Gadgey

And Colin O'neill wants be the next Glenroran manager. Not sure if big Stevie Kirk would be as keen as him though. http://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/northern-ireland/glentoran/controversial-colin-oneill-wants-glentoran-job-35015305.html

Is this news to you then? When we played the Scottish cup final in 2011, we had only 3 scots in the starting 11. All but 2 of them (granted Lasley and Hamill amongst them) were acquired from English clubs. The difference being now that there's even more money in the English game today than there was then. There's also the simple matter of SFA youth development, club youth development or indeed the lack of youth development in our country. I'd like to think (and there's evidence to suggest they are) that the club are working diligently towards putting more emphasis upon home grown talent. However, that's a long term strategy and even in full fruition, will never stop us entirely from recruiting from lower English leagues....not when there are talents like Johnson and Moult to turn a coin and do a job on the pitch.

Having had a quick look at Bowmans wiki page (never the best source I know), it looks to me like he's a proven striker at non league level but has twice failed to shine in league 2 with two separate clubs. Obviously, each scenario must be taken into context, he was still young or 'up and coming' in a less than average Carlisle side and a play off semi York team. Either way, he dropped back into the conference after being at each of them. That said, we've given him a golden opportunity with us and I truly hope that he grabs it with both hands. He's now a Motherwell player and I wish him and Belic well for the season ahead. With regards big Marv, well, so far as I'm concerned, don't bang your big heid on the way out the door big man. Shame it ended the way it did and whether we fans like it or not, there wasn't a glut of teams rushing for his signature. Indeed, the club had little bargaining leverage other than brinkmanship. He was never a £1m player and despite the English transfer market being mental, I'm confident in saying he never will be. Any one who is getting airiated about an undisclosed fee and blaming managers at the club for making the club look like mugs are doing so unnecessarily and with claret and amber tinted specs on. We've lost better and survived before. On this occasion, we turned a profit and as such, is a positive indication that the business plan is working. League 1 is about Marvs level, and even then, he'll struggle for consistency. None the less, I hope the move solves his personal problems

I mean this in the nicest possible way....you need to go and have a wee lie doon.

As my old man used to call them, big Marv is a daisy player....daisys good other daisys fucking garbage. I was always a bit sceptical of the £1m price tag and based upon present trend, I never started to think about ways of spending it. And I think that's the difference. In terms of talent, Marvin is not the hell raiser that a championship club would feel comfortable shelling out a 7 figure sum on and in terms of fitness, doesn't have that engrained resilience that the league 1 fixture card gives a player.

I didn't see the game as I'm in Turkey and by the sounds of it, the only bomb scares I've heard of whilst out here were from our goalie last week. This thread makes interesting reading though. Having played at a decent level (junior) and with a relatively comparable team to Motherwell (much better teams than us with better resources around us), it is often the case that the things that you want to do as a team are not the things you can do against those with better resources. Rangers had most of the ball and though it may not seem like it from the stands, chasing the ball, keeping shape, tracking runners, breaking up play and counter attacking are much more tiring than when playing the possession game. Especially when those you rely on holding it and doing something with it on the valuable occasions when you have the ball don't do something. It saps legs and confidence. Somebody said earlier they were frustrated with the slack passing (they're right to be) of the first team and making the comparison seeing the u20s stroking it about. The inference being that we should have more u20s being used (lack of substitutions). But I just need to check, is this the same u20s who lost 'spiritedly' to airdrie? Whether we care to admit it or not, McGhee knows more about his squad than any of us do and he has spoken on more than one occasion about the lack of depth and it's self evident there's a lack of real game changing talent. Talented game changers cost money! To lose this way two weeks in a row is a ball ache but football is a confidence game and by all accounts, I don't think the team or IMHO McGhee deserve too much criticism after yesterday.

With the greatest of respect mate, that's a load of guff.

I am by no means a pessimist but I expected a gubbing tonight. It was Brendan Rodgers first competitive home game and it was a cup tie .... there was no way Celtic weren't gonna be at it tonight. I understand people's frustrations, there were few who deserved pass marks, the manner of the defeat always hurts and the fact that we're out the cup is scunnering. However, there should be no jumping to conclusions about the quality of the new signings based on that tonight. Sinclair had Tait on toast from the off and that very slow midfield were swamped throughout. The true measure will be against our contemporaries. Yeh, the change of system can leave the manager open for ridicule, but he and Craggs called it right afterwards, they should have done better with the ball when they had it. Passing was poor and the second touch was a tackle. Marvin looked like he had the wrong studs on and nothing came off for Cads despite his best efforts. But in context, that was a master class from Celtic tonight and they will hand out some serious cuffing this season. Rogic, Dembele and Sinclair were truly outstanding !!! Onwards and upwards....and although it's really fuckin hard to sometimes....keep the faith!!!

Well, I haven't seen a happier new signing in a long time. Baptism of fire tonight though....he got roasted!!!

Yeah, it's bloody great to see so many upsets. I wouldn't have thought it was because the "bigger" clubs didn't take it seriously but are certainly at greater risk of complacency against a "wee" team playing their individual cup final. Just curious, is it the case that the smaller clubs fitness levels are better than the top flight teams? And why would that be the case?

A grand a week 20 year ago, set up your own business and holiday for 6 months a year...aye, good for you. For all we know you could be a sad old wino sat in your piss stained joggers drinking Eldorado out a brown paper bag. And you know the truth of it? I don't think any of us really give a fuck !!!!

This. Cheers dude! As it goes, I'm not necessarily saying it either. Just asking a question.

I could be wrong, but it's my understanding (mentioned previously in this thread) that Moult had the injury rolling on from last season. I'm not being combatitive so don't jump on me, but isn't it custom and practise for a player to go under the knife as soon as the season closes in order to give them as much opportunity possible to be ready for the next season? In essence, I'm just asking a question. If we didn't have competitive matches so early in the season, would we or any other team like us for that matter have taken a different approach to squad usage and injury 'management' (for want of a better word) during the months of June, July and August ? McGhee said himself in an interview (I think after the final group game) that the LC had impacted upon his pre-season preparations and eluded to the need to catch up. It's a read between the lines but to what degree of impact does such an early start to a season have upon a squad already asked to play a long season?

Begrudgingly agree with pretty much all of that. I raised the point a week or so ago about the strain on the squad resulting from the pre-season becoming more pressured and having 'must win' games so early in the season and I got kicked to bits for it. I know I got kicked for this before but would we be without Moult now if we'd had a regular pre-season? Make no bones about it, a league cup run will make a difference to club finances and the likes of killie and Ross County will be doing some early season and unplanned recalculations. Elongating the season and shortening the close season makes little practical sense to me. I have absolutely no issue with the format of the cup but IMHO it can only work and be of more appeal if it were given room to breath within a less densely populated fixture card and a more open league structure. Square peg round hole.

Skippy is carrying a knock? Has that been reported somewhere and I've missed it or was he jaded yesterday? Either way, hope it's not too serious.

Is he you?

Good luck to you Faddy!!!!

So, your logic is ???? I wasn't aware he'd had it since Christmas but even if that were so, the reasonable expectation surely would be that he'd have surgery done in the close season. Aren't you merely reinforcing my point????

Whilst I don't want to sound like a miserable sod, I can't say that I'm a fan. I've no problem with SPFL trying to spice the league cup up and I was willing to withhold judgement on this group format. However, the attendances have been poor, the prize money derisory and more to the point, given that we only have two cup competitions to enter and the potential financial saviour that a cup run can bring, there is too much pressure put on an underprepared and incomplete (not specific to Motherwell) squad with limited resources. The fact that Moult is having to play medicated and delaying surgery during pre-season is sufficient argument in itself. Yeah, it's exciting looking at all the permutations of second place qualification but it's that very pressure that in my opinion (and I'm trying to be balanced) that is unnecessary at this time of the season. The legacy of an injury to a key player may destroy a club and players season. I would hate to be lamenting the absence of or weakening of or top goal scorer in December when we're struggling for goals and in the wrong half of the league....all for that all important 4 or more win against East Stirling and Stranraer. The SPFL season is long enough as it is, yet it's deemed appropriate that teams must play in a summer cup. I just hope the January break does enough to compensate.

Fair point. Though isn't 90% of content on this forum speculation? I think given his lack of game time and signings to the roles that he can play, it's more justifiable speculation than a lot of the stuff that comes on here. I for one, hope that he gets his mojo back, he is a contracted Motherwell player and if he is going to be a good player for someone, then it may aswell be us.

Aye, I really don't understand why folk get themselves so knotted up with just how literally they must interpret the words of the team manager or club representatives. I am confident that we will have the much elusive attacking midfielder on our books post deadline day and my undergarments shall remain dry. As outlined above, the club have been given an almost impossible task of keeping momentum, balancing the books and repaying our "kind benefactor". Unfortunately, I suspect we're going to have to get used to things being done this way for the foreseeable.

I feel sorry for the lad. For any sportsman, confidence plays a huge part in their training and performance and just as it appeared that he may be turning the corner, getting a run at right back and scoring an important goal, Lady Luck screws him over. Unfortunately, I suspect his life at Motherwell is untenable and that he will be keen for a return closer to home every bit as much as McGhee will be keen to recycle a wage. It's a shame and I wish the boy luck cos if he gets his mojo back, he'll be a good player for someone.

Just a shame that warm clime has Internet

No, I don't think anyone is mate. That said, what I really like about this forum is how the site controllers (is that what you call them ?) allow the use of some colourful language and how in the main, people don't abuse that dare I say trust. There's always gonna be one who manages to test everyone's patience and at the minute, it's this guy. I mean, it takes real endeavour to continually provoke in the way that he does. Unfortunately for him, he's isolated himself and as a result, is now resorting to name calling. More to be pitied than scorned and if "everyone's oota line but oor Jock".....then I'm happy with being oota line.