Aberdeen v Motherwell 18/02/2026 Cup 🏆

[grizzlyg]

4 minutes ago, Spiderpig said:

No its not , we can still win the league and i assume you get a trophy for that, plus with the team we have now qualifying for Europe which at the moment could still be Champions, Europa or Conference leagues we have the best shot in years to make the group stages, personally i think we are conference level but who knows.

Prizes are awarded after 38 games so we still have 36 points to play for and that could be for any of places 1 to 4 its up to us, so lets dream big and be the best we can for those 12 games.

If we could win the league it would be unbelievable but realistically that ain't going to happen.  3rd I do believe is possible but only if we can bounce back .  A worry is Maswanhise who just doesn't look same player since transfer window closed. We also cant afford a lot of injuries

[Spiderpig]

6 minutes ago, robsterwood said:

How high in league do we need to finish to get into group football? We shown we can't win cup matches so unless it's very favourable draw , it be difficult . 

This should explain who gets what this year ie the 2026-27 euro competitions

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/sport/football/hearts/scotlands-european-places-for-202627-hearts-hibs-celtic-rangers-and-other-premiership-teams-affected-5414608

[David]

39 minutes ago, Faddyisgod said:

Perhaps it is a continental thing and appreciate it might be controversial but I am never really bothered about winning a cup. The only benefit winning the Scottish cup is getting into European competition.

Nah, there's a lot more to it than that. As someone who was there when we last won a cup, it's still something that lives in my memory to this day. Being there with family who are no longer with us, the anticipation, the build-up to the final, then the aftermath with the open-top bus parade and the whole town being absolutely bouncing. 

There's a reason why the team that won in '91 is considered club legends. 

Even if we did get to the group stages of European football in most likely the Conference League, which would be great financially, I don't think anyone will be sitting here describing it in the same way over thirty years later. 

Actually lifting a trophy at Hampden is likely as good as it gets for a Motherwell fan. 

[Kmcalpin]

2 hours ago, Ya Bezzer! said:

Most of the time we've not had a team that, in all honesty, was capable of winning a cup.

This season we definately have.  

I agree that this year's team is an exceptional one, but I've never had the impression that it was capable of winning a cup. Of all our best teams that I've seen, none had that cup aura about them.  Our current one lacks a bit of bottle, steeliness if you will and it certainly isn't a lucky team and to win cups you need plenty of good luck.  Of the current crop of Premiership teams, I'd say that Aberdeen (now)' Falkirk and St Mirren look better cup teams than us. However, we're the best footballing team and will finish above 2 of them, possibly even all 3 in the league and deservedly so. 

Pre match I rated our chances of progressing at no better than 50/50 and I can't say that I feel too down about the result. The manner of it however is something else. What I do feel a bit down about is what our fans had to suffer - once again virtually out the cup began the game had begun. Many of our travellers would have been optimistic, probably naively so, but thats maybe not  a bad thing.    

[joewarkfanclub]

Desperately disappointed that we didnt progress and take advantage of an open draw.

And I guess there could be some questions asked over the starting line up.

However, what can you do when you get a man sent off after 3 minutes?

Regardless of what you think of the decision, the gameplan is already on the slates.....

FWIW I thought we held on and tried to stabilise things and when it was evened up to 10 aside we looked like we could asset ourselves.

The second red card is a joke, albeit, Gordon really doesnt need to make the challenge.

Thought we were the better team with 9 men, but its really hard to effect the game at that stage.

Overall, circumstances have dictated our exit. Its difficult therefore to criticise the gaffer or the team.

Just need to concentrate in the league now.

[Spiderpig]

10 minutes ago, David said:

 

Actually lifting a trophy at Hampden is likely as good as it gets for a Motherwell fan. 

Why should that be the case, thats like saying we are not going to try in the league as we want to win a cup.

Success in any form is what Fans want,from league titles, cup wins, European qualification, group stage football, playing effective attractive football, etc to avoiding relegation.

Yes other clubs have won trophies since our last success in 91, but we have been successful in other ways, fairly regular European qualification we have played in the champions, Europa, and conference leagues since 1991, been a premiership team for the last 40 years, so is one cup sucess for say St mirren in that period equal to what we have achieved as well, fo me no it has'nt

[Kmcalpin]

It was a horrible draw, which represented a bad start and that was well outwith our control. I get the need to rotate the squad but think that JBA overdid it a tad, certainly in terms of swapping keepers. To be fair though, he didn't really get the opportunity to find out if it would have worked.  Once the game started, a mixture of bad luck (Priestman's red card and a deflected free kick) and questionable refereeing did for us.  The pitch wouldn't have helped.  Still, as with the League Cup semi it gives JBA another valuable opportunity to learn and assess his charges. He has to learn and quickly from it. We also avoided the need for extra time. To their credit the players never gave up. 

Some points of concern though.  I'm still not convinced of Matty Connelly and despite some good saves, his early error killed the tie. Our lack of another left back is starting to hurt us. The fact that we didn't source one is a source of puzzlement to me. Like Grizzly, I'm just not convinced of RCC. Apart from a goal at Pittodrie he just hasn't done much. I ahd hoped that we'd learnt lessons from Sunday on how to stop Aberdeen's midfield but that didn't seem to be the case.  Despite all our nice football, have we the qualities necessary to play on heavy tattie fields in winter? 

Still onwards and upwards and hopefully we can put tonight's experience to good use in preparing for next season's cups, which with some luck and ability to learn, we will have a more realistic chance of winning.  

[thewelllfan]

All on Jens. Why would you rotate your GK in a cup tie away from home against good opposition. Then if you were going to do it why would you pick the keeper who's never played above Championship level over Ox who is a decent enough premiership GK without ever being Flashy. Gordon red card is also horrendous after being given a life line, what he is trying to do with the ball I couldn't tell you. Preistman, Gordon, Fadinger all out St Mirren game as well. Who knows what he's going to do in midfield on Saturday. Watt and Halliday thrown in from the cold? Give Mccolm a start? He'll probaly drop Slattery deeper after thinking about it. Either way best team we've had in years and won nothing it's not surprising but just leaves you wondering when if ever we're going to win something.

[thewelllfan]

17 minutes ago, Kmcalpin said:

It was a horrible draw, which represented a bad start and that was well outwith our control. I get the need to rotate the squad but think that JBA overdid it a tad, certainly in terms of swapping keepers. To be fair though, he didn't really get the opportunity to find out if it would have worked.  Once the game started, a mixture of bad luck (Priestman's red card and a deflected free kick) and questionable refereeing did for us.  The pitch wouldn't have helped.  Still, as with the League Cup semi it gives JBA another valuable opportunity to learn and assess his charges. He has to learn and quickly from it. We also avoided the need for extra time. To their credit the players never gave up. 

Some points of concern though.  I'm still not convinced of Matty Connelly and despite some good saves, his early error killed the tie. Our lack of another left back is starting to hurt us. The fact that we didn't source one is a source of puzzlement to me. Like Grizzly, I'm just not convinced of RCC. Apart from a goal at Pittodrie he just hasn't done much. I ahd hoped that we'd learnt lessons from Sunday on how to stop Aberdeen's midfield but that didn't seem to be the case.  Despite all our nice football, have we the qualities necessary to play on heavy tattie fields in winter? 

Still onwards and upwards and hopefully we can put tonight's experience to good use in preparing for next season's cups, which with some luck and ability to learn, we will have a more realistic chance of winning.  

Agree with most of what's said here the LB situation is of surprise to nobody. The fact Jens was playing JK over Longelo there probably should have suggested that was an issue but wasn't adressed. Connelly as said above not good enough can't make mistakes like that and just in general is to small to be a GK at the level. RCC was decent enough tried to be positive with the ball although it didn't really come off for him. The whole game plan was out the window after a minute so it's hard to blame anyone other than the manager and the GK. Tonight was also the reason I wasn't keen on Welsh coming back. We all knew the cup was our best chance of a trophy and our best CB couldn't play because he was cup tied against a junior team. 

[FirParkCornerExile]

Just back and can't convey how totally pissed off I am with that tonight.

I know everyone is going on about the team selection but frankly the starting team selection should have been good enough to beat that piss poor Aberdeen team. 

We didn't lose because of team selection, although I accept people may have preferred a different selection, we lost because two players fucked up badly. The keeper and big Gordon. My frustration reached boiling point when we were down to 9 men and we are still trying to walk the ball into the net. Even our corners we sill piss about with short corners that did absolutely fuck all. When we had 9 men every corner should have been launched into the box in the hope of wee bit of luck. 

Imagine being the better team with 9 men, that's how fuckin bad Aberdeen were. 

Tonight just epitomises why Im a complete pessimist following Motherwell, shoot ourselves in the foot every fuckin time, as we've done for 30 years in the Cup. Piss poor. Put out of both cups by teams who are fuckin rank rotten. 

 

 

 

[Kmcalpin]

18 minutes ago, thewelllfan said:

All on Jens. Why would you rotate your GK in a cup tie away from home against good opposition. Then if you were going to do it why would you pick the keeper who's never played above Championship level over Ox who is a decent enough premiership GK without ever being Flashy. Gordon red card is also horrendous after being given a life line, what he is trying to do with the ball I couldn't tell you. Preistman, Gordon, Fadinger all out St Mirren game as well. Who knows what he's going to do in midfield on Saturday. Watt and Halliday thrown in from the cold? Give Mccolm a start? Either way best team we've had in years and won nothing it's not surprising but just leaves you wondering when if ever we're going to win something.

I agree 100% about the keeper - a needless and baffling decision.

Liam Gordon was silly but it was never a red card; that was down to poor officiating. Priestman will be available to face St Mirren fortunately (Ref: Mayo's red card in the cup the week before Killie played us yet he faced us.) I doubt if we'd miss Liam Gordon anyway. Given his lack of gametime recently why did he start? with the best will in the world he'd be rusty. In any event Jordan McGhee is a more than capable capable CB.  

[thewelllfan]

1 minute ago, Kmcalpin said:

I agree 100% about the keeper.

Liam Gordon was silly but it was never a red card; that was down to poor officiating. Priestman will be available to face St Mirren fortunately (Ref: Mayo's red card in the cup the week before Killie played us yet he faced us.) I doubt if we'd miss Liam Gordon anyway, given his lack of gametime (another issue perhaps). In any event Jordan McGhee is a capable CB.  

Welsh will come back in Saturday so that's fine. I assumed Preistman was out as it's a straight red but does that carry over to the Scottish cup next season then.

[Kmcalpin]

1 minute ago, thewelllfan said:

I assumed Preistman was out as it's a straight red but does that carry over to the Scottish cup next season then.

Yes, it will carry over. 

[FirParkCornerExile]

1 minute ago, Kmcalpin said:

Yes, it will carry over. 

Won't mater some other pile of shite will put us out the Cup again. 

[Onthefringes]

22 minutes ago, thewelllfan said:

All on Jens. Why would you rotate your GK in a cup tie away from home against good opposition. Then if you were going to do it why would you pick the keeper who's never played above Championship level over Ox who is a decent enough premiership GK without ever being Flashy. Gordon red card is also horrendous after being given a life line, what he is trying to do with the ball I couldn't tell you. Preistman, Gordon, Fadinger all out St Mirren game as well. Who knows what he's going to do in midfield on Saturday. Watt and Halliday thrown in from the cold? Give Mccolm a start? He'll probaly drop Slattery deeper after thinking about it. Either way best team we've had in years and won nothing it's not surprising but just leaves you wondering when if ever we're going to win something.

Knicker wetting in the extreme. Invest in pampers

[FirParkCornerExile]

7 minutes ago, Kmcalpin said:

I agree 100% about the keeper - a needless and baffling decision.

Liam Gordon was silly but it was never a red card; that was down to poor officiating. Priestman will be available to face St Mirren fortunately (Ref: Mayo's red card in the cup the week before Killie played us yet he faced us.) I doubt if we'd miss Liam Gordon anyway. Given his lack of gametime recently why did he start? with the best will in the world he'd be rusty. In any event Jordan McGhee is a more than capable capable CB.  

Other than that one mistake Connelly had a good game. 

[Kmcalpin]

8 minutes ago, FirParkCornerExile said:

Imagine being the better team with 9 men that's how fuckin bad Aberdeen were. 

It didn't matter how good or bad Aberdeen were they struck it lucky and if that streak continues they'll be damned hard to beat unless they meet St Mirren or Falkirk! 

[Yabba's Turd]

Have to wonder if the cup tie went ahead as scheduled we'd have stood a better chance, we'll never know, same with Oscar's red card. Also, being a good team doesn't mean you win every game, you just have a better chance, on Skippy Sunday celtic fans weren't bawling their eyes out because we put on a football masterclass.
Losing hurts.

[thewelllfan]

5 minutes ago, Onthefringes said:

Knicker wetting in the extreme. Invest in pampers

We have 2 chances to win a trophy a season you play your strongest team in those games. If it's lower league opposition sure rest players. It's not knicker wetting to say this is our best team/manager since the McCall days and if your being kind Robinson's 17/18 team. 

[Onthefringes]

35 minutes ago, thewelllfan said:

We have 2 chances to win a trophy a season you play your strongest team in those games. If it's lower league opposition sure rest players. It's not knicker wetting to say this is our best team/manager since the McCall days and if your being kind Robinson's 17/18 team. 

You’ve obviously not been listening to the manager… ‘load management’ is often mentioned. Given hectic schedule, I was comfortable with changes.

We get it, an opportunity missed. A lot of variables went against us tonight. ‘All on Jens’ and questioning Matty Connolly’s inclusion is quite the stretch. Maybe some should look at the bigger picture…