Former Motherwell Fc Players Thread

[twistandshout1983]

28 minutes ago, Jonesy said:

Folk say this all the time when talking about McGhee.

What would he (or whoever might have been incharge at the time) have had to have done (or said) for people to say anything otherwise? 

I mean at that moment in time he handled the situation with dignity , nobody would have been expecting anything different to be fair from any manager in our history. The worst day I have ever had at Fir Park. Nothing is close

I was referring to the way he disregarded travelling fans off at Falkirk the following season.  He just here to manage the team , not please the fans 

The comments about managing Liverpool , silly as they were . Nobody truly believed it what he was saying 

Various other things of course 

 

[Spiderpig]

2 hours ago, MJC said:

I’ve never felt as disconnected and basically scunnered with the club as I did during McGhee’s second stint. He was clearly only brought back because of good relations with people in high places at Fir Park and despite achieving top six (commendable, on paper anyway) in 2015 his attitude and comments towards and about the club sullied that. 

“Let me be clear here, that is the reason why and please do not misinterpret me here, why I am managing Motherwell today and not Liverpool” whilst sitting in the club tracksuit in a pre-match press conference. We would go on to lose that match 6-0 and not win another game for six weeks and we would suffer losses of 7-0, 5-0, 7-2 and 5-1(at home to DUNDEE) before he was emptied in February 2017.

People talk about Kettlewell throwing the fans under the bus - and he did - but he was nothing compared to that utter prick with the way he acted towards the club.

McGhee should never, ever be welcome at Fir Park again under any circumstances.

Its all ancient history ffs nobody gives a toss apart from you apparently, so can we start discussing the present challenges facing the club, and not what some long forgotten manager allegedly said or did  18 years ago

[MJC]

51 minutes ago, Spiderpig said:

Its all ancient history ffs nobody gives a toss apart from you apparently, so can we start discussing the present challenges facing the club, and not what some long forgotten manager allegedly said or did  18 years ago

Wah Wah Wah

It’s something relevant to the club I support so I will comment on it whenever it comes up.

And as far as I can see two other posters have also contributed to this particular discussion today so we can put your claim that “nobody gives a toss apart from you, apparently” firmly to bed and tuck it in with a nice wee cup of cocoa and a lullaby to help it along its way.

So like I say…Wah Wah Wah

 

[Jonesy]

1 hour ago, Spiderpig said:

Its all ancient history ffs nobody gives a toss apart from you apparently, so can we start discussing the present challenges facing the club, and not what some long forgotten manager allegedly said or did  18 years ago

18 years ago!?

 

Numbers aren't your strong point, eh?

[Spiderpig]

12 minutes ago, Jonesy said:

18 years ago!?

 

Numbers aren't your strong point, eh?

1st spell 18 yrs, 2nd 10 yrs,  who cares as I said ancient history.

[twistandshout1983]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-14834551/Motherwell-fans-turned-just-like-did-Stuart-Kettlewell-former-Fir-Park-boss-Graham-Alexander-recalls-personal-abuse-endured-time-managing-Scotland.html

Our previous manager has spoken

A more recent one at that, not quite ancient history

 

[stv]

Aw fek ,did he no mention his team was shite , playing absolute shite and totally unprepared for the start of the season . Then paped out of Europe by amateurs with no idea how to turn it around . Let down a large travelling support that day as well , no wonder he was getting shouted at .

 Sounds like sour grapes too me . Suck it up n get on with your life in Bradford . I certainly don’t care.

edit , found his quote on the Motherwell FC site when we announced he was leaving 29 July 22 .  Was he lying then or is he lying now.

Graham added: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Motherwell and leave with nothing but good wishes for the club in the future.

[wellfan]

I’ve always believed Alexander to be an arrogant prick, and his sudden reappearance in this debate only confirms it. As for Kettlewell, his conduct around his Motherwell exit and the ensuing media charade revealed him to be both cowardly and dishonest. Given how both have singled out Motherwell fans as the villains in a sport full of difficult fanbases, I genuinely hope neither enjoys much success in their managerial careers.

[weeyin]

Nobody cares if managers are arrogant when they're winning. In fact, they embrace them as being "a character" and "a breath of fresh air".

When they aren't winning, fans use their arrogance as the stick to beat them with.

As for The Daily Mail, there isn't enough money on the planet that would make me click a link on that publication.

[Yoshi-1991]

Alexander was just shite, and as a result will be criticised by fans.

Kettlewell was also shite, but thought himself above criticism and challenged the fans on it. The result of this was a complete collapse in relationship between management and fans. His whoring his self important story to the media in the wake of him jumping before pushed was just the icing on the cake. 

[wellfan]

45 minutes ago, weeyin said:

Nobody cares if managers are arrogant when they're winning. In fact, they embrace them as being "a character" and "a breath of fresh air".

Arrogance in a football manager is only ever useful when it’s balanced by self-awareness. Alexander has none. He’s an insufferable twat who humiliated us and still acts like he did nothing wrong.

[MJC]

Every good manager has a degree of arrogance and swagger about them. And if their team is delivering on the park then it gets lapped up and is perfectly acceptable.

Jose Mourinho with his “don’t call me arrogant but I am a European champion and I think I am a special one” quote at his Chelsea unveiling before taking that club to its first league title in 50 odd years along with a League Cup in his first season and retaining the league the next season is one of the best examples of that.

At the other end of the scale you have McGhee with his self promotion and trumpet blowing about how he could have done so much better in his career had something happened in a playoff game years previous then overseeing humiliating results for the club he actually manages and constantly talking the club down. Likewise Graham Alexander needlessly changing his lineups and tactics every week and delivering dreadful football and losing but having the brass neck to come out in the media a claiming that we’d played well.

As has been said, arrogance is fine but it needs to be countered by some kind of humility and perhaps more importantly delivering results on the park. (Flukey top six finishes don’t count especially when they are topped off with 0-7 defeats and European humiliations against Irish league sides).

[twistandshout1983]

I don't understand why Graham Alexander waits til now , 5 months after SK has left and also just days after our new manager has just joined the club before saying a word

Haven't heard him mention a word previously about us good or bad since the day he left 

[wellsince75]

To be fair to both GA & SK they both added value during their time.  Neither appointment is statistically poor  - particularly not in comparison to likes of Kampman. Davies, Black, Malpas.

Worth remembering  

• both helped us get out trouble in their first season.
• both had win records of 40% over their total tenure.

The article reads more as GA having a level of empathy for a fellow manager, which managers will always back one another.    When he GA left he was very complimentary to the club. 

What I didn't like about either manager was their style of play and thought both came across as fairly arrogant, which many fans didn't care about until we went on poor runs. 

Anyway hopefully we can get some fresh blood in the team and give us all something to be cheerful about. 

[wellgirl]

On 6/21/2025 at 1:48 PM, purestate said:

He remains a legitimate point of discussion for that very reason and he manages in the same division so we will come across him.  He’s had plenty of opportunity, and will likely have again, to recant on his reasons for leaving.  
For the sake of his new wife I hope he doesn’t behave in his personal life as he did in his professional, as an apparent total lack of insight into personal limitations and willingness to acknowledge mistakes never bodes well for a strong relationship.  

On the other hand, as a Well fan, I hope he carries on his managerial career as he left us as that will guarantee a Killie side fighting relegation. 

He's been with his wife 18 years. I understand the point you are making but I would think 18 years on and four kids later that she's happy enough to be marrying him 

[wellgirl]

10 minutes ago, wellsince75 said:

To be fair to both GA & SK they both added value during their time.  Neither appointment is statistically poor  - particularly not in comparison to likes of Kampman. Davies, Black, Malpas.

Worth remembering  

• both helped us get out trouble in their first season.
• both had win records of 40% over their total tenure.

The article reads more as GA having a level of empathy for a fellow manager, which managers will always back one another.    When he GA left he was very complimentary to the club. 

What I didn't like about either manager was their style of play and thought both came across as fairly arrogant, which many fans didn't care about until we went on poor runs. 
I 
Anyway hopefully we can get some fresh blood in the team and give us all something to be cheerful about. 

I agree. Wasn't all negative 

[twistandshout1983]

11 minutes ago, wellsince75 said:

To be fair to both GA & SK they both added value during their time.  Neither appointment is statistically poor  - particularly not in comparison to likes of Kampman. Davies, Black, Malpas.

Worth remembering  

• both helped us get out trouble in their first season.
• both had win records of 40% over their total tenure.

The article reads more as GA having a level of empathy for a fellow manager, which managers will always back one another.    When he GA left he was very complimentary to the club. 

What I didn't like about either manager was their style of play and thought both came across as fairly arrogant, which many fans didn't care about until we went on poor runs. 

Anyway hopefully we can get some fresh blood in the team and give us all something to be cheerful about. 

Good post,  we definetly need something to be cheerful about with a new season approaching

I was 100% behind Michael Wimmer,  and also 100% behind Jens now hoping he will bring some new ideas

[Kmcalpin]

3 hours ago, twistandshout1983 said:

I don't understand why Graham Alexander waits til now , 5 months after SK has left and also just days after our new manager has just joined the club before saying a word

Haven't heard him mention a word previously about us good or bad since the day he left 

He was probably asked about it by a journo. 

[twistandshout1983]

11 minutes ago, Kmcalpin said:

He was probably asked about it by a journo. 

That thought had crossed my mind also , after everything that happened with Stuart Kettlewell I wouldn't put it past the media to be asking our ex manager's for an opinion

[santheman]

2 hours ago, twistandshout1983 said:

That thought had crossed my mind also , after everything that happened with Stuart Kettlewell I wouldn't put it past the media to be asking our ex manager's for an opinion

Wait until we play Killie for the first time. You can just imagine the headlines.

[joewarkfanclub]

3 hours ago, Kmcalpin said:

He was probably asked about it by a journo. 

Undoubtedly.

There is no way Alexander phones up a journo after this length of time and begs to be given column inches to get something off his chest.

The journo has clearly taken the SK line and decided to try and dig some dirt.

Of course GA could have said, "thats ancient history, I have nothing to say" and clearly didnt, taking the opportunity to have a go, but really? Who cares......

[Yassin]

I love McGhee. The man is absolutely hilarious. 

[Mad Dog]

Looks like Dean Cornelius is heading to Ross County, with his contract at Harrogate Town not being extended.

[mfc]

Good too see st mirren keeping up there quota of signing ex well players,this time it's liam donnolly.

[well_said]

The more dumplings they sign the better.