Motherwell v Hearts 09/5/2026

[stv]

Typical McInnes tactics first half even teams not too many fouls ,second half they target playmaker Just for some tough treatment. Great entertainment for a Saturday night under the floodlights. We really are a good team.

[numpty]

9 minutes ago, santheman said:

If someone is standing on your foot you cant jump 2 feet into the air.

Although both the professionals in the studio said that's exactly what they used to do 😅

[weeyin]

3 hours ago, wellfan said:

Not all contact in football is a foul though. Kyziridis clearly threw himself to the ground and McInnes is an odious prick. The ref got that one right and clearly thought he went down too easily, so disagreed with VAR.

Exactly.

[Stuwell2]

As others have said great atmosphere and a decent game last night. Thought we were better in the first half and Hearts tried to drag us down to their level in the second half. 

[Happy Dosser]

1 hour ago, numpty said:

Keep up grandad, Murdoch sold Sky years ago. It's ComcastVision these days.

Thanks!

What's wrong with being a grandad? 🤔

[claretband]

I see Longelo as our main attacking threat. As seen with our goal. Yet most of our pressing seemed to be down the right wing when Longelo seemed to be crying out for service.


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[joewarkfanclub]

Re the penalties.

For me, Kyziridis is running away from goal and has lost control of the ball. There is slight contact from Maswanhise, but Kyziridis heels are spring loaded and he throws himself to the ground quite embarassingly.

Ive seen them given, and I would have been screaming for it, but I think McLean gets that right, and fairplay to him for standing his ground.

My justification for that is the foul on Welsh for Shanklands goal. I dont think there was enough in that either, but there is way more contact than the penalty claim and the push stops Welsh getting any sort of jump on the ball.

Boyd and McFadden apply double standards there. If they think Kyziridis is a stonewall pen then it has to be a foul on Welsh. You cant have it both ways.

As for JTs pen. I was certain it was a pen at the game but when you see it slowed down, he definitely kicks the Hearts players leg and loses his balance. No pen for me.

[Welly Machine]

Noticing a trend recently with opposition targeting Just for 'special' treatment.

Were all three Hearts bookings for fouls on him?

[joewarkfanclub]

Just now, Welly Machine said:

Noticing a trend recently with opposition targeting Just for 'special' treatment.

Were all three Hearts bookings for fouls on him?

He definitely has been targetted.

The number of fouls committed on him in the last few games has been quite ridiculous.

I know he is quick and often nips the ball away before his opponent, but they are all leaving the foot in to ensure they stop him breaking away.

Thankfully he is young(ish) and quite hardy for a wee guy.

[weeyin]

Just seems to have an auto-charge function. He runs about like a maniac, gets chopped and looks like he's crocked. Then 10 seconds later, jumps back up again and off he goes.

If he has a strong World Cup he could bring in a nice transfer fee. Not that I want him to leave, but he's been my player of the season. Fantastic business bringing him in.

[joewarkfanclub]

19 minutes ago, weeyin said:

Just seems to have an auto-charge function. He runs about like a maniac, gets chopped and looks like he's crocked. Then 10 seconds later, jumps back up again and off he goes.

If he has a strong World Cup he could bring in a nice transfer fee. Not that I want him to leave, but he's been my player of the season. Fantastic business bringing him in.

Id love him to still be here next season, but realistically?

He deserves a big move. I just hope its to a different league and for a hefty transfer fee.

We will need to replace him somehow!

[Ya Bezzer!]

I thought the referee got all the big decisions correct so fair play to him.

Shankland pushes Welsh for the Hearts goal, Maswanhise stands on Kyziridis foot but football is a physical game, I don't see either as fouls.

Teams are appealing for every marginal decision these days hoping to get a soft decision on review.  We did it, Hearts did it.

It's just another negative aspect of VAR.

[weeyin]

4 minutes ago, Ya Bezzer! said:

It's just another negative aspect of VAR.

Agree with that. Despite assurances that VAR wouldn't be refereeing games, it quickly headed in that direction and players are trying to use it to their advantage.

 

[grumpy]

4 hours ago, weeyin said:

Just seems to have an auto-charge function. He runs about like a maniac, gets chopped and looks like he's crocked. Then 10 seconds later, jumps back up again and off he goes.

If he has a strong World Cup he could bring in a nice transfer fee. Not that I want him to leave, but he's been my player of the season. Fantastic business bringing him in.

It will be interesting to see if he gets more protection in a Celtic strip* than he does now, some of those challenges yesterday should have resulted in an arrest.

*(In case anyone is offended, I hope he doesn't go to Celtic ,)

[Kmcalpin]

An epic night last night. Our largest crowd for 21 years; an imaginative display by Block E; and a fantastic atmosphere. Even heard singing in the POD! More of all that next season please. Over the piece, a draw was the correct result. Hearts got in our faces and dictated the nature of the game. For our part not our best display but not bad and we displayed resilience and durability in spades.

Before kick off I had decided that I wanted Hearts to win the league title but on leaving the ground, I had altered my opinion. They were cynical and targeted Just from the kick off. Very much Alex Ferguson/Matt Busby tactics "win at all costs" . Simple management from Derek McInnes just do it and don't get caught.  Years ago, after several bad fouls on target player a ref like Tiny Wharton would march over threateningly to the captain of the guilty side, grab him by the throat and tell him to gather his charges around and spell out to them that no further such fouls would be tolerated. Make no mistake those fouls on Just weren't random they were orchestrated pre match, by Mr McInnes. 

A enthralling tense match but a bit short on quality. Our midfield allowed Hearts just too much space.  Up front, I felt really sorry for TJ who had little chance of beating Hearts', defensive leviathans in the air. Oh how we miss a big striker!! SOD and Longelo were my top picks. What a goal saving clerance from SOD. I don't think its unfair to suggest that Callum Ward could have done better at their goal. 

Steven MacLean made a lot of minor errors but got the major ones right.  Shankland's push on Welsh at their goal - very soft but I wouldn't have given it. Longelo's arm ball in the box - 100% a penalty but rightly chalked off for the push on Priestman beforehand.  Kyziridis's claim? Very soft but right decision see Stephen Welsh's claim. 

A well earned point that helps us in our quest for 4th place. We may have to rely on Sevco though.  

[Happy Dosser]

Just has been targeted for a while now yet, despite looking like a frail teenager, he gets up and gets on with it, to his credit. The game today doesn't have a giant like "Tiny" Wharton who would have sorted out a team like Hearts who simply and cynically shared out the fouls on Elijah to stifle him yesterday. 

As Grumpy hints, I doubt this treatment would be tolerated if he played for either of the OF, just another hurdle a team like Motherwell have to cope with in the Scottish game.

I'm going to go full Kevin Keegan now  and say I would love it, really love it if we beat the Seat-Smashers on Wednesday, mainly because they seem to think both JBA and Just will inevitably end up at Celtic Park next year. Their sense of entitlement really gets on my nazzums.

[Kmcalpin]

12 hours ago, grumpy said:

It will be interesting to see if he gets more protection in a Celtic strip* than he does now, some of those challenges yesterday should have resulted in an arrest.

*(In case anyone is offended, I hope he doesn't go to Celtic ,)

Absolutely. The media needs to call this type of behaviour out but of course it won't for fear of offending a big club and losing patronage from its followers.  It belongs in football's stoneage.  That Hearts team can match the one managed by Alex MacDonald years ago. Cynical and ruthless. 

Also, the behaviour of Kyziridis needs to be investigated. Rolling about in agony one minute then sprinting up the pitch the next one.  If Callum Slattery had done that, his 2 games suspended ban would have been implemented. 

[wellfan]

We shouldn’t expect anything other than double standards and incompetence from the media and officials when it comes to critical thinking, the application of the rules and consistency.

[Happy Dosser]

59 minutes ago, Kmcalpin said:

Also, the behaviour of Kyziridis needs to be investigated. Rolling about in agony one minute then sprinting up the pitch the next one.  If Callum Slattery had done that, his 2 games suspended ban would have been implemented. 

Thanks for reminding me about that. We were all scoffing  in my area of the POD at his amazing recovery, that is until the VAR review was announced. I fully expected another convenient penalty to go against us, so hats off for once to the referee.

Although anything is better than the OF winning the title, Hearts look like just a  modern version of the team of excessive Levein/Hogg physicality and Robertson/Colquhoun "simulation".

[yosemite sam]

I just wish people would stop all this pish about Watt going to Rangers and Just and the manager going to Celtic. The two players are under contract, and if they go anywhere, it's because the price is right for MFC.

Let's just wait and see what the outcome is. Whatever way it's got to suit Motherwell.

[FirParkCornerExile]

On 5/10/2026 at 12:53 AM, weeyin said:

I'm pretty sure he knows what he's saying. What's the use of pointing out any technical, tactical or performance issues in an interview? 

Wouldn't expect him to a simple, we worked hard  were defensively sound and worth a draw. 

[weeyin]

7 minutes ago, FirParkCornerExile said:

Wouldn't expect him to a simple, we worked hard  were defensively sound and worth a draw. 

Given he knows more about the context of missing players, late changes and things we worked on, maybe he does believe the players were outstanding.