Frazzie

There's no point in having a pop at the club - it's unchartered territory for them and it's understandable that they would choose to take the cautious approach. On the point made about insurance, I can't speak for anyone else, but the Clydesdale Bank travel insurance is through AIG and Albania is 100% covered.

There's parts of Wishaw I'd advise people to steer clear of...

Aye, I don't disagree with any of that. But that's why I compared it to the Rangers in Manchester scenario. Of course diehards (including myself!) have got drunk and disgraced themselves, but I think it's less likely, purely because I think there's a sense that you're representing your club (and country) when you go on these trips. I was absolutely blootered when I was in Nancy, but I never once had the notion to cause bother. There's a feeling that's hard to describe but I always feel proud when I come back from a Scotland trip and read the locals from wherever I've been gushing about what great ambassadors we've been. The last couple of seasons that has extended to Motherwell, and that's why I remarked that it's less likely to be well-travelled fans who would shame the club. But I take your point, and you're right in what you're saying - it could easily have been a diehard who done it - I'm just speculating and passing comment.

Erm...no. That's not what I said. Read it again, peddlar.

I'm not pretending anything, but are you suggesting that all the folk that were in Llanelli are diehards who go to the games every week? Not a chance.

Neale got nutted, or nutted someone?

Midnight CET is 11pm over here, mind...

I know exactly who you're talking about, and I cannot believe someone would attack him. I'm feeling totally sickened by this - makes a joke of the fact that we were only in Wales because of fair play! I sincerely hope the scumbags are charged and never set foot in Fir Park again.

You can get there and back for about £340, travelling all day on the Wednesday (Ryanair Prestwick -> Milan -> Brindisi, then an overnight Ferry to Vlore. The route back is BA Tirana -> Gatwick -> Glasgow on the Friday evening. Basically means you travel all day Wednesday, have all day and night Thursday and Friday afternoon to yourself then you're home before midnight on Friday. What is the deal with match tickets then? Is the club advising us not to travel, or are we being told we're not travelling, and thus not having tickets sold to us from Fir Park?

That is an utter disgrace, and a total embarrasment to the club and to the rest of the fans who made the trip. I suspect we may have had a bit of the 'Rangers in Manchester' scenario, with it being a reasonably local tie all the inbred yokels with a passing interest in MFC could have easily jumped on a bus. Absolutely disgusting regardless. I hope the victims are ok.

I would tend to agree with you, but Donny are in the Championship now, so the gulf in wage between what we could offer and what they'd pay would be much more than a grand a week. He could easily double his pay packet down there, as well as putting himself in the shop window for the Premiership, etc. They also play a similar brand of football to what we did in McGhees first season, although a different formation, it's very much pass and move silky stuff which would, in theory, suit Hughes. I don't expect it to happen, but it's not inconceivable.

I've heard strong (ish) rumours that Hughes is to sign for my English team, Doncaster Rovers, by the end of next week. Could be wrong though.

I know what you're saying but they were all well past their best, and they are all legends (Well, maybe not Falconer, but he did keep us in the Premier League previously). The main problem Kampman had, in my opinion, was that he under-estimated the standard of football in the SPL as guys like Stefan Lindqvist and co. just weren't good enough. Even the experience brought in in the shape of Brian McClair was a huge disappointment, but I think the previous squad definitely had to go. Having just reconsiderred what I've written, maybe Harri over-estimated the SPL at the time, as I don't seem to remember us having much in the way of strength in the team at the time, and perhaps guys like Linqvist, Michels, etc just weren't cut out for the physical aspect of the game over here. I'm trying to remember who our centre-halves were at that time - I think one was Jamie McGowan, who was hardly a bruiser, so that could have been it. I certainly think he got a bit of a raw deal, punted in the manner that he was, and I think he is remembered harshly by the fans.

I don't think Kampman was that bad. He did the neccessary evil of getting rid of a group of past-it players that a Scottish manager probably wouldn't have had the bottle to get rid of. It's just a shame most of the players he replaced them with were pish!

I think he was there to watch the Welsh number 4...

I forgot about him. He would probably edge Reynolds out of my team, to be fair.

Pish.

The junkie ex-St Johnstone player? He'd probably subscribe just to see his goal into Stevie Woods at McDiarmid Park! I think you have to be more specific with your question. For example, I'd probably subscribe to it if I knew that x amount of the cash was going to MFC.

Manager : Maurice Malpas 1. Francois Dubourdeau 2. Alan Sneddon 3. Franck Bernard 4. Mark Reynolds 5. Holm Kraska 6. John Davies 7. Joe McLeod 8. Brian McClair (2nd time - I didn't see him the 1st time round) 9. Richard Offiong 10. Khaled Kemas 11. Andy Roddie

Aye, he wouldn't be near the best Motherwell XI I've seen play, but he was a favourite of mine, possibly for that game alone. But possibly moreso because I met him and his wife in Starka one night and they were wearing matching suits and blouses!

Or Tommy "We've won more than youse" Boyd ahead of Rab McKinnon, or even Stevie Hammell? Naw. Or Ian Angus, a total journeyman, ahead of Jamie Dolan, Colin O'Neill, Simo or Keith Lasley? Naw.

I take your point, but Murphy has made 40 appearances for us now, having only scored twice (one penalty), barely any assists, etc etc. By the time Faddy had made 40 appearances for us, we all knew he was special, had scored well into double figures for us and our team was starting to mould themselves around him. To compare the two is unfair IMHO. As it stands just now, I don't see Slane, McHugh, etc being too far behind Murphy in terms of ability and what they can bring to the team, hence why I'd happily accept a cash offer for him.

Dykstra Doesburg Sengewald Martin Nijholt Gahagan O'Neill Kirk Coyne Arnott McFadden Subs ---- Van Der Gaag Philliben Dolan O'Donnell Lehman Clarkson I'm having an extra guy on the bench just because I can't seperate them!

While I don't think Murphy is hopeless (far from it), I'd be quite happy if Celtic came in with a cash offer for him right now. He is nowhere near the finished article - too lightweight, drifts in and out of games and very often makes the wrong decisions when he has the ball. If we got more cash in to help bolster the squad with more experienced players at the expense of Murphy, I would be happy with that. Thursday showed us, amongst other things, that no matter how good your youngsters are, you can't play them all at once. Fitzpatrick and Darren Smith should both have played as, even if they are not as technically good as the young lads, they know what they're doing and can handle the 'big' match atmosphere.