Aberdeen v Motherwell 18/02/2026 Cup 🏆

[Big Stall]

In the cold light of day it is what it is. We got done by a couple of red cards, one was a freak accident & the other a VAR fuck up. Even with the mass changes we were still the better team even when down to 9 men. The lads never stopped either and fought right to the end. Jens was pretty adamant after the game that we are looking to win every game from here on in.

Personally dont think we are ready to have a cup keeper but in fairness to the lad aside from his 3rd minute kickout he didnt do alot wrong.

Priestman is pretty much as good as a first 11 man. Longello doesnt get many games on the spin so no surprise there. I expected the striker to start after his showings. Gordon was enforced. RCC isnt my cup of tea but the manager seems to like him.

Bad night at the office sadly

[Ya Bezzer!]

6 hours ago, Onthefringes said:

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…

 

The bigger picture is Rangers and Celtic will never field poorer teams than this season and we are better than any other team in the league if we field our strongest eleven.

Load management? Hectic schedule?  We never played a match for weeks.  

The whole point of this season is we'll never have a better chance to win a trophy and we've fucked it with a very poor performance against St. Mirren and a crazy selection by the manager for this match.

Obviously Askou has done great things but he's not infallible and he got this completely wrong.

Trying to make out like there is some mysterious greater purpose to the season that we mere mortal don't understand is just feeble apologia.  

 

[wellon]

8 hours ago, Kmcalpin said:

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.    

Don't agree re " bottle" , you need that to play football in tight spaces the way we do.

We definitely didn't have the luck last, a guy slipping and getting sent off is just really bad luck. 

Even with 9 men we carved out 2 or 3 really good opportunities, another night they go in but they didn't.  Another night var stays out of things and Gordon stays on.

It's up to team now to kick on , see how high we can finish,  get European football and make some decent money. 

[MJC]

7 hours ago, FirParkCornerExile said:

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

The way always goes and it’s absolutely infuriating.

What is also galling is that we haven’t even managed to reach the Quarter Finals in the Scottish Cup for FOUR years now.
And not once in that time have we been paired with one of the Old Firm or been beaten by an inform high flying side. We’ve lost to Championship Raith Rovers and Morton in the 5th Round, a bottom of the table and utterly hopeless St.Johnstone side in the 4th round and a rank rotten Aberdeen side who are nowhere near us in the league.

That is absolutely unacceptable.

[robsterwood]

Agree Celtic and rangers won't field teams as poor for years to come so this was best chance to win trophy maybe for years to come, maybe decades. I disagree draw was unfair as we had to beat st Mirren to get I final and we had winnable game if we had beaten Aberdeen. 

[Kmcalpin]

50 minutes ago, Big Stall said:

In the cold light of day it is what it is. We got done by a couple of red cards, one was a freak accident & the other a VAR fuck up. Even with the mass changes we were still the better team even when down to 9 men. The lads never stopped either and fought right to the end. Jens was pretty adamant after the game that we are looking to win every game from here on in.

Personally dont think we are ready to have a cup keeper but in fairness to the lad aside from his 3rd minute kickout he didnt do alot wrong.

Priestman is pretty much as good as a first 11 man. Longello doesnt get many games on the spin so no surprise there. I expected the striker to start after his showings. Gordon was enforced. RCC isnt my cup of tea but the manager seems to like him.

Bad night at the office sadly

Pretty good post in general, but I think JBA got it slightly wrong with Liam Gordon. We've known for a few weeks now that Stephen Welsh wouldn't be available for last night. So, why wasn't Gordon given more game time? Like him or not, he would have been a bit rusty last night.  

Whilst its unfair to blame Matty Connelly for the defeat, as there were a whole range of factors at play, I think he could have done a wee bit better at both goals. I still think he's too wee for a top flight keeper, and whilst he's generally good with the ball at his feet, he really has to prove himself, which he didn't do last night.    

[wellon]

8 hours 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.

Will priestman be suspended?

[wellon]

8 hours ago, FirParkCornerExile said:

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

Lighten up ffs

[FirParkCornerExile]

10 minutes ago, wellon said:

Lighten up ffs

You handle our piss poor effort your way I'll handle it mine. 

[wellwell91]

The way we play it’s risk and reward and we’ve enjoyed it to date. The one thing you can’t do in that system is give the ball away in the central area and up until last night again we’ve been excellent at it. We give away twice in those areas and end up with 2 red cards … … such is life.

Onwards and Upwards 👆 

[grizzlyg]

Morning after and I think we have all aired our frustrations and for me it's all about bouncing back and continuing our incredible league form.

Jens is best thing to happen to this club in years but that shouldn't mean we aren't allowed to criticise when he gets things wrong which he did last night.  Anyway it's done now.   I think what tipped me over edge was watching that horrible character Shinnie who for years has been the exact same in antagonising opponents and getting in the refs face.  Total prick

[David]

8 hours ago, Spiderpig said:

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.

It's not actually like that whatsoever, but you can feel free to think that if you like. We should be trying to win every single game. Absolutely nowhere do I say we "are not going to try" to win the league because we want to win a cup. 

For me, it's simple. At this stage of either cup competition, especially against Premier League opposition, you play your strongest team.

After the next round of the cup, we're going to be looking at no Hearts, only one of Rangers or Celtic, and Dundee United/Falkirk, Dunfermline/Aberdeen, St Mirren/Partick Thistle. That's one of the more winnable Scottish cups I've seen in a while. 

As for the league, however, if we're being entirely honest, we're looking to consolidate 4th spot. And we're currently 5 points ahead of Hibs with a game in hand, so I don't think we necessarily had to rotate as many players as we did last night. would having Ward, Longelo, Watt & Said instead of Connelly, Gordon, CRC & Bjorg have made any difference last night? Who knows.

If those players who stepped in last night are equally as good as the ones who were rotated out, I wonder if we'll see similar rotation if and when we play Saturday/Wednesday in the league between now & end of season?

9 hours ago, Spiderpig said:

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

It may just be me then, but I don't look back on the games in the qualifying rounds of Europe against Flamurtari, Krasnodar, Stjarnan or even Panathinaikos with the same fondness that I do our Scottish Cup win in '91. And I'd go as far as saying that none of the teams who played against any of the sides we've played in Europe are as highly regarded as that Cup winning side. There's a reason for that.

What St Mirren did this season in the League Cup against Celtic? If that was us? We'd be dining on that for decades, and rightfully so. 

Again, not saying Europe isn't important. This isn't an "either/or" situation. All I'm saying is that when it comes to football, there's nothing that compares with actually winning something. For me, anyway.

[grizzlyg]

My Aberdeen supporting schoolmate did reply with a classic though when I mentioned Dons red card.

'Geiger looks pish, worst effort by a German on Scottish soil since Rudolph Hess parachuted into Ayrshire'  🤣🤣🤣

[gaz7]

A lot of frustration from myself.

Yes a lot of what ifs re red cards etc but let's be honest Jens putting in connelly and Gordon for our biggest game of season was not a good move.

Our play this season is built on ward and mcginn welsh/sods keeping ball until time is right to move it. By changing 2 of that 3 to players that haven't been in team was strange. Gordon not good enough on ball and connelly untested. 

If some say when will he get tested then it certainly shouldn't have been in our up to now biggest game of season.

All ifs buts and mibbys and I'm sure Jens will realise he made a mistake in selection but there's no way he can say that as it would ruin players confidence. 

We know he has been great and I'm sure he will learn from it and we will kick on again. Glass certainly half full here

[stv]

Think the shitty heavy wet bumpy park played a part in things last night. Definitely for first sending off and passing was difficult throughout the game.

It was Gordon's sending off that done it. Forget first half . Starting second half with 10 men each we were well in it against a poor Dons team.

I was confident we could beat them. Then clogger got sent off . Team kept going but 9 men were never going to win. Not sure managers from really abroad appreciate the importance of national cups, over here that includes ones in England.

Moral of the story is always play your best team in a cup game.

[0Neils40yarder]

8 hours ago, Onthefringes said:

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…

 

Agree with you mainly, but playing Connolly in a must-win game was a strange one...but thats not what lost us the game

1 hour ago, grizzlyg said:

My Aberdeen supporting schoolmate did reply with a classic though when I mentioned Dons red card.

'Geiger looks pish, worst effort by a German on Scottish soil since Rudolph Hess parachuted into Ayrshire'  🤣🤣🤣

Renfrewshire, surely?

[grizzlyg]

20 minutes ago, 0Neils40yarder said:

Agree with you mainly, but playing Connolly in a must-win game was a strange one...but thats not what lost us the game

Renfrewshire, surely?

Yup but I couldn't be bothered quibbling

[MJC]

The Winning a Cup vs Playing in Europe debate comes up every single year and from a football perspective I cannot see any reasonable or rational reason for why playing a few rounds in Europe early in the season could possibly trump winning a domestic cup.

Ask ten different Motherwell fans who were around to see us lift the Scottish Cup in 1991 to name the starting eleven from that day and I’d guess that most of them would be able to answer it correctly. Then ask the same ten Motherwell fans to name the starting eleven that played against Panathinaikos in the Champions League Preliminary qualifying round 1st leg in 2012….how many would be able to name half the team that played that night?

I have said this before and I will say it again. The majority of people who say that they prefer Europe to winning a Cup do so because they are more interested in going abroad for a good time and a piss up than the football itself.

”Big leap to the left! YAAAAAASSS!

Big leap to the right! YAAAAAASSS!

We’re all goin on a European tour let’s get pissed and fall into a fountain WHOOP WHOOP!”

[SteelmaninOZ]

3 minutes ago, MJC said:

The Winning a Cup vs Playing in Europe debate comes up every single year and from a football perspective I cannot see any reasonable or rational reason for why playing a few rounds in Europe early in the season could possibly trump winning a domestic cup.

Ask ten different Motherwell fans who were around to see us lift the Scottish Cup in 1991 to name the starting eleven from that day and I’d guess that most of them would be able to answer it correctly. Then ask the same ten Motherwell fans to name the starting eleven that played against Panathinaikos in the Champions League Preliminary qualifying round 1st leg in 2012….how many would be able to name half the team that played that night?

I have said this before and I will say it again. The majority of people who say that they prefer Europe to winning a Cup do so because they are more interested in going abroad for a good time and a piss up than the football itself.

”Big leap to the left! YAAAAAASSS!

Big leap to the right! YAAAAAASSS!

We’re all goin on a European tour let’s get pissed and fall into a fountain WHOOP WHOOP!”

You off your meds?💊💊💉💉

[Faddyisgod]

12 hours ago, grizzlyg said:

Winning a cup is our only chance of silverware and most other clubs in premier league and also Inverness and Ross Co have experienced it more recently than us

If we got group stage Europe football it would be great but realistically that wont happen

Why realistically will it not happen? We would likely be seeded in the second qualifying round of ECL. I would fancy us to go through that and then we can easily beat most teams in Q3/playoff over 2 legs. There is no team in the league this season that has beaten us over a 2 game aggregate score for almost a year. 
 

If we keep most of this squad together then I don’t think it’s any more likely or unlikely than us winning the cup this season. We would suit ties over 2 legs and if there is one manager I would trust to have us ready and match sharp for these games it’s Jens. 
 

Also Ross County and Inverness have experienced league 1 relatively recently as well - I would prefer our current position to there’s over the last 15 years including cup wins. 

[bobbybingo]

7 minutes ago, MJC said:

The Winning a Cup vs Playing in Europe debate comes up every single year and from a football perspective I cannot see any reasonable or rational reason for why playing a few rounds in Europe early in the season could possibly trump winning a domestic cup.

Ask ten different Motherwell fans who were around to see us lift the Scottish Cup in 1991 to name the starting eleven from that day and I’d guess that most of them would be able to answer it correctly. Then ask the same ten Motherwell fans to name the starting eleven that played against Panathinaikos in the Champions League Preliminary qualifying round 1st leg in 2012….how many would be able to name half the team that played that night?

I have said this before and I will say it again. The majority of people who say that they prefer Europe to winning a Cup do so because they are more interested in going abroad for a good time and a piss up than the football itself.

”Big leap to the left! YAAAAAASSS!

Big leap to the right! YAAAAAASSS!

We’re all goin on a European tour let’s get pissed and fall into a fountain WHOOP WHOOP!”

Yeah, for a lot of Motherwell fans football's about happy - or not so happy - memories. If it was only about winning, most of us would've given up long ago.

[Kmcalpin]

Oscar Priestman's red card last night wasn't our earliest. Remember Bevis' one in 2022, when he was sent off in the first minute. This is becoming a habit and an unwanted one at that!

[grizzlyg]

1 minute ago, Faddyisgod said:

Why realistically will it not happen? We would likely be seeded in the second qualifying round of ECL. I would fancy us to go through that and then we can easily beat most teams in Q3/playoff over 2 legs. There is no team in the league this season that has beaten us over a 2 game aggregate score for almost a year. 
 

If we keep most of this squad together then I don’t think it’s any more likely or unlikely than us winning the cup this season. We would ties over 2 legs and if there is one manager I would trust to have us ready and match sharp for these games it’s Jens. 

Very true pal but European opposition is total different kettle of fish.   Will see where we finish at end of season snd worry about it then

[grizzlyg]

1 minute ago, Kmcalpin said:

Oscar Priestman's red card last night wasn't our earliest. Remember Bevis' one in 2022, when he was sent off in the first minute. This is becoming a habit and an unwanted one at that!

Yup i remember that and newell and porteous right in referee's face.  2 more horrible characters but still not on same level as Shinnie

[ppower]

Two defeats in the cup are down to the manager. The only two competitions we have a chance of winning. Will crowds drop? Possibly. Cup runs keep the enthusiasm high and given we are guaranteed top 6 finish it's possible. As for last night. I personally think the ref and VAR going by previous outcomes in games got them correct. Others will differ. For all the possession we have in games the goals scored are paltry. We have signed Hendry, Stamatelopoulos and now Björgólfs­son as a striker. The first two are nowhere good enough. Haven't seen enough of Björgólfs­son to judge. We certainly don't play to his strengths. Last night when we got in good positions to put the ball in the box it was pass backwards, sideways and recycle the ball. He got no service even when it was 10 v 10. He showed his Ariel ability against Rangers with his lay off for the goal but not once did we get the ball in the box. Taking him off was another mistake because when we were down to 9 and got a corner we were forced to take short corners because we had no physicality in the box. All in all between the starting line up and choice off subs it was not a master class by the manager.