bobbybingo

As I said, most seasons might have provided poor cup runs, but 4 finals in 20 years is good going for Motherwell at any time. League wise, our recent record is right up there too, and far better than what a 'wee club' mentality would expect. Our record against the Old Firm, especially Rangers, is undoubtedly shittier than it used to be, even allowing for their ever increasing dominance, but losing to them in cup finals is same as it ever was for us, even during the most successful period in the club's history.

If folk want a winning mentality in cups, then it is all about trophies. Finals might be good days out, but personally, losing them without laying a glove on your opponent pisses me off more than going out in an early round. If you're not the winners you're just another one of the losers, harsh as that may be at times. If you want to talk about records in cup games, 4 finals in 20 years must rate as one of the most successful periods in our history. If you want to talk about younger fans not witnessing us winning a trophy, fair enough, but they have regularly seen high league finishes and European football, which I didn't for a long, long time. The other teams you mentioned have been relegated on numerous occasions since 1991, so maybe we should be grateful, who knows.

So, other than Hunter, Stevenson & McLean, our managers have all been losers. And our lack of trophies over the years is not an external impression, it's a fact.

Yeah, leaving aside the 3 finals we've reached in that time - why would you count them - our recent record's poor. As is our historical record of winning trophies. You've spoken about the club having a losing mentality when it comes to the cups. We know it's not the same players or managers every time we go out, so seriously, who is it you're blaming?

Did you type that with a straight face?

Then who are you blaming - who at the club is affecting the winning mentality of successive players and managers in cup competitions? Motherwell have won 3 domestic cups in 130 odd years. We may have been particularly shit in the last few years, but we are a club with a long established tradition of losing in knockout competitions at some point, and reasonably early most years.

Numerous players and managers were involved in the games you're talking about, so what do you suggest we do to rectify that?

Who said he was injured?

Like we didn't win the QotS game last month, you mean?

Why's that?

Unless Paton's injured, as he was at the end of last season, and has been since starting against East Fife. Nearly a year without playing probably won't have helped.

Obika out again.

"Nam Sorth" Fuck sake.

When Efford signed in January 2022, his contract ran till this summer. Does anyone recall it being extended?

Jim McInally

Looks like Kelly thinks so.

I would never have thought you did, and on that we're absolutely in agreement.

It was the extreme nature of your assessment. We've all said this guy or that guy is shite, or he needs to drop a division or two to find his level, but to look at Bair's stats and declare he isn't capable of playing professional football was a bit much. Folk who are paid to make these decisions, whose jobs depend on them, clearly see something the stats don't show.

Yeah, it's very, very early. But nowhere near as early as some people wrote him off as a waste of a shirt. If everything in football was certain, we'd have packed up watching Motherwell years ago. He'll probably score an own goal and get sent off now.

I suppose that's why we signed him.

Assuming the Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen mob fill positions 1-5, as their budgets demand, any one of the other clubs could take 6th place, so why not us.

It's certainly possible. It's also possible that the manager bought him but couldn't help him improve his game or simply had no idea how to use him effectively. Which could be part of the reason they ended his contract early and sent him packing. Davidson, that is. As we all know, any signing's a gamble, and we'll see how Kettlewell's recruitment has gone soon enough. Since it's his neck on the block, I doubt he finds this one as bizarre, ludicrous or dodgy as some on here.

He failed at St Johnstone under a manager who paid money to sign him, then wouldn't start him, then got the bullet. Folk can decide if that says more about Bair or Davidson. I haven't seen anywhere near enough of him playing to make any decision about whether he is (or could ever be) good enough for this league, or whether he'd be better off plying his trade in the Norwegian 2nd tier. I don't know what standard that league operates at, but obviously their fans are adept at assessing which players are good enough for Motherwell.

Yeah, I know it was. So what did their fans really say about him?

You don't say. "Let's not resort to just making shit up."