Happy Dosser

Potential McGhee Mk. 1 Trident formation.....

As others have said, I would not enjoy a season of similar performances, irrespective of the result. Our passing generally was very poor, there was a large distance between our uncreative midfield and forwards and so our game was largely disjointed and unproductive. We won because of one good Carroll delivery and an inspired header from Watt. In short, we got lucky. At least Dundee tried to pass their way forward, although it was obvious they didn't have the skill to successfully play that way, and were largely toothless up front. Their goalie tried three times to pass out to left midfield and only succeeded in giving us a throw-in each time. However, if the crossbar shot had gone in and Adam not been crocked, I suspect things might have been different. I didn't enjoy Robinson's hoofball and I didn't enjoy yesterday much. Feel free to be happy about our win but a season of such performances would try even my almost 60 years of patience. The only consolation is that I don't think yesterday's line-up will be long lasting. If van Veen can keep fit, Watt can be employed productively and the manager sorts out the midfield , things should improve quickly.

We didn't deserve to lose against The Leithers and didn't deserve to win yesterday so I suppose that evens things out even in the short term but my main concern is, as usual, our dysfunctional midfield. The balance is all wrong yet I have this pathetically optimistic notion that a simple change of formation or inclusion of just one more signing will flick the magic switch and unleash the new, dynamic C&A engine-room beast (these mushrooms are lovely, btw). I think Slattery looks a reasonable acquisition and I suspect Goss has some creativity too but where is our Allan Campbell-style perpetual motion replacement? Like many others, I see Watt's perfect position as playing just behind two forwards and threading passes through to them but this rather obvious ploy seems unattractive to the management, but I've read "Inverting The Pyramid" twice and know what I'm talking about . Van Veen looks a real pest in a good way but Amaluzor and Woolery resemble the fast-but-no-football-intelligence types we've signed before on several occasions who don't know when/where to run and can't cross. Maybe the latter would be better played more centrally as a last resort, since he's not so bad in the air. Final Grate Thott: nice to play crap and win, innit? Bring on The Mutton Molesters.....

I'm still waiting ! I must clarify re my unwonted change of position in my anecdote, or, as Charlie Nicholas would have it, antidote: while playing at RB for Kirktonholme PS, our CH (can't remember his/her name) would always pick up a handful of blaes and throw it at me if I moved inside to tackle the opposition. The words "Wing! Wing!" still ring in my ears. I was traumatised and so have started a blog about it.......

Welcome to "the greatest wee pure dead brilliant club in the world", Sean. It's the McConnell-Prestwick effect. I'm quite old: was he in Bros?

After that (sub-Grizzly) joke, I'm glad I probably moved out of position and Sounessed you one . Was your football pitch not right beside the school? I thought I'd played on it once but it was a very long time ago........

I played right back for Kirktonholme Primary in EK in 1965. That's all I've got.....

"Just the beginning in the road to relegation! Disappointed Graham? Disappointerd are us....37 more losses are coming!" Just noticed this btl comment on GA's post-match interview on YouTube. Not sure if it's Mrs Polworth or a distant relative of Yodo. Forgot to say how cringe-making was the booing of Murphy today. Thankfully enough folk around me in the POD drowned out the sad wee diddies. Good to see Jamie cuddling our kit-man at the end.

I certainly hope so and I wrote off his mistimed tackles to rustiness but only time will tell. I like a smiling assassin who can pass as well .

Some random thoughts: More physical commitment from us in one game than for much of last season. Van Veen should change his name to Roy of The Rovers. Woolery looked in dreamland for most of the first half: he didn't seem to know when or where to run. Yet he is quick, quite physical and can win balls in the air, if that is what you like in a winger . If he'd taken his second-half chance or slipped the ball to an unmarked Watt as WW91 noted, we would have won. Have filed him under Shows Promise. Maguire gave everything against some accomplished opposition but was physically weaker and understandably showed inexperience. Slattery started well but tired quickly: needs games but promising. Is he the new Gorrin (whom few here praised when he was here but has got better the longer he has been away)? To lose two scrappy, pinball goals is disappointing and I couldn't see the SOD penalty, so no idea if it was kosher. Maybe Hibs' surrounding the ref at half time re their Carroll penalty claim had an effect. As some other sage said above: compare your feelings tonight to those following last year's first game at Dingwall. Surely no comparison? Don't call me Shirley.

And yet Thommo and Chico (TM) were singing his praises only last week on the steam wireless. At this rate the Fuddy Duddies will win the league on penalties. How many have they had in a calendar year (or any kind of year?).

Thanks for those statistics, which show pretty clearly he maintained his "bad boy" tackling ratio ablaw the dyke. Given that, I'm a little surprised he's made a decent (and much longer) career for himself at Oxford Utd. Presumably there has been a calculation at the club that his defects in tackling are outweighed by the other qualities they think he has to offer. Also, if the lady I saw him signalling to in the POD was his wife/partner, I'm not surprised they keep him hanging around .

I agree: I liked Gorrin but didn't get the impression he was very popular at the time with The Brethren and I don't think he played all that many games for us in the final analysis. He was quite skilful, could pick a pass and get us up the park but unfortunately his robust and sometimes mis-timed tackling seemed to attract the attentions of the Scottish refereeing class quite disproportionately when compared to that of sensitive and creative Corinthians like Scott Brown. I've lost track on how he got on at Oxford but suspect he hasn't had as many bookings. GA is going to have quite a job on his hands attracting the right player to Fir Park in these difficult times but getting Kelly on board would be a morale-booster.

Ain't going to happen. I hear he's an Accies fan (on his mum's side): always wanted to play in cerise and French grey.

Mbappe number 9?

No, scrub my last ornithological remark. Just discovered Tormod in the next croft-house along has just bought one of these: Latin Percussion Cuban Style Guiro LP250 | DV247 | en-GB It's going to be a long close season.

Yes, but I'm on Lewis & Harris time. I can hear corncrakes.....

Step forward, Connor Shields.....

Yes, some of the comments from Motherwell supporters on SOD are perplexing and disappointing. Normally supporters of a club at our level would be quite proud of his cap. Players at more illustrious clubs seem to get a free pass, however. To my eyes, Armstrong was extremely poor, McTominay is completely over-rated and Tierney lost his aerial duel at a set-piece for the third goal, yet it seems only O'Donnell is to blame for Croatia's first. Sometimes there's a weird kind of self-loathing exhibited on these pages which makes me wonder if some folk support our club or country at all. Agreed we had no natural goal-scorers, which ultimately was our downfall, but following that logic how bad must Poland be, going out on the same points as us with Lewandowski playing for them with 41 goals in the Bundesliga this year?

Was the 1936-40 blue change strip the "find" you mentioned earlier up the thread?

Andy was always a voice of sanity and was knowledgeable and balanced in his views: a real loss to this forum. Sadly, I didn't know him personally but my thoughts are with his family at the moment.

An unusual page on the HFK website re our club's change strips through the ages. I'm presuming UBH has been the principal consultant : Motherwell FC Change Kits - Historical Football Kits (historicalkits.co.uk) Still think nothing beats the old white "floodlight strip" as a change. The accompanying written notes reminded me that Aberdeen played in black and gold stripes until after the war, when they switched to red for some reason I have been unable to discover.

Delighted to see a hoop at last but the white trimmings are unnecessary and fussy, imo: it's an age thing . I have always taken the unpopular position that white shorts accentuate the orgasmic, deep beauty of our C&A but I'll thole the shorts on this occasion for a proper hoop. I feel better now.......

MJC_mkII: "Ainsworth’s goal to put us 3-0 up that night was one of the best and most surreal moments I’ve ever had supporting ‘Well. I remember just screaming “is this actually fucking happening?!” for about 60 seconds after it hit the net." Me too, a classic counter attack that is always a joy to watch. Pearson did really well nicking the ball in midfield and the crisp interchange of passing thereafter was a delight. I was sitting in front of the Rangers party (Andy Cameron, John Greig et al) in the FP tie and had to laugh at their bleating about the young 'Well fans invading the pitch at the end. Oh, the irony when you consider the conduct of their own supporters over the decades, including the appalling 3-5 game in 1978! They were also strangely silent about the flare which was thrown from the section in the POD where some of their supporters had secreted themselves. Hoping for good times next year once GA has sorted out the squad.

Was there not talk towards the end of his time with us that his wife wanted to go back down south?