Lan_Lad

I don't think anybody should be fixated about failing to beat the OF, in the current era in particular very few do. We're 29 league games in and each have lost to a non OF side just once. And let's not kid ourselves these sides had some sort of strategy that works. It's just one of those rare days when maybe the OF side isn't quite at it and everything is falling the smaller sides way, they got lucky effectively. Motherwell simply haven't been lucky but that's probably the case with others too. The OF have never been this dominant and chances are they will continue to strengthen their dominance making any wins against them even rarer. Nobody but each other has even beaten them in a cup this season, the usual route to a trophy for non OF sides.

I think so too, in fact I think the league has shaken out early this season. I feel there's a possibility the table wont look too much different come the end of the season. This game doesn't mean anything, I know there's a lot of talk about them being off form recently but that's only relative. Even if we had beaten them they would still be top of the league, how off form is that?

To be fair in the second half I think everyone knew they were going to score sooner or later. And the latter stages were a nail biting siege. But still. Only the third time any team has taken any points from them this season. Have to be happy with that. The sheep are nothing in comparison to them so we might go there with some confidence.

The new manager can't be judged on this if it all goes pear shaped. In Scottish terms they're a very strong side indeed and in fact in Europa league terms too. Two seasons in a row they have qualified for the knockout stages and this season topped their group. That's how big a challenge this is. We can hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.

Frankly I don't see any new manager being as good as Robinson. It's been a poor first half to a season which began with high hopes but has descended into what may become a relegation battle. This smacks of Hearts last season when they fired Levein and expected anything to change. It didn't and they were relegated. I believe they would have survived if they had kept Levein.

I have a suspicion that Gerrard may not leave anytime soon for anything but Liverpool. As everyone knows he's a born and bred Liverpool boy raised in a Liverpool supporting family. Came up through their academy system from about 9 years old to ultimately captain them and putting aside the one year at LA Galaxy I think it was to finish off his career he spent that entire career at Liverpool. Effectively a one club man despite the fact at his peak he frequently appeared in world best 11 selects and could have had his pick of teams to play at. He never moved despite the fact Liverpool were in a relative slump so he gave up the chance to win more trophies and probably earn a lot more money to stay at his beloved Liverpool. When I think of Gerrard i'm reminded of something Sir Alex Ferguson once said after being offered the job of England manager. When asked why he turned it down he stated that it was tempting but there was no way he could lead out an England team against Scotland. I suspect Gerrard may feel the same about Liverpool. If though Klopp were to step down and Gerrard were offered the job he would be on the M74 before the dropped phone hit the floor.

I think in the second half it simply became too much to contain them any longer. In that second half they brought on Aribo, Hagi, and Itten. One of that trio scored the other two provided assists. That's just one of the major difference between them and most of the rest of the league. That type of quality sitting on the bench waiting to be deployed with fresh legs if required. To my knowledge Motherwell are the only Scottish team to have taken a lead against them in league matches this season and the only Scottish team to have scored a goal at Ibrox. Given the gulf in class and available resources on the bench it was an acceptable attempt.

These games aren't about turning up with an 'attitude'. If that were the case lower league sides with an attitude would be winning trophies. They're not because the real issue is quality of player. St Mirren pulled off their shock result with a game plan that worked on the night not an attitude. And they still just barely got that result so I don't think anyone should be reading too much into it. St Mirren managed to negate Tavernier while focusing on breaking down the other side at Bassey. As I say it worked on the night and is a game plan many others including Robinson may now be looking at. If you can stop Tavernier playing you might disturb their momentum. But I don't see Rangers being any less of a formidable force because of one loss in what is it? About 27 games or something like that? They're still massive favourites to win this. And personally I would prefer they hadn't lost their winning run just before we play them at Ibrox.

The gap between the OF and the rest of the league has never been so great as it is now. In times gone by most sides had at least something of a transfer budget. Now most sides have pretty much nothing of a transfer budget while operating in the freebie market. Contrast that with the OF who will spend more on a single player in a single window than the rest of the league combined will spend in decades. They're shopping at M&S while everyone else is largely shopping at the charity store or pound stretchers at best. There is no comparison. They have more value sitting on the bench than the rest of the league combined will spend in decades.

Pretty much the way I see it. A "below par" Celtic easily disposed of an on form Aberdeen last week. The OF are on another level entirely and that has to be accepted. They would take the top two spots with a second string.

Nobody but perhaps the other half is beating them regularly. You're telling me a team that finished 20+ points ahead of third place in a season that wasn't even finished are being beaten regularly by anybody? This season, look at that table. Just 9 games gone and they have a +19 GD. And nobody has beaten them. They're not the competition for anybody but Celtic.

Sure, the odd one off game. But this just wasn't that odd one off game.

Budgets not attitudes are the thing. Budgets are exactly why the OF have been winning the league for decades. Exactly why only a handful of teams can win the CL. You can't tell me approaching 40 years of league domination by two teams is down to an attitude.

I don't see this as any guide to the prospects for the season. The defeat of the sheep away from home was more of a guide. Rangers are going to do this to a lot more than Motherwell. They went away to Holland and hit 4 against a side with a far bigger budget than Motherwell. Did anyone really expect to take anything from this? I didn't. On to Kilmarnock.

While the sheep have to be favourites given their run and home advantage I don't see this as a mountain to climb. They're not the OF or anything like it. They're big and physical, expect a lot of fouling, but they're no silky football playing goal machine. Get the first goal and this can be a good away win.

And so were Hearts fans at this stage in their relegation season. See how that plays out if things don't change as it progresses. And i'm not advocating for removing Robinson even if it doesn't change.

I would take that in a heartbeat but it's pie in the sky. There's as much chance of winning the league as making Europa groups.

The similarities to Hearts are striking. The Hearts fans spent a year blaming everything on Levein, it's Levein's fault, get him out and all will be well. They eventually got that wish, and nothing changed. Nothing but them falling even further down the league. It is a fact that the longer this type of form goes on the harder it's going to be to dig a way out of it. If a win isn't secured over St Johnstone it's unlikely to come in the next two. Though in saying that I don't see Aberdeen as some sort of footballing superpower. It's more realistic that something could be taken from them even away from home than taking anything from either of the OF home or away.

See this is the thing, take Hearts as the example. They seemed to be flying high at the start of the 18/19 season. I think they won their first 11 games on the trot beating everybody in the league. Began to entertain fantasies of winning the league. Then it all crashed and burned. Had barely a handful of wins or so over the next 18 months. They would have been relegated 18/19 if not for the stellar start. And on paper they had a very strong squad which had their fans and the media pundits too thinking they will turn it around. They never did and look where they are now. In addition to that they were dominant in a vast number of those losing games. Superior possession, much greater numbers of shots at goal in comparison to most of the opposition. They simply couldn't score and as often as not the opposition who were digging in like ticks were snatching a goal on the break or at a set piece. Sound familiar?

It's too early to be overly concerned about relegation but there sure are concerns. I wouldn't be concerned about losses to the OF, that will happen to everybody but two of the next three matches are Aberdeen away and Rangers at home. A tall order given current form. Accies have 1 league win and 4 losses from their 5 games. No need to mention where they got that solitary win. I feel it might be prudent to invest some of the Turnbull money on strengthening to attempt putting some space between us and the relegation zone as early as possible. All last season Hearts fans kept expecting their descent to be turned around. It never happened and we're in a season that may be cut short then called as it stands.

Ten minutes of highlights. Not a pretty sight but did create some chances.

And if evidence of that were needed, Griffiths left behind when Celtic went to France. For not being in condition.

Little can be read into a defeat at Ibrox. Firstly a major reason for pre season friendlies is simply fitness and accumulating sharpness. And secondly they're going to be hammering a lot more than Motherwell there in the season ahead. They're not the competition to be judged against.

It's a grim Buenos Aires day in 1928 and Argentina have just been spanked 3-0 by Motherwell. FULL ARTICLE

In the circumstances and from a financial point of view as many away ties as possible would be the preference for the first quarter. With OF ties away being an additional preference. We got 6 away ties from the first round of 11 games with one OF home tie.