MJC

Moult has looked much more like the Moult we knew and loved so far tonight. He looks a lot fitter and sharper than he did at any point last season. But as I’ve always said, no player is bigger than the club. See whenever I read your posts, I just immediately think of the average ‘pub bore’. You know, the loudmouth that stands at the bar listening into and trying to butt into various conversations around him. Always got plenty to say about fuck all and is just a general annoyance to everyone in earshot. Anyone who has ever frequented a pub in or around Motherwell or Glasgow in the last 20 years will know where I’m coming from on that.

I didn’t say he didn’t know what he was doing with signings, just that they were underwhelming so far, which they are. That may be down to factors outwith his control, ie. budget. What I have said though is that SK has earned the chance to prove himself after doing a very good job so far since taking over in February. He managed to get a lot more out of certain players than Hammell did and the workrate and application was ten times better once SK took over. So if he continues to do well for us, getting that bit more out of players, even our ‘underwhelming’ signings and we as a team do well then it stands to reason that he’ll attract the attention of the likes of Aberdeen should they be looking for a new manager. All hypothetical of course.

If they get off to a bad start in the league then the pressure will be straight on Robson. And if we are outperforming them in the league then it’s only natural to expect Kettlewell to be in the frame should they punt Robson.

Definitely, he’s not going to be a regular in the team throughout the season but I can see him having that ‘wow’ factor now and again and I think he’ll make an impact. It’s too early to say if he’s going to have a Turnbull type impact in the longer term but there is definitely cause for optimism around him.

I think Spittal will be a key player for us this season, with Lennon Miller being the one who gets fans off their feet. Obviously we can’t pin too much expectation on him as he’s only going to turn 17 this month but this could be a big season for him.

Right. So, any thoughts on the season ahead then?

This does sound a promising capture. Good luck to him and hope it works well for him and us.

So a new season starts on Saturday, what’s everyone’s thoughts? The summer transfer business hasn’t exactly set the Heather on fire so far but only time will tell how it will pan out and I don’t really see anything in the other nine non OF sides to suggest that the league will be anything other than tight this season. We could well be relegated but we could well finish 3rd, nothing would surprise me. The Cups will bring nothing but disappointment i reckon, starting with a defeat in Paisley in a fortnights time. I do have a feeling that one way or another, Stuart Kettlewell will not be our manager come the end of the season. Either we will have a disaster or a season and he will be sacked/resign or he will be poached by Aberdeen once they punt Robson and we have got ourselves into a position to challenge for a European place. Elsewhere i except Celtic to win at least a double with one of Rangers, Hearts or Aberdeen winning the other remaining Cup.

You don’t say? I don’t know. I suppose the same type of thought process that makes someone look at the diagonal amber band on our new away top and associate it with some kind of sectarian bigot fest. The only difference is that I am being sarcastic and deliberately mocking such types whereas they are being deadly serious.

Seriously, can we stop the Bair/Bear references? Rangers fans refer to themselves as ‘Bears’ and I don’t want us as a club to be associated with them in any way. It’s bad enough we’ve brought out a change kit with a diagonal amber band across the front without anyone making light of a player called Bair joining us. Please, will someone think of the Green Brigade?

Good luck to Carson, except against us obviously. A good solid keeper for us and was pivotal in Robinson’s revival and Cup runs in the 17/18 season. Celtic were actually ready to sign him in January 2018 before they signed Scott Bain, that’s how high his stock had risen in his first six months with us.

I don't see your point to be honest. The Old Firm clubs are capable of winning some games in the Champions League as history shows. It's a level which is probably beyond the reach of both of them but they have shown they are able to compete to some extent at times. In our case and in the case of the 2012 game v PAO, we were completely out of our depth and never looked like doing anything in what was a preliminary qualifying round for the CL. There was a bit of excitement of the novelty of us "playing in the Champions League" before the game but reality soon hit home when the referee blew the first whistle.

Absolutely. At the end of the day I and I’m sure the rest of the support want to see the players and the team doing well.

Funnily enough I was enthused about us signing Louis Moult on loan last August, naively perhaps and I allowed heart to rule head but that signing did please me. Sadly it didn’t work out. You’re absolutely right that getting excited or depressed about a signing is pointless which is why I am prepared to give Theo Bair and the rest of our signings the chance to prove themselves. All I’m saying is that a player who failed to make any sort of positive impression at St.Johnstone last season joining us is underwhelming. But the floor is his to prove me and the rest of his doubters wrong.

Not enthused by this signing in the slightest. However good luck to him and hope things turn out better than expected.

Halcyon days. I often find my mind drifting back to that wet Tuesday night in 2012 as we lost 2-0 to Panathinaikos without laying a glove on them. Ah such memories and such fun.

18 years since we last managed to knock them out of a cup. That was a 2-0 win after extra time at Love Street in 2005. Since then we’ve lost our last four cup ties against them. The 3-0 gubbing at Love St. in January 2006 when they were in the lower leagues, the loss by the same scoreline at their new ground in the league cup in 2009 under Gannon and the 4-4/penalty defeat in the Scottish Cup at FP just before lockdown in 2020 still give me nightmares. We also lost a SC replay in Paisley in 2009.

Since this current format for the LC was introduced in 2016 we have been drawn against Premiership opposition in all bar one knockout tie. And outwith 17/18 we have won just one of them. I cannot see that getting any better in Paisley in a fortnights time. Our luck with Cup draws is absolutely ridiculous, particularly in the League Cup.

Awful draw as usual for us. We’re not winning that one.

It probably is. I’m generally ‘glass half empty’ with most things. I’m not bothered how the rest of the board view me. I’m on here to read and give views on the club and the team, not to be ‘popular’ or try and score points through snidey wee remarks. I’ll admit I have occasionally lowered myself to the likes of the aforementioned weeyin’s level and bit back but in the main I’d much prefer to discuss the football.

Slattery looks a few yards faster and a good bit fitter than he did last season from what I’ve seen so far. I know these games aren’t the best at measuring players fitness and performance levels but he has stood out so far.

He took his goal well and that was about it. He won’t do for us going into the league campaign unless we bring in another forward who he can play off. Today wasn’t great performance wise but we got the win and managed to scrape a seeded spot for the last sixteen so our aim has been achieved for this group. We will need to improve greatly if we are to progress beyond the next round. The big positive has to be Lennon Miller who bagged another goal and looked comfortable and composed throughout.

It depends how you look at football and supporting the club. If you view it purely as an entertainment, a hobby, something you do on a Saturday afternoon like going to the cinema to pass the time then you would have a point. I invest a great deal of time, effort and money into supporting the club. It goes way beyond just a hobby or a spectator sport for me. I am fully aware that a lot of the times I am not going to be entertained, take joy out of it, but that’s part and parcel of it. I support the club through thick and thin and the hope that we can get to cup finals/have cup runs/win a cup helps drive my desire to keep supporting. I realise it’s unlikely to happen most of the time but you have to have that bit of hope. I’m glad you still laugh at that. Because you frequently come across as a boring, pedantic and argumentative individual who would try and start an argument in an empty room with alot of your posts and retorts on here, so if that gives you a reason to laugh then crack on.

Global warming. I couldn’t give a shit about it. If it’s happening then it’s happening and there’s nothing that I or anyone else can do to stop it. Yes we were very lacklustre against a lower league side with ten men, but it’s hard to see this team properly ‘going for it’ in terms of racking up goals because we just don’t have it in us.

I didn’t even realise that’s who that was until the club Twitter posted that it was Page. Yeah 16 year old Miller is easily our standout player so far. That’s both worrying and brilliant at the same time.