wellfan

The pitch has recently looked far worse than in previous years following the significant investment, but, as others have noted, I am sure there is a reasonable explanation for this beyond the new groundsman being shit.

I didn't realise we had emerged from the one win in nineteen slump. The increasing level of Kettlewell apologists on this forum reminds me of a creeping and mass onset of Stockholm syndrome. Let's hope he proves me wrong come the end of the season.

If you choose to use good performances and draws as indicators of success, that's fine, but it doesn't achieve much in a points-based league where playing good stuff is not applicable. Good stuff ≠ three points. I measure success against victories achieved (or lack thereof) in the context of points gained from draws across a sustained period of significance. The current and relevant form period that I use stands at nineteen games and one victory, and I'm afraid to say that the good stuff played amongst the unbeaten games you refer to hasn't (or won't) earned us 18 points. That's how I choose to look at things, and that's also fine.

It means that we cannot afford to lose against our direct rival at home, because our form since September suggests we're certainly not going to start winning against the teams further up the table anytime soon. We need to be picking up 3 points against those around us or else we’ll likely finish 11th at best. Put simply, another draw would mean our form is 1 win in 20 league games. That is a disaster, and if you don't think so, then so be it.

He failed to adequately recruit in an essential position and appears to have overrectuited in the fullback position, so maybe money isn't the sole deciding factor here. It's not my fault or your fault or Groningen’s fault or Killie’s fault or anyone else’s fault. It's the manager’s fault. It's his job and all football manager’s know that the buck stops with them.

Given it's his job, I can't think of anyone else to blame here. The buck stops with the manager.

Good point.

It's a must-win home game against our relegation playoff spot rival. Nothing less than 3 points will suffice.

Maguire is so far out of the picture that it’s weird he didn't go back out on loan or something. Elliot left Wellington Phoenix in (I think) May 2023 and probably hasn't kicked a ball since.

Paton is a strange one. I previously called him a lazy signing by Kettlewell, but then I held my hands up to acknowledge that he's been quite decent. The thing is, though, he seems like he's only 95% of a footballer. He does lots of neat work, makes progressive turns and runs with the ball, but then makes a shit final pass or finds himself onto the ball in the box and smashes it wide. It's infuriating, but you can see why he's being picked to start, although I think that needs to change now that we've got more options in the door.

We need to go full Xavi mode and play some weird 4-3-3 to 3-4-3 in transition to batter them up top. The 3-6-1 (or thereabouts) will see us draw/lose more games than we'll win.

Bair. He's not a world-beater, but he's now proving me wrong with his work ethic AND goals.

1 league win in 19. Let's see if he can make it 1 in 20 on Tuesday.

Hi 🫡

It's not like we're on an epic winning streak, is it?!

All those signings and he fields an unchanged starting eleven. Idiot.

It's pretty obvious that Mika left because he was fed up playing for an idiot manager and shit team.

Correct. I have been on FirParkCorner since 2008 but joined Steelmen Online in 2022 because the former seems to have died a death. And I don't think those in the curry club would tolerate my critical posts.

That's the first interview I've genuinely enjoyed in ages. He seems like an honest and knowledgeable guy.

There are a few excellent posters on the Motherwell P&B in terms of thoughtful posts and statistics, but, for the most part, it's a big self-congratulatory circle jerk on that thread.

The irony of you calling people pant wetters. Good luck; enjoy the echo chamber.

If anything, the relegation dogfight will be fun. I'm genuinely looking forward to the next few games.

I've had a season ticket for most of the past 28 seasons. Does that entitle me to moan about what I perceive as failings in how our Club is run and managed? I also hold my hands up when wrong, eventually. My life isn't sad, and I enjoy my job because I am good at it, but I also like to be critical of the team I've followed since I was 10. Live and let live.

Once we reset in the summer, and are back on a more stable financial footing, I sincerely hope the Club will aspire to something better than we've had under Kettlewell.

I don't think he’ll be sacked because we can't afford it, but he certainly won't survive in terms of earning himself a new contract with us or another top-flight club. We’re going to limp to the end of the season because that's what the Board and he have set us up to achieve and no more.