Goggles & Flippers

Players should be able to tell fans what they think of us, we have no qualms telling them. Fair is fair!

I recall that Plymouth fans were raging we got him back in the January window, thought he was destined for stardom. Looks like we took him because we could, however he never shined for the U-20's so therefore never progressed up to the first team. Must be quite a dilemma for a Manager, a player that turns on the ability in training but doesn't deliver on the park on a Saturday.

For the record my 6 year deal comment was tongue in cheek, harking back to the McLean era where it was a running joke/fact. I think you'd find few agents willing to accept a 6 year deal unless the player was chronic and the agent recognised it but the club didn't/hadn't.

Pick up 2 players for £50k each a season and punt them on for 500k a pop after 18 months seems a decent strategy going forward. The issue is when you try to do that with free agents the pickings are slimmer and the odds longer in turning them into something attractive. Let's not ignore that a few other teams have seen our cross border raids of the conference and the sidestep that allowed us to get Chris Humphrey without having to pay a development fee with envious interest. I hope Blyth, Bowman etc. have been sourced using this much vaunted Billy Beene software that finds hidden gems. Oh and do a Dundee Utd and get Cadden signed up on a 6 year deal.

I now have a mental image of Rab's boaby popping out in an iconic photo. Talking of pricks .... Tom Boyd, did he actually play for us? He seems to do his best to gloss it over

Good bit of business all round it appears. Shame a few others weren't in the mix to make it a bidding war but a lot of that is down to his inconsistency.

Isn't our former head of acquisitions now their manager?

Fishal's back

Is that a clue .....Corporal Jones?

350 folk in here, it's like the night Aberdeen took Jack & Victor away

SSN reported at 10:40ish that in England a few more deals would come through after 11 as forms lodged would have to be reviewed. As long as the date and time stamp was before the deadline then deals could go through as late as 2 hours after the deadline. I'd be surprised if we were any different.

Fishal site is broken

...... Hi Oxford fan here, just want to get a heads up on Marvin ...... Not the brightest, his agent is a stroker, one good game in 3, you may think he's a dick in 18 months time.

Aye if you promise McGeady a shower if he doesn't score and if Humphrey is allowed to score points like they do in Gaelic football.

I hope his agent and Marv are dipping their toe on here, just to see the reaction. @ Marvin - I don't think you're the brightest big man, evident by your press conferences and taking this shaky advice and running with it. You were happy to get a contract extension and consequently an increase in your wages. Maybe if you didn't blow so hot and cold on the park there would be a host of suitors after your signature and the club wouldn't have an issue punting you for they are looking for. @ Gino "Ginelli" Culberson - Well aren't you conniving wee individual. If the reported increase of 4x his current salary is correct, then 10% of that must have you rubbing your hands with glee. The transfer fee paid to his current club doesn't directly net you any cash therefore you have no interest in this, it can only be the reason behind your disparaging comments. If the move doesn't happen then you are faced with a player staying under a cloud, maybe his moral and performances will drop and your grubby wee paws won't get as much in January or next summer. You've just confirmed what many fans perceive as a vulturous profession*. (* term used exceedingly loosely)

Be interesting to know what Gino would say if Newcastle jumped into the mix. Could he still use the personal reasons as a smoke screen. Further to my post yesterday, looks like the club had this pulled on them and are rightly pissed off. Reeks of petulance. Gino wants a payday and no doubts so does Marv. My advice for Gino is, negotiate 1 to 2 year deals in future you trumpet and don't use the media to mask your oversight and inability to do your job. Why do all agents always have one mundane and pretty standard name and one fruity one? Steelboy - You know that thing where you say something and everyone disagrees but you keep on going, not willing to accept you may be wrong ...... just going to look back and see how critical you were when we sold players for buttons or got nothing for them. You could save me a job however.

He probably was told 18 months in Scotland tops when he signed, we're a few days away from that deadline so his agent wants a payday and he wants to play/test himself at what he thinks is a higher level. Not sure if the club are involved in this or are dealing with it reactively. If we get a massive fee then I'm sure it will be described as part of a master plan. If not, "we were undermined". If he doesn't move, it's down to McGhee to ensure his attitude and performances don't drop until the next window. To be fair, any future moves also depend on his form from now till Christmas.

Type something uncomplimentary about Baraclough and lets see

I agree with the first bit, as for the second, the WS to date have not inspired or forged much confidence, therefore many including myself and others above have chosen not to contribute further. On the contrary, I want to see Motherwell do well however it is not a charity and I'm not going to throw good money after bad, especially if I'm not convinced it is going to be used wisely. Let's save giving money charitably to beggars and if faith is your motivation, collection plates on Sunday mornings. I'm sorry but we had a golden opportunity to establish a truly groundbreaking fan ownership model, it's been wasted and you want us to continue paying in to almost give credibility to what's gone on before. Nah, you're onto plums. I never suggested they were, I distinguished between the society and a private or family business where there is no need to publish anything public at all which over the past few years you'd maybe think was the case. It's executive are merely ordinary members elevated through election to represent us and make day to day decisions on our behalf, that seems to been overlooked. The issue for me and too many others is they've made major decisions as to governance and direction of the Society with little or no consultation or collective mandate. As for Les, who knows, if it was written into our constitution then if he wanted to get involved he would have known the situation.

Maybe a radical suggestion here, but as we are a public body where every member is equal and has therefore an equal say, where transparency is key ...... Is it beyond the realms of possibility or reason to suggest that when other parties ask for such agreements, well tell them its not possible due to the society's status? Or is that naive and simplistic? I welcome the moves made, they couldn't have got much worse from where they were in the communication stakes. Still very wooly with no clear message however.

All this chat of TV revenues is fine, but I'd rather stay in the cup for another round (getting a draw against Peterhead or such like) and then getting the cash cows in the semi's or final. The club makes a lot more from that. I don't see why so many are wringing their hands with a Celtic away draw, its almost as if it's our final.

McGhee more so than most

I'm pretty sure that item number 1 on McGhee's five year action plan is: 1./ by 2021 be earning at least double at a club bigger than Motherwell.

It's well documented that we missed our first lump sum under the repayment terms, if memory serves me correct it was for a relatively small figure in the grand scheme of things and at the time on here there didn't seem to be any reason as to why, it appeared more an oversight than a struggle. For all we know we could have defaulted again and therefore those financial goalposts are completely in Les' hands as the contract/agreement made is then null. All conjecture and second guessing however, but it could explain things.

I think many have overlooked that our "benevolent benefactor" has cashed in his chips 3.5 years early. I suspect he'll want a clean break come October and therefore any outstanding debts have to be covered. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the revenues gained as Joe points out are being directed into that pot opposed to like-for-like in the playing budget. What is key? Well we're not going to win the league, so maintaining our status for season 2017-18 is key when there will be a new TV deal. To be in the league below will be very costly come May 2017. European qualification doesn't necessarily bring riches (unless you do a Starjnan and pull Inter Milan after a trip to Poland). I'm a firm believer that the club has to aspire to be more than what it is at the moment. You have to aim to be better and improve, both in terms of attendances, attracted players, performance levels, revenues and results. If you plan for 10th you leave little wiggle room for failure or slips and it almost becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. Back on to the in and outs .... I understand an offer was made for Marvin way below what the club think he's worth. With the reports of the McDonald offer, it appears there's too many chancers in this world taking the piss.