CMWellfan

Maybe we should just not bother entering, seeing how it's just a friendly match and all that. The first competitive game of the season is against Rangers - and if we fail to qualify from this group questions have to be asked of the manager. McGhee has conned ya'll into low expectations - someone should tell him that finishing tenth and going out in the first round of the cups is not our seasons ambition.

Do you think the club knows that Robbie Leitch signed for Burnley? they haven't mentioned it. Maybe they forgot that he played for us.

The same you way you reneged on your promise to not read this thread till August?

I want a photo. I'm not moaning, I'm merely observing in a whiney fashion - not quite the same thing.

Och behave yourself - I'm all happy about Skippy re-signing and your away fighting yesterdays battles. Oh, and you've got a cheek, you keep knocking me into a deep depression with your "mind the Well Society said we're skint," posts. So you quit with your I.M. Jolly posts and I'll quit being an annoying bastid. Deal?

Jeez, that's just mendacious - go look up the word "renege," in the dictionary - and dinnae go picking out the only definition that suits you just cos you want to win an internet argument. renege rɪˈneɪɡ,rɪˈniːɡ/ verb verb: renege; 3rd person present: reneges; past tense: reneged; past participle: reneged; gerund or present participle: reneging; verb: renegue; 3rd person present: renegues; past tense: renegued; past participle: renegued; gerund or present participle: reneguing go back on a promise, undertaking, or contract. "the government had reneged on its election promises" synonyms: default on, fail to honour, go back on, break, back out of, pull out of, withdraw from, retreat from, welsh on, backtrack on; Lets just go with that fact that the club failed to honour the terms of the contract - by dint, reneged. Man, between you and weeyin, you'd think I didn't have a grasp of the English language.

No one is asking the club to give us a minute by minute, blow by blow account of contract negotiations. If we stick to facts, and facts alone, we know that as of today neither Scott McDonald or Robbie Leitch are Motherwell players. After having it rammed down our necks that the club is skint, and with many of us pouring money into the Well Society to assist the future stability of the club, we are entitled to know at some point if our Board of Directors and management are looking after our club's interests and securing our best assets. If it turns out that one of our brightest prospects, who has been developed by us for ten years, has walked for nothing - the club should not be shocked that supporters are enraged.

McGhee announced that the club offered less money. Anyway - I hope I'm wrong about Robbie Leitch and I we get a fee of some sort for him. I wish him all the best at his new club. I'm away to watch the politics, at least that's a tad entertaining.

Look, I understand you wish to enter into a word play battle - it's a Thursday afternoon and you're bored out of your skull. That's fine. Let me explain something to you that may astound you - Scott McDonald is not a Motherwell player today. He's not a Motherwell player today because the club offered him lesser terms than agreed for the option part of his contract. Therefore, we lost him, gone, see ya. It should be clear to anyone that I believe that to be a ludicrous situation. It should also be clear to anyone that I would love him to sign back on. It should not have come to this. The decision to renege on the agreed deal ( and yes, I know what renege means, weeyin ) was ridiculous. The same members who went on a festival of wittering stupidity when I said "play the youngsters," after we reached top six. I said that because I believe that youth development is the only thing that will save us from going into administration again. "Ahh, but we need the extra £100,000 per place," came the self-righteous chant. Okay - so we need the money. I'm of the opinion that if McDonald was not in the team last season, we would not have made the top six. I'm of the opinion that he drove us up several places in the league, and earned every coin of his contract option. And we repayed him by cutting his wages. So he walked. I think my first ever post on this board a couple of months ago I described our clubs attitude to contracts as "chickenshit." Many of you went ballistic at said description. Go to the Burnley FC website and read the words "Robbie Leitch, free transfer." Now tell me that my description of the club's contract policy is not correct. We lose our most influential outfield player for the sake of £30-£40 grand. We've just lost £240,000 cos the club couldn't be bothered making contract offers in a timely basis. This is an omnishambles, ( look it up, weeyin ). And while tonight you'll go to bed holding your Fir Park cuddlebear tight, and praying for McDonald to resign, it shouldn't have come to this. A serious fail by our club.

Except the fact that we offered him less money than agreed.

Have you read this thread? as soon as he was offered lesser terms ( ie we reneged on the second year of his deal ) he was automatically a free agent. Pay attention ffs.

Yes, I admit I had a breakdown about the footballing and financial illiteracy of giving Hammell a two year deal while freeing Scott McDonald. I understand from sources that the Tooth Fairy is coming to Fir Park next close season to sprinkle cash on the pitch. That's the reason why we have given a two year contract to a fragile thirty-four year old. But wait! He can be a coach too! ( sorry about using exclamation marks, me bad ). It seems our club is going for a new record of having more part-time coaches in the first team than players. Cute. And now we are seeing another example of footballing and financial illiteracy if it's true that we have lost Robbie Leitch for nothing ( yet to be proven so lets calm down ). I may not be a genius, but as a long-term devotee of rushing things to meet deadlines, I do know what a deadline is. So if you told me that the deadline to offer a player a contract or risk losing him for nothing was March 31st - guess what? Especially when there's £240,000 at stake at a club that's wittering about the Old Firm only coming once next season? ffs - is it only me that's embarrassed?

Yes we did. He was one of those listed as being offered a contract on a club statement back in May.

Lets hope The Sun are correct and McDonald re-signs.

Note the club announcement of the squad numbers today - can you see McDonald's name anywhere? No? That's because he's a free agent - by dint, automatically freed, because the club reneged on the second year of his deal.

You can blame the club for that. They have made it clear that we are skint, my god, at every opportunity forum moderator David comes on with his best I.M. Jolly "Remember we were told at the Well Society meeting we're skint, we're doomed." So you better believe that fans are going to go nuts when a fragile veteran is given a two year deal and McDonald is freed to save next to nothing. Read your post again, think about what you said - has the penny dropped now?

McDonald is a free agent, an ex-Motherwell player.

Can we afford to lose him?

You know I don't have that link so there's your internet victory for the evening - well done. What I do know is that he was offered reduced terms on the option part of his contract which automatically made him a free agent. That's always been the case, even pre-Bosman - reduced terms = automatic free. I can't believe our club reneged on the second year of McDonald's deal, can't believe it.

Aye, very good. Sign up Hammell for two years, lose Pearson and McDonald. Who's running our club, Dumb and Dumber?

Reading between the lines the offer was too good for Pearson to turn down - and way beyond what was on offer by us. So what do we do? force a 33 yo to stay with us when he could get a final payday elsewhere? or do the "right," thing and let him go? One oft quoted attraction by players to the club is that we have a reputation for being a good club to play for - and maybe part of that is being realistic. Anyway - we're now looking over-endowed with defenders, do we really need ten if Hammy signs? We're looking light in midfield, if Ainsworth and Pearo go, only four. Ouch. And featherweight up front. I like the look of last weeks signings - I think Mr McGhee still has plenty on his plate getting the squad into shape for next season.

Anybody got an up to date squad list?

What's he fuming about? He knew that Hall had only five months left on his contract when he decided to put him in the shop window. He handed all the aces on a plate to the agent. And, oh dear, the agent did his job - who knew that was going to happen, huh? It's just another example of our clubs chickenshit attitude to youth players contracts. I'd have been more impressed if McGhee hadn't bothered with his Scotland jolly and actually spent time with the development squad. However, for that the loons on this board think I should be hung,drawn and quartered. Just as soon as they spread the cheese on their piece and catch the bus to work. You can't help stupid.

Aye well, mild breakdown, huh? - Young guy rocks up to his first day at your work - "I was on the books at Motherwell." "Really, I'm a big fan - in fact, I remember you - what happened?" "Well, McGhee said he'd come in and train us with a view to advancing us to the first team - I didnae bother - I was entitled to my holidays, you see." You'd be appalled - However, on this forum you've all appointed yourselves union officials. "Aye, yer right, son - I'd have done the same thing in yer shoes. Cannae be having experienced football managers trying their best to give you a career in football. Tea break is at 10.00, and ye can do a half shift on Saturday tae make up yer wages."

^^ Yup - and note the stupid talk on here about the under 20's burning out. The biggest risk these under 20's have is not making it in the game at all. 90% of them are going to have the remainder of their lives to rest, and I bet just about every single one of them would love to turn the clock back to work under the exclusive supervision of their first team manager, and try to both learn from him and impress him. The few that wouldn't want to turn the clock back will end up on forums like this in years to come saying things like "entitled to a holiday, " and "burned out." FFS - wake up.