CMWellfan

I reckon Chalmers will come good next season, then we'll lose him as he's out of contract at season's end. Losing players for nothing is something we excel at - world class, in fact.

A prime example of the delusion I'm talking about. We we're almost down last year, and three months ago we were looking at the same scenario, play off place. Today only proves the absolute folly of going into next season with the current squad. Dire - dreadful - and that has been the pattern for two years.

Correct. But I bet McGhee will be saying to himself that Lasley would have stopped that rout if here were on the park. I think not. Too many fans are deluding themselves - we had a miracle run after months of painful embarrassment - and after a year of embarrassment the year before. The "spine," of our team, as some would have it, is broken - and has been for a while. Once again - we are giving contracts to five players who are past it or of next to zero value to the team on the park. Time to wake up, or we will be relegated next season.

Correct - there's way too many delusional people on this board, forgetting the evidence in front of their eyes. It now seems to be the received wisdom that McFadden and Samson can go, and no one would be bothered. Fine - Have a serious look at the other three as first team players - already yards off the pace, already seriously culpable in way too many games, with one in particular becoming a liability every time he goes in for a tackle. The excellent run that McGhee produced from February has clouded too many people to the dire reality until then, way too many woeful, shocking performances from guys that were supposed to be the bedrock of our team. With a squad of twenty, with possibly only one goalkeeper ( wtf? ) we can't accommodate so many players that we, as fans, know are seriously limited. Side issue - haven't seen much comment on it - I can't believe it's even in McGhee's mind to start the season with one keeper "squad of twenty, maybe twenty-one IF we add a goalkeeper," he said. So what's it going to be if the sole keeper is unavailable? an emergency loan? What a state we are in.

And I fear relegation next year if we go into the season with 25% plus of our limited squad over the hill - If we lose Moult, ( strong possibility ) McGhee had better put his magician's robe to dig up a striker with anything like a comparable work rate and ability to hit the net. Lose McDonald to injury? we're in serious trouble. At this rate, we'll be fielding one of the oldest, slowest, and most inept defences in the league next year. They say that every war is fought by generals using the tactics of the last war - McGhee needs to wake up to the fact that the Old Guard has broken. Even Napoleon couldn't stop that happening -

I'd say it's mad running the first team on the basis that a couple of guys might get their coaching badges.

Take out the emotional attachment. If the players offered reduced terms were with other clubs - would you want the club to go out and sign them? I think not. I'd rather that all five were released so that we can sign players that will give us half a chance of getting some transfer money in. And I have enough faith in Mark McGhee to believe that he is capable of digging out a couple of new players from outwith the club who will do exactly that. And that's before we look at our development squad. We can't afford to be giving contracts to players who will realize zero value, and of whom, at least two I regard as passengers, the other three of borderline worth to the team. Can you picture a scenario where any one of these five will be offered a further contract in a years time? Again, I think not. I can picture a scenario where we'll land in administration again, though - and we'll hasten that by pumping resources into veteran, injury prone players.

The enclosures at the main stand were always popular when open - can't see it costing a fortune to bring them back into play

Motherwell 2 Rangers 1, October 18 1975. Attendance 19,000. What an introduction.

No certainty that Boro will be in the EPL next year - have a look at the top of the Championship and remaining fixtures.

^^ I'm underwhelmed. The only one I would keep is McDonald, the rest are limited, and if we can't find someone better to replace them it's time for new scouts.

I've bought a ticket for the meal, then immediately forgot about it and booked a holiday in Italy to coincide with it. You're right - there's been next to no buzz about it at all - at the very least is should be all over the facebook feed.

Look at the bright side - at least McGhee will have a chance to organize his pre-season scedule without worrying about an away game to a team we cannae spell or find on the map. I note the Europa league first round, first leg is played June 30th. The way it's going we may as well just bite the bullet and go for summer football - FIFA and UEFA are driving us that way as it is with their qualifying matches being played as late as 10 June.

If you could point to a singular imported player that went for a decent fee in the last few years I'd agree with you. You can't - so your argument is flawed. And not one of us would be shocked if we ended up losing Moult and Johnston for nothing too. Our transfer record is dire, appalling - and the amount of money we have blown on useless imports makes that even more painful.

Ten years of near abject failure in youth development - and the one's that we did develop went for either a pittance or free due to our inept contract policy. Transfer income at the club has been a disgrace - and if we don't get it sorted out we'll end up bust again.

Same ol' same ol' - we're in this financial mess because we have failed to develop youth. We as a club should be embarrassed by how poorly we have performed in this regard.

I couldn't disagree more. Get the youngsters in the team, forget about the £200,000 ( going by the assumption you are making that blooding youngsters = automatic defeat ). We are in wonderland, bonus ball territory - not one of us saw this coming. I'd much rather we blooded the youngsers now when it is bonus ball time and give them a psychological boost to carry them through pre-season training. My pals grandson, who has been with Rangers since he was ten, was named in the Rangers first team squad back in November ( he's now 17 ) and while he didn't get game time, the boy is walking on air. Already determined, he's now like a dog with a bone, doing everything he can every single day to get into that team. Now is the time for man management by McGhee - get those boys onto the first team pitch, and that is their reward for doing so well in the under 20's this year. Or shall we just go chase a few quid and leave these young players deflated? I think not.

Like everyone else, I am delighted by our turnaround, and all credit has to go to the manager. Stuart McColl took us on an interesting journey but failed to generate sufficient transfer income. The current manager gives youth a go, and we need transfer money more than ever.

Long time lurker - Lets be blunt about it - the £100,000 a year is chickenfeed compared to the club turnover. Probably around 2% of the club total revenue. Okay, it's welcome, it's handy, but it's delusional to think that The Well Society will ever develop into anything more than a sticking plaster. The Society is LOSING highly committed Motherwell fans, and that's bad news. The real calamity at our cub has been the boards chickenshit attitude to contracts. Jeez, this week we are supposed to celebrate the extension of Chris Cadden's contract to 2018. The find of the season? a two year contract? come on - we're going to end up having to sell him by next summer or watch him leave for a development fee. I nearly fainted when the club gave Moult a three year contract, and I'm delighted that we did so as he is a prime example of what I'm talking about. A two year contract would have seen him able to sign a pre-contract agreement in January, and you can be sure with his form there would be clubs sniffing about him if they thought they could get him free. I'm aware that Cadden and his agent may not have agreed to a three year contract, but two year contracts have been the default position for too long. The money we have blown by losing transfer fees is a disgrace. Maybe someone should start a thread and work it out how much we have lost watching players given a platform by Motherwell walk out for nothing or a pittance. That is the real shame of the board, and of the club. Man, look at the Ryan Gauld transfer - that represents 30 years income for The Well Society, and that's before we even start looking at the other Dundee Unted transfers. It's getting humiliating for us - we WERE a club that could develop and sell. Will I support the Well Society? yes. But the board better get there act together and understand that it is they who are failing the club by handing out misjudged contracts, and leaving us wide open to be taken advantage of. Useless.