Goggles & Flippers

Kelly is beyond us sadly but Carson was in fine form before his injury. His contract is up however? Roberts hasn't done a lot wrong except he's contracted to another club and I'd hope Alexander can scour the markets for someone better. Harry Smith, again maybe unfair but we've not seen enough of him to fully judge however he seems to be filling the Jordan White role perfectly.

Benjamin Franklin said there were only two things certain in life: death and taxes. There seems to be only two things that universally unite everyone on SOL. 3 points on a Saturday and Seedorf can GTF.

Dec's stock was pretty high in the summer as I said after a season where he put in a above average to MotM performance most weeks. Not outrageous to suggest he could have went for decent money with a year (potentially two - not disclosed) left on his contract. To be fair he probably did but what you usually get is because its Motherwell, teams lowball offers. Celtic did it when they needed cover, Campbell was bid for few months back. As for Randolph, perhaps, but we had two keepers in him and Ruddy who went on to play in the premiership. There's plenty of English goalkeepers we've never heard of who have came and gone in the game in the years since. Maybe we were spoiled with a good scouting network or eye at the time.

I think we all know that Dec has shifted the goalposts after agreeing the terms and taking his 30 pieces of silver. His "come and get me" interview would have maybe worked better if he hadn't been so inconsistent, mediocre at best opposed to a solid 7.5 minimum every week last season. In theory, with his sub appearances and 5 games to go the threshold should be reached and contract extended. However, I feel safe in thinking GA is done with the behaviour and doesn't see him as part of his plans for that reason. It's safe to say both Dec and O'Donnell will be angling for the lions share of the UEFA compo that should go to their teams. There are three players I can think of that I can't understand why they didn't go for good money while contracted. Dec, Campbell and Randolph.

Do we think he was sent to the same Harley Street specialist that Turnbull was? By all accounts he's a nice guy, comes out with sentences only decipherable to a Love Island watcher. As a player he was OK, he didn't set the heather alight (if I recall he was sent off twice in his first few games) but did improve. Reading the other comments it seems he impressed them more than he did me. If he does go, the only people really happy about it I suspect would be his neighbours in Larkhall. Motherwell at its core is a commercial business and therefore you have to make hard decisions. I think if we pulled the plug he would be probably thinking "I thought it would have happened way before now". Sometimes you just have to accept you're made of glass. Cole is putting in decent numbers despite playing in an inconsistent team. I'd say his stock will have risen due to his second spell here, enough to get a move to a decent League 1 team with a better budget than we can afford.

So page 2 and it's onto the "Forum PoPo" Negativo, 2 shy Andy, Andy, Andy ...... 7 came from Hibs, Livvy and a draw in Paisley

So 6 games culminated in 9th position, 4 points off Dundee Utd and 6 games that pretty much sum up the season. Highlights being the back to back games in Edinburgh and against Livvy. Other end of the spectrum the car crash vs St Johnstone, Accies and today. Inconsistency has been prevalent all season, I guess Alexander must be doing his dinger in. To be fair, after our last smash and grab at Rugby Park today was probably right but the manner of the defeat is hard to take. Points total correct. Swap Hibs and St Johnstone results round and rest was correct bar the scores. 9th and 4 points behind 8th too. 3 too high, no cigar Another Hibs/St Johnstone switch and only one point out due to today. 3 points suggested, nowhere near, obviously not a betting man 5 points predicted, not one result correct till today Remarkable then Points total correct, way in which we went about it inccorect. Another Hibs/St. Johnstone switch but too much optimism about Killie took you 3 points too high Games ebbing away for bottom feeders so not mathematical but not doom and gloom. We got it Then you fucked it

It never fails to amaze me how so many on internet discussion boards can infer so much backstory and perceived mock outrage when there is none

I don't know what the potential sales are from kit collectors over 20,000 attendees and people who have an affiliation to Motherwell that if you put a hint of something C&A on it would get a bite. You'd also sell some to the kit collectors if done right too. A discussion was probably had about the lack of anything associated with the club bar the monogram and the decision was to push ahead regardless. Dundee's lawyers must have already been on the blower.

Erm, the one on the fishal website modelled by the women's team. Is that just for them for to be extended to all squads? If so, I don't know how it passed so many levels of scrutiny. Maybe UBH can confirm how often has a team not incorporated any their colours at all in the away strip. Before any smart arse gets involved, white doesn't count.

Fringes .... Any of the youth team showing promise?

Turn them away from the hospitals is an easy deterrent. Just for some context (from BBC): NHS pay-rise demo organiser fined £10,000 in Manchester Published 3 hours ago Share IMAGE COPYRIGHTPA MEDIA image captionA 65-year-old NHS worker attending the demonstration was briefly arrested The organiser of a protest against the government's controversial 1% pay rise plan for NHS staff in England has been fined £10,000 by police. About 40 people attended a rally in Manchester city centre at midday, officers said. Public gatherings are banned by coronavirus rules and police said most demonstrators dispersed after officers asked them to leave. A woman who works for the NHS, aged 61, was fined for organising the protest. Another NHS worker, aged 65, was arrested for failing to provide details after initially refusing to leave. She was de-arrested and fined £200 after complying, police said. IMAGE COPYRIGHTPA MEDIA image captionThe government's plan has been widely criticised Supt Caroline Hemingway said that "regardless of one's sympathies for a protest's cause, we would ask the public to maintain social distancing and follow legislation". "We sought to engage with and peaceably disperse those attending this afternoon's protest, explaining that the gathering was in contravention of government lockdown rules," she added. "Unfortunately officers were met with a degree of non-compliance and it was therefore necessary to enforce issue fixed penalty notices." IMAGE COPYRIGHTPA MEDIA image captionA protest was also held outside Downing Street on Sunday The government has faced a backlash after giving evidence on Thursday to the NHS pay-review body, which looks at nearly 1.5 million people, including nurses and health assistants - but not doctors, dentists and some senior staff, who have their own pay bodies or agreements. It suggested a 1% pay rise for 2021-22, citing the "uncertain" financial situation. However inflation forecasts for this year indicate the proposed figure could be a real-terms cut. The pay-review body will take evidence from other groups, including unions and NHS bodies, before making its recommendation around May.

Robinson's aura cost us the goal aye?

First thing close to a accurate prediction in this whole thread

First I've been left reinvigorated by the quality of the debate in this thread, it truely what this place should be all about. A lot of good points raised by all parties. I think the issue with Hastie was, we seen a youth academy boy hit the team and we felt we had another diamond. Nothing better than home grown (and cheap) but adding so much to the team. Long may it continue .... but it didn't, his streak as you'd expect caught the eye of suitors and he was approached. As a support of a club with limited means, seeing what we thought was a fine addition to the team, an addition we may not have been able to acquire on the open market move on without getting our payback was seen as a poor return. We got a full 3 years out of Campbell and Cadden before him and moving for £400k was tough to see at the time. Hindsight however is a remarkable thing, 2 years on and that £400k seems like we robbed them. I take no glee in that. Hastie will be set for life by the age of 24, even if his career is destined to be lower league mediocrity he will have taken more out this game than many ever hope to. Never one to shy away from voicing his opinion or poor judgement, Dec has certainly had a topsy turvy 2020. I have no doubts he was offered enhanced terms alongside the captaincy, whither they were demanded or offered maybe that will come out in Flow's memoirs. However, seemingly astutely, an appearance trigger was put added to his contract in a "if you do well, so do we" mutually beneficial arrangement. If he continued his performances from the season before he could be off before the summer window ended or in January for a tidy sum if someone needed their defence shored up until May. A solid season not attracting suitors would guarantee a further year of stability too. However this season has been up and down in terms of form and decision making. Israel was a particular low point for me but despite the dip Clarke still opted for him and to be fair he delivered in the really important matches by and large. The newspaper article in early January was a gamble and both highlighted bad optics of the decision to do it and brought his probably non-disclosed contract dealings into public. That article was purely "hey I'm looking to move, but do so quickly because I'll cost you a lot more in a few weeks". Bosman, agents and social media now have only enhance the mercenary nature of modern footballers. His stock has risen in C&A and while happy to seemingly take the extra wedge, the caveat to that now seemingly is problematic. It's not too far removed from what transpired with Tait in terms of the player not happy with the benefit of hindsight and going to the press to try and reverse things in their favour. I suspect the answer given at the AGM was factually correct (at the time) but definitely very political in nature. The current malaise in the camp has been echoed from various sources as you would expect when things aren't going to plan. It did seem at odds of Robinson's very public sharing that footballing ability was key but only if their social media behaviour, general demeanour and dressing room interaction would be significant to their recruitment. We can't ignore the fact that travel restrictions will be affecting many players who would regularly on days off visit the north West of England and Highlands to be with family. But I don't think we are alone in the SPFL, I'd suspect most clubs have a number of players in the same boat, if we have a trialist and don't opt for him then theres a good chance he'll end up at St Johnstone or Killie or vice versa. Why it seemingly would affect ours over others is hard to work out.

Today’s result means a few contributors points totals after three games are back on track if the order of how we got them is all over the place.

Doesn’t it highlight the mercenary nature of the modern agent. agent: ”I’d like to get my client improved terms, he’s achieved blah, done blah and got international blah” club: ”ok, improved weekly wage however we’d like an appearance trigger” ”how about naw” ”how about aye” “Ok then” Fast forward 6 months .... agent: “see that legally binding agreement, can we pie it?”

If it had been 5 mins extra at the end of the first half and 2 at the end of the second then I doubt there would have been a raised eyebrow. That made absolutely no sense

Have the press and pundits ever went on about any other Scottish side being “physical” since we were given that caveat in every intro or post match analysis a few seasons back?

Tony Watt’s pass though .....

https://reddi.soccerstreams.net/home find this is better buddy

Based on what I've seen this season ..... and here is the caveat ..... with what resources Alexander has at his disposal from now till game 38, I'd suggest that O'Hara would be part of the solution and not part of the problem. Many others have been guilty of malevolence and hiding but I'd say he's not in that camp for me. Many players have technical or decision making deficiencies, that's why they're with us.

Relegation, how bad would it be? I dunno, like winning an all expenses trip to the Seychelles, get to the airport and find out due to lockdown it's been cancelled so as an alternative you're off to a Caravan Park in Girvan. You get there and Steelboy is head of customer service, and milo is entertainment director. It would be that bad. Awwww FFS, now Lasley's just shown up in a white trackie and a bumbag to take the Mrs off for her massage.

Winter recruitment as bad if not worse than summer recruitment. Difference is the summer recruitment was into a team that finished third and seen as enhancing it. The winter recruitment was for a team going to be in the mire until at least game 36 of 38 and needed to provide new options and shore it up. Both failed and the winter has proven to be even worse despite being more critical and off the back of no lessons learned.

I'd argue only an eejit playing in that team would look back over the past two games. We had our arses handed to us at Rugby Park and got out with a stolen win.