Gadgey

None are so blind as those who choose not to see

As Tommy McLean proved before McGhee, you don't have to be likeable to be a decent Motherwell manager. McLean used to get fucking dogs abuse throughout his tenure...even when challenging for the league title. I never quite understood it myself but fickle are the mob!!! Given the predicament we were in, I was pleased to see McGhee back at the club and will be pleased to see him lead us into a new season in the SPFL. I know that it's based on 'what if' but had we not lost those points to late goals (much of which were out with his control by the way), we wouldn't have been talking about relegation for some time now and this forum would've seen discussion around top 6 and the outside chance of Europe. I think at his age, he knows his career isn't going to see the dizzy heights that he had once previously hoped. This may well work to our benefit and he may just stay on and build a squad that can give some top flight longevity. It will be a stronger league next season and even the McGhee haters must question whether we'd be stronger next season with him or without him.

McDonald knew what he was doing and despite it being a half hearted attempt, he would have known he was running the risk of attracting a red card. It was a very niggly game and the officials (plural because the linesmen are there to witness and report wrongdoing also) failed to nip it in the bud early. Had some early yellows gone out for the cynical digs on the likes of Johnson and Cadden, Utd would've had little choice but wind the neck in. The fella that rugby tackled Cadden was lucky to stay on and perhaps he was the refs compensation for the McDonald decision. But Paton? That was a straight red and if I recall, he was on a yellow already? I have no issue with Utd as a football club and I don't want them gone off the back of one hammer throwing performance. The manager who sent them out to behave like that and the players responsible for that thuggery have no rightful place At a club that prides itself on playing attractive football.

First and foremost, I'm really glad that of the two, the club chose McGhee over Mixu. I dread to think where we'd be right now with Mixu at the helm. He's had a lot more financial resource than McGhee and still can't find a solid 11. To the game, Utd are a team fighting for their lives and were always gonna have a period of dominance and kitchen sink and typically of them, it came early and collapsed with a sucker punch defensive lapse. Whilst we weren't really at it in the first half, we could easily have scored twice through McDonald and Marvin. By the same measure, Ripley deserves some kudos for some vital saves in the first half and kept us in the game. As an exile, this was my first opportunity to see Gomis and once playing in his natural position, he did a good job of breaking up play and starting some good counter attacking moves. The teams work rate in the second half cannot be faulted but the front three in particular, just by their work rate, tracking back and rotation throughout, they really did drag Utds defence all over the place. Moults goal typifies this. The ref had a bit of a shocker but how often can we say that his shocker was in our favour? We were due some fortune, I just hope the three injuries aren't the counter balance to that. And finally, BT.....I dunno about anyone else, but the constant focus on the 'was it a red? Was it a foul?' Was really fuckin tiresome !!! Not one replay of the many good pieces of play or goal opportunities by either team. How Chris Sutton got that gig is an absolute puzzle and after many years of not seeing nor hearing from him, my opinion that Darren Jackson is a greeting weasel faced wee bastard bastard that makes my skin itch has once again been reinforced.

McManus wants to stay...but do we want him to? http://m.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/14325080.Stephen_McManus_eyes_new_deal_as_Motherwell_win_derby/

Yep, they're all out celebrating!!!

A massive well done to the players and coaching staff!!! I said at the start of this thread that this game would be won or lost on psychology. Accies were true to form and the team stood up to them, refusing to be bullied. A fantastic win that I believe will be pivotal in securing our place in the top flight for another year. Accies on the other hand are really in the thick stuff. A very pleasing Saturday

Three accies players booked in first ten minutes. I wonder what their game plan is? Shower of bastards!!!

Again, my memory isn't always the best but didn't Eddie May spend a lot of time at right back too? And yeah, Didn't Craggs only serve as a filler at that stage and was behind Greig Denham(?) in the pecking order? What I do remember though is that those were dark days. A bit reminiscent of now really, we had previously enjoyed a period of success and were now suffering the hang over. Fan backlash was similar to now, the east stand (my usual haunt of the time) was not a happy place and would often empty with lots of game time left on the clock. The players often looked disengaged (the only Motherwell team I have ever questioned the commitment of) and whilst the sequences are a bit out, you could swap Harri Kampman for Ian Barraclough (in terms of sheer ineptitude) and dare I say McGhee for McLiesh (in terms of dividing opinion).

Aye, you're right on both counts. It was Paul Baker and I'm confusing him with McNair. Good memory skills Yabba's turd

I don't remember him referring to any particular game. My first thought was Joe McLeod or Paul Kinnaird but it could've been any one of the multitude of McLean signings throughout his tenure who came and went such as Mark Caughey, Jamie Fairlie or Davie (armitage) Shanks. I seem to remember a big guy who came up from England (maybe Doncaster), had a bit of skinhead and built like a brick shithouse and looked more at home stood wi the ss at the cage than on the pitch. He had a rocket shot on him but little else and just sort of ran about pissing people off. There was some scandal about him either twatting somebody in training or in the pub and then disappeared?

I know a bit off cup final topic but watching that win against rangers brings back some mixed memories. An absolutely fabulous win from a team that given the money spent putting it together, should never have been in the league position that they were. There were some great players in that side, Tommy Coyne and the invaluable Owen Coyle (a player that I'd loved to hate before he came to us but was definitely McLeish's only truly decent signing) and if I recall big buff and Craggs at the back. But of course, we also had Shaun McSkimming, Willie Faulkner, Kevin Christie and John Hendry to counter that balance. It was also great to hear kirkie and fergie reminiscing the cup run and fergie was right, our name was on the cup all along. I just knew that after the Falkirk game, we were away. I wonder who kirkie was referring to when he said about the striker that was just signed and got a start in his first game prompting kirkie to say to fergie "there he'll start the day and then he'll (wee tam) need to call on the professionals to come dig him out the hole and save his job". Any guesses????

I think Accies time is up. We can expect lots of blood guts and petulance from our inferior neighbours but if Motherwell have the right psychology (which I think is half the battle), we may see a repeat of the gubbing we dished out at fir park towards end of last season. If Motherwells heads aren't right, they'll allow themselves to be bullied. Depending upon midweek results, it may be a golden opportunity for us to give some clear space between us and the trap door whilst shoving Accies ever closer. It all depends on which Motherwell turns up.

Don't always agree with you mate but you're absolutely bang on there!....well said !!! I've said it on other threads on here that there are a lot of opinions voiced within forums or hurled at club employees and officials during games that are based solely upon ignorance (without knowledge or understanding of the facts). Unfortunately, I was sceptical of whether the club could achieve its promise to LH and after speaking to people who have previously had dealings with him in the steel industry, it appeared that there would be little likelihood of him releasing the club from its financial and contractual obligations if we don't fulfill our end of the bargain. But we are only 18 months in and there is lots of time for things to improve, bring fan ownership, or indeed, source tangible alternatives that may sustain the clubs future. People tend to forget that when LH assumed control, the club were short on alternatives and I personally have little to criticise the board or indeed the presen general manager for......largely because I am ignorant to the facts.

mate, your response just exposes your ignorance. But if it helps this needless tittle tattle then you win. G'on yersel big man!

Aye Graham, that must make you the oracle.....please feel free to enlighten

And you know this because........????? I mean, have you seen the blokes CV, or were you on the interview panel? Seen the job description and list of other applicants? Or have you just made a desperate leap of assumption based upon your own ignorance?

Don't know the guy but can massively relate to his situation in a professional capacity. It seems to me that because he hasn't got white hair, isn't a bit stuffy and generally looks like he spends his match days stood at the back of the east stand eating pies, then he just HAS to be an imposter!!! I don't know what forum or website he set up but I do know that it appears to be high on his priority list to keep Motherwell in the media eye and improve transparency (or at least the perception of it) of club goings on to the fanbase. Unfortunately, from experience,no matter how hard you try to be open with people there will always be stote the baws out there who will look for the conspiracy theory, make a target of you and look to blame YOU. Unfortunately, for MFC, Alan Burrows is the YOU!!!

That Twitter chart does box it off really. The majority of teams in the SPFL buy from the same bargain footballer shop and almost all of them have to rebuild at the end of every season, so inconsistency and league position jostling are inevitable. Realistically, there are four teams fighting to avoid 11th. All it takes is any one team to go on a run and they are safe. I believe that given the next five fixtures, we could just be that team. We've had our bad run, and whilst we'll never turn into Barcelona, there is enough in that squad to put us in a comfortable position before the split. Conversely, one team could plummet allowing the rest of the pack to breath easy. But as our 2016 results show, you could be utter dogshit and still be within touching distance due to the inconsistency of others. It'll be interesting to see how Kilmarnock respond to the new gaffer. Clark has a fairly good rep down south and if he hits the ground running, could manage to get them to put a run together. Thistle will manage to limp over the line just as unspectacularly as they have been all season. Which leaves Accies. What can be said about accies without heart ruling head? I think/hope that come season end, they will be in 11th and will get their arses well felt in the play offs!! And then, they can take their joob joob manager, amateur league pitch and pitiful excuse stadium back to where it belongs in the lower leagues. Either way, we have a major rebuilding job to do for next season and with hibs and the Rangers back in amongst it, it'll become even more difficult for us to stay in the top flight.

A 3-0 win is a 3-0 win and shouldn't be in any way diminished. Sometimes winning ugly is the only way to do it and relegation battles are seldom classics and hopefully Tweed is right that simply by virtue of the margin, it will spur the team on for the coming weeks. I would take 9 ugly points from the next 12 in a heartbeat!!!

Good god !!! If people think we've got problems with the dressing room and the managers public comments about some of his team, then I'd hate to be a terror. On the topic of the manager, I'm really glad that one of his tactical re-jigs has worked for him. Think what you like of him, it was a bold move to do that last night. I would take a 3-0 win every week even when not playing well, but were Utd as piss poor as Thompson says in his rant or was it just a rant that perhaps his players didn't merit? The reason I ask is, was last night a true indication of us turning the corner or us simply managing to turn over a team who are just more shite than we are?

I wish people would just chill the fuck out!!! Yes, we're on a poor run and yes if we want to avoid relegation or at the very least the play offs, then yes, results have to improve. But if you listen to both managers post match interviews, they both thought a draw was a fair result in poor conditions which did not allow for any type of decent football. Short of a bad referee call and a deflected shot by the obligatory ex player, we would've been 7th and looking to go 9 points clear of killie and 11th place in our next league game. Sometimes that's how shit rolls and we're at the bottom of the hill!! Our luck will change and we will not be relegated. And if folk take themselves off their self imposed suicide watch, we've got a cup run to put together and the squad will need some positive backing to do that !!!

There's some right stoaters bouncing about this forum tonight!!! Yes, McGhee made some bad decisions in his team selection but all today has highlighted for me is despite us having a relatively large squad in size, there is a very limited depth of ability for any manager to choose from. It's not the first time that Hammil or Chalmers have been played out of position in Motherwell colours. If I recall rightly, Chalmers was touted as being capable of playing anywhere along the back four when he signed for us? Equally, have people forgotten that Josh Law was signed as a midfielder? Indeed, it wasn't that long ago that this forum was alight wi folk banging on about how he was NEVER a right back??? It's easy to pick names from the squad and ask why they weren't played (like Kennedy who we were also led to believe could play right back when signed) but without any inside knowledge, it's purely conjecture based upon opinion and in some cases prejudices. Some folk need to chill. The real test is how the squad respond to that today. Yes, today was a gubbing but in most respects, it was one of those games where everything went right for hearts and dreadfully wrong for us. Their first two goals being perfect examples. Yes, Motherwell were rudderless. Yes, their marking was shocking. Yes, Ripley had a 'mare and Yes, it all coincided with a particularly 'at it' hearts team. Shit lack that can happen and has happened with slimmer defeats and also in our favour in not too distant past. But for me, other than the opposition in particularly punishing form, it was a return to the all too familiar form of August through to perhaps mid November. Which tells me that the squad needs an overhaul and that will take time and patience. I hope we manage to get at least one competent midfielder in this window. If we do, mid table and even top six is achievable. If we don't, then that lack of squad depth will have us nervously looking at results elsewhere from week to week.

Christ, You can tell I've been living away too long. When I used to have my season ticket, they used to do some stretches, keepy uppy, shooty in and Bobby Russell would shake out his back perm LOL Mon the well!!! We'll get something out of today.

Christ, You can tell I've been living away too long. They used to do some stretches, keepy uppy and shooty in LOL Mon the well!!! We'll get something out of today.