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Motherwell are 10th out of 12 in total league attendances this season. I don't have accurate up to date wage info but one of the clubs marginally below us (St Johnstone 5,602 v us 5,748) have traditionally paid higher wages than we have. I don't know how true it was but it was claimed only Livingston had a smaller budget than us last season. We are a bottom 3 club in this league and if Falkirk come up next season we'll be a bottom 2 club. If you don't believe me Falkirk got 1,500 more fans in their last home match against Queen's Park than we did against Aberdeen with a big travelling support. A lot of our fans need a long hard introductory course in reality. Our extended stay at the top level has made some of our fans think we are far bigger and better club but we've escaped relegation on technicities three times and that's not including a relegation play off. For us to be in the Top 6 is a tremendous achievement. If we finish in or around it that will be an excellent season. If you don't like the standard of modern Scottish football, I sympathise with you. But don't put that on a manager or club officials or staff. Aberdeen and Hearts played out one of the most woeful matches you will ever see at the weekend and they have facilities and a budget we could only dream of. I've seen bad, good and indifferent performances this season. Same as every other season. Like I've said over and over the standard in Scottish football is a shadow of what it was in the 80's and 90's but that shadow casts a pall over the whole league. I try and watch as many games as possible and the standard elsewhere is pretty much the same as we watch at Fir Park.

Personally, I go to games to see us hopefully win. That's the be-all & end-all for me. If we win a boring game 1-0 I'll be happy. If we lose an exciting game 4-3 I won't be happy.

I'm personally happy with the points. And I said the same under other managers. Of course I would like to see us play better football - but survival is the main thing as far as I'm concerned.

Given those clubs record you highlight, it is even more disappointing that we were so timid when facing them. Some would say we are on a poor run right now and are drifting downwards. Perhaps it is about attitude, positivity and carrying previous successes into games in addition to those factors you list. The impetus we had after the Aberdeen victory is gone. And that's not just down to the players. Perhaps it is about not repeating an approach to away games that has failed miserably three games in a row and hands our opponents a head start. Perhaps it is about learning from previous outcomes and being less predictable. We did not do ourselves justice at Hearts, Killie or Hibs. Had we shown up, competed but still only amassed one point I would be more supportive of our Manager. But we didn't. Each game was a mirror of the previous one. Rinse and repeat. So we should just accept what we have been served up recently and stop demanding improvement? Not for me. And not for any of the fans sitting beside me at Easter Road who certainly voiced their opinion at how little we offered. I did not hear one of them praising Kettlewell for what we were being asked to accept. It was also noticeable that the number of 'Well fans at the game was far less than at Easter Road earlier in the season. Even The Bois, who deserve praise for the support they offered, were much reduced. Maybe partly due to the weather but I fear Tynecastle and Rugby Park played a part. 3900 home fans v Aberdeen. I wonder how many will be at the next Fir Park match should we fail twice in Perth. Or at the next away game where Season Tickets do not play a part. So in answer to another of your points.....Yes, I do believe a Manager has a responsibility to enable performances that do not drive fans away. Irrespective of injuries or who our opponents are. Out of curiosity, what did you think of the performance in Edinburgh, particularly that first half? Or at those other two games. Because you knew what to expect, did the performance not really matter?

Thats about what he had scored this time last year. He should do double digits in the second half of the season! 😆

Kettlewell’s approach to setting up the team has, by and large, been effective. When you compare us to the teams you’ve mentioned – all of which operate with larger budgets, two of them being much bigger clubs in major cities – the results speak for themselves. We’ve won two more matches than Hibs and three more than both Kilmarnock and Hearts. Of course, if we were to go on a poor run of form and start slipping down the table, there would naturally be questions to address. However, it’s difficult to criticise the manager for sticking to the tactics and strategies that have placed us in the top six during the first half of the season. It’s also worth bearing in mind that, particularly in the cases of Hearts and Hibs, even though their form has been below par, they still have squads that, on paper, are stronger than ours. In fact, I’d be far more concerned if our manager were to approach games against sides with the quality of players they possess under the assumption that they’re merely "inconsistent shite". Many of the factors I’ve previously mentioned come into play here. If managing at the top level were as straightforward as setting up your team and saying, "Just play the same way we did against Rangers, and we’ll be fine," it would be an incredibly simple job. But the reality is far more complex. Every match presents unique challenges. We face different opponents with varying styles, on different pitches, in changing weather conditions. Add to that the fact that our own players are at different stages of fitness and dealing with varying levels of fatigue, and the situation becomes even more intricate. This isn’t an excuse, by the way—just the plain truth. These are the variables we have to contend with, whether we like it or not. I assume those fans are Motherwell supporters, and as such, they’re fully aware of what they’re paying to watch. It’s no secret. Like the majority of teams in Scottish football, the style of play isn’t exactly easy on the eye, and the quality often suffers due to the conditions we insist on enduring by sticking to the frankly baffling decision to play through the winter months. Put Barcelona or Real Madrid on that Rugby Park pitch in -3°C temperatures during a typical Scottish winter and see how much free-flowing football they manage to produce. In a sense, fans know exactly what they’re signing up for. We’re all well aware of the standard of the product on offer. On the whole, we’re neither more nor less entertaining than most teams that compete at our level. Here’s a question to consider: should producing exciting, entertaining football be part of a manager’s job at a club like ours? I don’t claim to know more than the average fan, but I’d imagine the main measure of success is avoiding relegation first and foremost, aiming for a top-six finish if possible, putting together a decent cup run, and perhaps developing players we can eventually sell on for a profit. Right now, we’re not in the relegation zone, we’re sitting in the top six, we’ve made it to a cup semi-final, and we’ve got a few players in the squad who look like they could grow into assets that bring in some money for the club. So, is that success for the manager? It’s a genuine question. Or is he expected to achieve all of that—likely on one of the smallest budgets in the league—while also delivering football that’s exciting and entertaining to watch? Maybe the real question is about the manager’s actual remit and the KPIs he’s been given. If the targets set by the club are broadly what we think they are, then he’s delivering. And it’s worth remembering that the last time we let go of a manager who was meeting those kinds of expectations but who the fans wanted more from, we ended up in a right mess, with the club spiralling into chaos for a while. Saying that, I do know a few fans of other clubs who found that whole saga quite entertaining, if nothing else!

Having both Dundee teams in the league is a big boost to St Johnstone's attendances. They are only 146 behind us currently. This season's attendances so far after 11 or 12 home matches. 1. Celtic - 58,585 2. Rangers - 47,584 3. Hearts - 18,567 4. Aberdeen - 17,805 5. Hibernian - 16,615 6. Dundee United - 10,641 7. Dundee - 6,822 8. St. Mirren - 6,780 9. Kilmarnock - 6,440 10. Motherwell - 5,748 11. St Johnstone 5,602 12. Ross County - 4,498 Kilmarnock, the team above us in this table, generally pay about 20% more in wages than we do. The team below us, St Johnstone, are closer to us in wages but still pay more. I think that kind of gives you some kind of perspective of what we are up against.

I'd cut out the daft individuals that are making them...particularly the ones that are repeat offenders

I swear to god if I don't see a shot yes a shot in the first half against a really rank rotten St Johnstone then I shall be taking out my White hanky in protest! That's what is putting me on tilt about Kettlewell it's this no shots first half,50-60mins we tend to have one and 80 mins he make subs by then the game is lost. No excuses both games Vs St Johnstone I expect us to be in the next round of the cup and 3 points next week for us.

I think it should be pretty obvious why I go to games - because I support Motherwell.

Finally watched highlights last night. Kettlewell tactics and team selection frustrates me but there is nothing he can do about those 3 goals. The Halliday/Wilson double act for first 2 goals was criminal and I have no idea what SOD was thinking about for the penalty, he knew it the minute the ref awarded the penalty. We need to cut out the daft individual errors. COYW

The decline in quality in Scotland has been slow and steady, administration masked it for us though as we were navigating a crisis, the fallout probably lasted a good eight seasons and then rangers imploded and we got best of the rest for a while which was a relief from the decline in entertaining football, we're a hard watch for sure.

If true, that’s no great loss. Casey tries hard and often puts his body on the line, but those attributes are replaceable at this level, and let’s not forget that he didn’t want to be here in the first place.

Highlight from our game on Sportscene. Neil McCann watching Sam Sparrow running down the pitch. 😆

Lose and it's time to go. Defended him loads but we aren't making any progress

No need for that. It's clear you don't like Kettlewell and that's fine but we are surely all entitled to our opinions

Get him to fuck. In an economic climate where the average person often has to choose between heating or eating, his form of entertainment will see to it that ticket sales begin to fall.

I think there's a bit of revisionism going on because during his first loan spell, and during his early performances after we signed him, he was an excellent performer (and even won the players' Player of the Year). He was certainly poor when everyone else in the team was poor too, but his overall contribution to the team during his spell was a net positive. I was never a fan of having him as a captain, and I always felt his form dipped after that. I've seen plenty of good keepers over the years that don't do crosses - it wasn't a problem for them, because they had central defenders that took care of them. Jim Leighton made a career out of never leaving his 6 yard box, but had guys like Big Eck to mop up.