MJC

“And spend it wisely” Well that’s the thing isn’t it? Can he spend money wisely? Will he be able to? On evidence so far it doesn’t look too promising that he can be trusted to and given that we need to bring in at least one forward who is capable of putting them ball in the net as that could be the difference between relegation and staying up then it’s going to be a big transfer window for him and us.

We’re getting nothing but pumped here. We can’t defend and we can’t score unless we are chasing the game. Nothing will change here. Shankland will tear our defence to shreds, Sibbick will have the easiest game of his life as he easily snuffs out our powderpuff attack and Biereth will be our only hope of getting on the scoresheet, probably when we’re 3-0 down. 1-4 to Edinburgh’s finest.

Are they better than that though? The only difference I can see is their numbers are smaller. Most other boxes are ticked, jumping on the park, flares, arguing with and antagonising stewards, shite banners, daft wee attention seeking protests and throwing stuff. They stop short of the Green Brigade style political shite but I suspect that’s only because they know that would lose them even more goodwill with the club and the rest of the fanbase. Though I’m slightly surprised they haven’t voiced their ‘solidarity’ with their pals from Parkhead over the GB’s suspension. I suppose there’s time yet eh Bhois?

Oh yeah you’re right. It’s 2 right enough. Its still not good enough, no matter how you try and dress it up.

No wins in nine and only one point scraped during that same period. There is nothing to be positive about. We are a poor, poor side.

If this finishes 2-2 then it does nothing more than paper over the ever growing cracks. We are rank rotten.

He’d still demand a decent salary and guarantees over transfers which he just wouldn’t get with us. It’s a non starter.

No it’s because he is a proven solid manager at our level who has a reputation of taking no shite and knows how to organise his teams. That’s never going to happen. We would never be able to match his wage demands and even if we did our mentality and outlook as a club would put him off straight away. Love him or hate him Neil Lennon is a winner and wants to be involved with clubs who share his outlook. We don’t, so that’s why he will never come near us.

But the fact that the same core of players have seemingly downed tools for Alexander, Hammell and now Kettlewell would suggest that they are being allowed to do so somehow? And that to me points to weak management. I don’t think for a minute that if Craig Levein was in charge that they would get away with that kind of attitude.

If Craig Levein was our manager they wouldn’t get away with turning in so many gutless, clueless performances. Just saying.

Time to go. No two ways about it. We won’t replace him with anyone who will change things for the better in the long run but Stuart Kettlewell is done for us. Seven defeats out of eight following the utter shite he signed in the summer can’t result in anything else I’m afraid.

No words.

Right between the two defenders and he still wins the header. Game over.

How could he get his hand out of the way there??

Disagree, there was a notable difference in the workrate of certain players from when Hammell left and Kettlewell took the job last season. Perhaps it was down to confidence of getting a run of good results but there has also been a notable difference in workrate and attitude of several players over the past four or five weeks. And not in a good way.

He is a good goalkeeper, I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. However he has been poor this season and arguably for longer but is seemingly undroppable. If he is continually turning in performances which are below what you’d hope or expect then his position as No.1 has to be called into question, captain and Scotland cap or not.

Arsehole or not he’s still a good manager at this level. Yes of course. He is just a young boy after all and can’t really be expected to play every game.

Biereth and Wilkinson up top, SO’D returns to the starting lineup, still no Miller.

The players can’t be absolved of blame but if they are collectively downing tools then it raises the question of the strength of the management team.

For me this is a big worry because it’s eerily similar to how things were in the last few weeks of Hammell and before Kettlewell took over. In the 2-3 loss v Hibs at home, the losses at St.Mirren and Aberdeen, the home loss v St.Johnstone midweek and the Raith cup tie several players looked absolutely disinterested and disheartened. Then Hammell goes and Kettlewell takes over and you had Spittal, KvV, Slattery, Goss all looking like different players with a much improved attitude. Unfortunately now we are seeing heads drop again and too many look disinterested, disheartened and lacking any direction and unless we get a positive result tonight and again on Saturday then you worry about how and if we can get back on track. Tonight is vital.

I’m a wee bit younger than you by the sounds of it but inspite of how some of my posts may sound at times I’m exactly the same. I genuinely couldn’t imagine life without supporting Motherwell FC and like you whenever I meet my dad for a beer it’s one of the main topics. They frustrate the shite out of me more often than not but outwith family and friends the club is the one constant in life for me and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Absolutely. Woods just kept turning up like a bad penny during his nine long year stay with us. Numerous keepers came in, dislodged him as first choice then moved on and there he was again, as bad as ever.* As for Howie he really came onto a game whilst with us and was even talked about for a Scotland cap. As I remember he refused to sign a new contract, went awol, couldn’t get a club then tried to come back before he was eventually signed by Tommy Burns at Reading. *And yes, I am fully aware that Stevie Woods is now the top goalkeeping coach in the country having worked at Celtic for years and is no doubt a very decent guy who gave his all when he was with us. It’s just unfortunate that his all wasn’t near good enough and he wasn’t half as good at goalkeeping as he appears to be coaching it.

Yes that’s true I did say that and I don’t see any reason to believe otherwise. Unlike the players, the coaching staff and those higher up in the club I am not in a position to be able to properly influence and affect results. The reason I don’t think we’ll ever beat either of them again is because we have the wrong mentality that runs right through the club nowadays which basically shrugs off these games and dismisses them because “we can’t compete with their budgets”. And while that bit is undoubtedly true we are no different to every other non OF side in that regard, yet Killie, St,Johnstone, Livingston, Ross County, Dundee Utd, St.Mirren and Accies have all managed to beat one or both of them since we last managed it. But sadly “we’re just a wee club punching way above our weight” and as long as we don’t get relegated and continue to “exist to improve people’s lives” then all is good and we should just be grateful eh?

It’s certainly not the best circumstances for us and why I felt it was a bad thing for us when the original game was called off, because we badly needed to halt the run of what at that time was four straight losses. Since then that run has become six defeats from seven with only one point picked up with games against Hearts and Celtic coming up. Meanwhile St.Johnstone have sacked their manager, picked up a big win last week and now appointed a good manager. Somehow we just have to find a way of getting a result tonight but it’s hard to see it.

Being an arsehole doesn’t make someone a bad manager. Quite often you find it’s the opposite. St.Johnstone haven’t hired him to hand out werthers originals at training and dance through the fields of rural Perthshire of a summer evening, they’ve hired him to get them out of a relegation battle and Levein will do that imo.