dennyc

As you say. The VAR did his job correctly last night. The red card was all about the referee. You would think any appeal would be successful. But given how the referee team will now circle the wagons, I would not be surprised if they uphold the decision and then fine SK for his comments. Very interesting to see if Collum is as vocal about last night as he was on Sunday. I think he will avoid criticism of the match official and say his VAR team followed procedures correctly, but the match referee made the decision as he saw it. VAR not having the final say as it was down to the referee's interpretation rather than a factual overrule. On a broader scale, we have seen 4 recent examples involving Motherwell where it has been acknowledged the officials got it badly wrong. Given how we really only focus on Motherwell, I wonder how many such errors fans of other teams could cite. It all points to the terrible state of refereeing in this country. For me that is the real issue that needs addressed. But then I would happily ditch VAR as well.

I think what is telling is that folk who strongly supported SK through thick and thin last season are now expressing valid concerns. Not just on here but also in the stands at games. it is not just those that were against him from the outset that are speaking up. Far from it.

Uncollected tickets can now be picked up outside the away gate tomorrow. And additional tickets available for purchase from 10am Saturday. Details on official site. Well done Motherwell.

Oh I agree the host Club has the responsibility and is the reason Motherwell fans might miss out. Even Montrose were more efficient and more in touch with the modern world than so called top teams like St Mirren and Aberdeen. Which should be a source of embarrassment to those two Clubs. Fans deserve better. But at the end of the day I don't suppose either of those two give a toss about away fans. So sadly it falls to Motherwell to find a workable solution.

It's Motherwell fans that are disadvantaged, so Motherwell could easily sort something out. As I said, they have done so in the past. It's not difficult. Aberdeen even had a wee stall in place outside the away entrance signposted as 'Ticket Collection'. Would have been easy enough to have someone from the travelling party set up there from around 2PM. I was told there was nobody available. How about a wee bit of interaction with our fans and have a travelling reserve do it? Or maybe a Society Board Member.

And what about fans that don't live in the Motherwell area? Exact same situation as happened with the game at Aberdeen this season. Apparently it's too much hassle for the club to accept payment over the phone/online and then outside the away ground have a Member of Staff hand out those tickets that cannot be collected. As they have done in previous seasons at Hearts, Hibs and Killie away games. Seemed easy enough and worked fine. Following that Aberdeen game we were advised that Society and Club were in discussion to come up with a solution. But here we are again.

According to the Greenock press, Stuparevic pulled up in training in the lead up to the cup tie. He was due to play. Early diagnosis was a hamstring tear but no word since then. I assume this is yet another long term injury that will blamed on Kettlewell, our coaches and our training methods. Perhaps we should also send a coach to oversee the training our loanees are put through by other Clubs........just in case it's not up to scratch 😀. All Clubs suffer from injuries and although we are going through a particularly bad run, I don't believe it is down to anything other than bad luck and timing. And I certainly don't advocate bringing players back before they are ready just to limit the number that are out 'long term'. In seasons past we tried that with Donnelly and O'Hara. How did that work out? McGinn this season possibly is another. Questions are quite rightly being asked of SK and certain players given our performances in recent weeks. I fear tonight will raise more concern But, frustrating as the regularity of these injuries is, apportioning blame so Kettlewell etc reeks of a few folk being desperate to find fault no matter what.

The amount of injuries does seem unreal. And questions deserve to be asked regards signing players with a history of injury. But please explain how you avoid an injury such as this. A 22 year old player, mid season, fit and with no injury record. No hint of any achilles issue. Should we just avoid any contact or running at training? I had the same injury a few years ago. Tendon snapped when I bent down to pick something up. No warning signs just happened. Surgeon told I was just unlucky and it could have happened anytime and there was nothing I could have done to avoid it. Just suggested I was fortunate it did not happen when I was driving. Six months to recover, followed by physio and a warning to be careful on stairs etc for a good few months. Not so sure the Robinson injury is one where the Club can be held to account.

Watt might not be the player we once had but he has guile and is a nuisance which might just unsettle Dundee. Anything that better suits Stama and Maswanhise than a back three launching the ball over their heads is worth a try. So yes, give Watt a run from the start, play the ball to his feet and let’s see if that helps those around him. Give Dundee something different to cope with. That said, I fear SK will stick to his guns and set up exactly as usual and as Dundee will anticipate. A 3-5-2 formation which suited them just fine in their last game at Fir Park.

My view is that now is the time to change our set up. Teams have sussed us out. We are too predictable and opponents know how to cope with our only genuine attacking open play option under the wing back system. Opponents now push wide players further up the pitch, forcing Kaleta/ Wilson or who ever takes up our wing back role deep into their own half with little opportunity to push forward. Given our lack of numbers/ mobility/creativity in midfield the result is that our three centre backs end up hoofing the ball as far downfield as they can in the hope that one of our two strikers gets the break of the ball. In reality, as seen on Saturday, they both end up chasing lost causes 90% of the time. A thankless task. Kaleta and Wilson nullified. Game over with a poor Hibs side strolling to a win. Our only other tactic seemed to be launching throw ins deep into the Hib's box where their under fire centre backs had a field day. I agree with 'wellfan' that it's worth testing whether going four at the back might just improve all areas of the team. Surely it's worth a try. Make us more solid and joined up. If that means one of the giants sits on the bench then so be it. Even allowing for injuries, if we cannot come up with a midfield four or an attacking three from a squad of 30 then questions should be asked. And let's not come up with a solution that involves square pegs in round holes. Like Wilson as a creative midfielder. That experiment failed. At the very least, let's make it harder for our opponents to stick to their initial gameplan.

Whilst I agree with you regards financial limitations impacting the quality of the players we can recruit (that also applies to most teams in the League), it's not just about poor entertainment. When results are not good that poor entertainment becomes unbearable and other factors become a frustration. Match day is again suggesting a Manager reluctant to try anything different, be it formation or personnel. A Manager that seems incapable of a fresh approach. A new approach that admittedly may not work, but at least would provide hope and indicate a willingness to adapt. And it is not just about the past two losses. There have been matches all season that have raised the same issues, Underperforming players making the same errors week on week are starting no matter what, substitutions are like for like until such time as the game is lost and we are chasing a miracle. Then it's full panic mode and irrational. That's what did for Alexander and unless SK is willing to adapt then I see exactly the same outcome for him. And that would be sad. I certainly don't see him again getting away with a terrible run like he took us through last season. And on the past two performances allied to the semi final a similar period is a possibility. The next three games could be pivotal. And if those three games go against us, I very much doubt we will be able to point to a top six placing as the end justifying the means. Looking at the squad list in yesterday's programme, we have 27 players in our first team squad and that excludes a few additional players that have featured this season or have sat on the bench. So let's call it a squad of 30. And yet yesterday we could not get a functioning eleven on the park. They are his players now, many were recruited by him, several had a history of serious injury prior to signing. It was no secret that Spittal and Bair would be moving on. If the quality of those available players and injuries mean we have no option but to stick with the current set up, then SK carries much of the responsibility for that limitation. No excuses. No mitigation. He has been allowed to recruit. I defended SK last season because I felt he deserved leeway and was going through a learning process, with a squad that was partially inherited. He needed time to build his squad and implement his ideas. The past few games have made me question that reasoning and dig deeper. As for driving fans away. It is not the lack of entertainment causing me to give Dundee a miss on Wednesday. If it was about lack of entertainment I have had plenty of opportunities to walk away since I first started attending games. I even survived the Malpas years. I am avoiding Dundee because I truly believe that I would be watching the same players as Saturday, squeezed into the exact same formation that restricts the quality players in the team, trying to kill the game for 70 minutes in the hope of sneaking a goal late on. And I'm fed up, scunnered with it all. Watching your team should not be a chore, whether they entertain or not.

Same situation last season (Storm Gerrit 27 December?), the Authorities insisted a game at Aberdeen go ahead regardless of road conditions........until travelling 'Well fans shamed them by posting photos online showing flooding on the exact roads fans were advised to travel. The game was then postponed . That was after both Clubs earlier agreed that for safety reasons the game should be cancelled, only to be ignored. Pretty sure that was the day Ross County announced they would not travel in similar conditions to play Rangers in Glasgow. Bottom line, Authorities don't care as fans do not matter.

I agree with that and would love it if we refused entry to their fans. But that's not going to happen. Other Club Boards are not going to demand change either and we know the football authorities will continue to turn a blind eye. Strict liability will never happen in Scotland. Two Clubs will ensure any effort to introduce it in fails. The only thing that seems possible is that their numbers at away games could be reduced. Hearts and Hibs have gone down that route I think, and got pelters from the Glasgow media. But Hearts and Hibs can fill the empty seats with their own fans. We cannot. And remember we were the bad guys when Burrows restricted the number of Rangers' fans at the play off game. Not that I care about that as anybody aware of the background knows Motherwell were justified in digging their heels in. So given that reality, what would you do on a match day? Refuse to kick off? Abandon the game? Forfeit the game? Risk a riot and injuries by wading in? As far as I can see all Motherwell (and the Police) can do is ensure fans head to the area they have a ticket for and ensure only those fans with valid tickets make it through the turnstile. Beyond that what would you do? It's a genuine question as I am struggling to find a solution. I also agree it is a numbers thing but I think the same approach would be taken if it were 4000 Aberdeen, Hibs or Hearts fans in the away stand. And dare I say it, if we had 4000 fans away at Paisley. Maybe that's why some Clubs have restricted OF fans to 500? tickets. To make control manageable?

I would like to ask the journalists where they got 'Motherwell value LM at around £4m' from. Did anyone from the Club actually say that? Who? Or are they quoting that figure to ease the way for the Clubs they really care about. Smells like the push there was in the media to get John McGinn to Celtic at a bargain price. Hibs held out and eventually got a better price with better add ons from Aston Villa.

My thoughts are that if everybody is standing up, whether it be top or bottom of the stand, it is impossible to say for certain how many seats are vacant. You can see folk standing in the stairs right enough, creating a health and safety issue. But if turnstile records show that there were 200 empty spaces then that is more likely to be an accurate figure than some random guesswork. My interpretation of what Caldwell actually did or did not say. He did not say that the number of Celtic fans meant they could do as they pleased. He did say that the Police and Security team, faced with a situation, decided that clearing the congestion and returning folk to their correct seats was not a practical option given the numbers involved and taking into account safety issues. If the Police were prepared to accept that non action, are we really saying the Club should have overruled them? I assume the Police Match Commander has the final say? If the Club had gone against that instruction, I wonder who would have been liable for any resulting injuries. Caldwell did accept that there was an issue with fans electing to go bottom tier despite having upper tier tickets. That is an issue that must be addressed by him and the Club and should have been thought about ahead of this game. Had it been, we would not be having this conversation. But it clearly wasn't. He also said that First Aiders were able to access the stairs so that aspect was covered. At the end of the day, I believe the Police made the call and it was the correct one given the situation they and the stewards were faced with. Unlike last time there was no evidence of exit doors being forced open or stewards/police assaulted to allow non ticket holders access. But lessons need to be learned and the Club Security team, aided by the Police, must have a system in place to ensure visiting fans can only access the area for which they hold a valid ticket. Tynecastle has a similar issue regards upper and lower tier ticketing but from what I witnessed when we visited last season, their stewards/police intervened before overcrowding became an issue. Nobody was allowed to stand on the stairs either. Although that meant Motherwell fans with upper tier tickets had to move elsewhere, under protest. Easier to do though with a few hundred compared to several thousand. I think we should be relieved no injuries resulted but at the same time look to the Club to ensure the ticketing situation is not repeated. However it is impossible to stop 4000 or so fans from standing up if they want to. I also think the Police and League Authorities will have the same outlook.

Finished 1-1. Given the celebrations looks like Zimbabwe qualified for finals.

Excellent goal.. Received ball just inside the box, made room and snap shot across goalie. Celebration was pretty good as well.

Nah, he needs to Take it to the Limit

He stopped a certain goal after others fell asleep. And a headed clearance earlier saved another goal. Far from our worst defender today but let's just focus on any fault we can home in on.

Don't know about Park's part in things but if true it is pretty unprofessional. What I would like to have confirmed is who actually pays for the repairs? Rumour in the past was that Celtic agreed to pay if we did not go public, over charge, or make a fuss. But that all fell apart when Burrows highlighted the extent of the damage a few seasons ago. Perhaps something our new Board will address? Even after all their Uefa fines, I'm pretty sure they can afford to pay.

The SPFL authorities need to bite the bullet and tell all Clubs that if damage caused to away grounds by their fans is not compensated within a reasonable timescale, then those repair costs plus 10% (increasing add on if repeated} will be deducted from sponsorship/performance monies and passed directly to the Club(s) affected. Once it starts to hurt financially maybe the issue will not be swept under the carpet. I wonder if there actually is something already in place, but not enforced. But I also long for the day that we are financially able and willing to withhold tickets in such circumstances. All hell would break loose if we did and I suspect the Authorities would penalise us if we stuck to our guns. It is an issue that requires discussion at an SPFL Board Meeting. If it happens again this weekend then it's time for Motherwell and others to stand up.

For me there is little to choose between Casey and Balmer. Both take no prisoners when it comes to defending but both can be careless when clearing the ball under pressure. Both contribute when it comes to attack. Might come down to who fits better with Gordon, who appears to be a fixture and a leader. And suspensions will be a factor given how 'robust' both are. Certainly not a bad dilemma for Kettlewell to have. Add OX and the upgrade on last season is massive. I also think Wilson has improved defensively which is credit to him and the coaching staff.

Scored a few goals in HJK's run to group stages as well. One of his mates was telling me he has made a good living out of the game. Invested his money wisely if what I was told is accurate. Good luck to the guy.

Three of us buy our tickets together. That involved linking all our season ticket accounts so one person could buy the lot. So if all nine are ST holders linking the other 8 to your account might work. Not sure if there is a limit on joint purchase numbers though. Linking accounts does not stop folk buying their own individual tickets at other times. Easiest solution might be to phone the Office and explain the issue. Surely they would be happy to sort you out.

Exactly my understanding as well. His Statement certainly brings out his arrogance and feeling of entitlement. As Steelboy highlighted, no mention of his part in and support of the Barmack proposal which would have diluted the holding of those he would have us believe he champions. A proposal which was clealy going to be rejected by a large majority. Regards that 29%, if you were to deduct his sizeable shareholding and that of those shareholders who are also Society members, I wonder would that 'unrepresented' 29% would reduce to. Also is it not the role of the elected Board as a whole to represent ALL shareholders? As happens elsewhere, whether football related or not.