Mind you, he also wished we were as successful as East Fife and Dunfermline, so he might have a few cards missing.

I'm certainly not arguing with the problems losing those goals have caused us, or the need to tighten up at the back, but as Dundee have shown, success isn't just down to the amount of goals you concede or score. As you said, conceding in virtually every match has been our Achilles heel this season, but clean sheets guarantee nothing either - County, St Johnstone and Livi have all managed several more than us. Bottom line is, it's been a grey season for us. We could easily have won several more games, and just as easily have lost several more. I'm just glad we got enough bloody draws to keep us up.

Yeah, we definitely do need to improve defensively because as you said, that should be easier to achieve than scoring more than we have.

Yeah, it does suggest that. Then again, Dundee have lost more goals than us and scored fewer, yet they're in the top 6, so it's not quite that simple.

No, it doesn't. Our problem defensively this season has been losing a relatively small number of goals per game, but in almost every game. In previous years we had more clean sheets, but we took a fair few doings along the way too. Our goal difference is the best outside the top 4 and only 4 teams have lost fewer games. God knows what all those stats tell us, other than we were as close to having a pretty good season as we were a disastrous one.

We've currently lost 53 goals, the same number we lost last season. In the last 10 years we've conceded fewer goals on only 2 occasions. If we manage to score 3 goals in the remaining games we'll match last season's total, which was the highest return for more than a decade. So the issue is neither the leakiest defence we've had nor a powderpuff attack. We've become harder to beat at exactly the same time we've found it harder to win. Doesn't necessarily make for great excitement, but it's not the worst we've ever suffered either.

He's the last man standing.

10...9...8...7..........

Appeal dismissed.

I know it doesn't sound like it, but I'm always optimistic, with a healthy dose of realism thrown in. The dosage is probably increasing with every passing year.

I don't go with the 'worst keeper in the league' stuff, but Kelly does look awful nervy to me, which might well be having an effect on what is not the world's greatest defence. We could certainly find a better option out there, but we saw the list of worse options we've suffered the other day. Overall, a parting of the ways might be best for both parties at this point. The success rate of transfers at our level is reckoned to be somewhere between 40% and 50%. That's about right for this season's recruitment, so we're unlikely to see much improvement next year unless we can hold onto our best players - which isn't going to happen. Any new manager would be in exactly the same position, looking to find gems on free transfers or loan deals, and a quick glance around our rivals tells you how often that happens. We'll have another meh squad because we operate in a meh league with nae money to buy proven, consistent quality.

SOD and O'Donnell. Are those psychiatrists Freudian?

You might want to have a word with at least one of the 'absolute wankers' about being a bit harsh or verbally abusive to others. Although, in fairness, he can take it as well as he dishes it out.

I was told St Johnstone appointing Levein displayed the kind of ambition Motherwell never show. Championship football seems a strange ambition, but there you go. Ross County, Hibs and Aberdeen could tell similar stories - multiple times - but apparently we should have no trouble finding a successful manager with great experience at our level.

You're probably right. They could have taken the decision to sack him then but didn't. That decision could still be taken tomorrow, next week or in the summer - there was no missed opportunity.

What opportunity was that?

Twice? Was the original season long loan cancelled?

It's almost as if....

True, but your point surely has its limits.

Take your point, but if it turns out we're signing 30+ year olds from Scottish League One in the summer, you can probably write next season off.

It's the chokey for you! 😆

No really. I just made up a more inspiring rumour to cheer Steelboy up. I mean, surely the Scougall one's pish too - a guy approaching 32 who's spent the last 4 years at Alloa. The only possible way that would make any sense would be if we get relegated. Are these names coming from any reliable source, or just some randoms online?

I heard we're after Turnbull and Campbell on loan.

Genuinely interested - who came out with that on radio?