Jay

No. Not even in the slightest.

That's what sums up the fact that, for a lot of these people, the actual goings-on on the park have absolutely fuck all to do with the abuse they're dishing out, which is why I said on the last page that - for some people at least - it must run deeper than just being over-critical football fans. Michael Higdon was fantastic tonight, like every other player in claret and amber. He won almost everything in the air (including the flick ons that led to our 2nd and 3rd goals), he brought other players into play, showed a number of good touches, closed down defenders, and pretty much did absolutely everything you'd expect of a centre forward outwith scoring, and given he's our top scorer and we scored three goals tonight (two of which he was directly involved in) I think that can be forgiven. For anyone to still dish out the abuse quite clearly shows that it has nothing to do with performance levels or footballing ability.

Thought everyone was top class given we spent the majority of the game down to ten men - but special mentions to Law, Hutchinson and Higdon who I thought were superb, as well as Clancy who came off the bench and slotted in well at the back. But, obviously, the MOM vote goes to the wee man!

Stuck a fiver on Higdon first goal scorer. Unfortunately they don't give odds on how early the first chronic shriek of "JUMP!!!!" will occur when the big man's either no where near the high ball, dealing with a ball that would be more effectively controlled on the chest, or being man handled by the defender.

He didn't. All that happened at full-time was that Higdon was going to walk off the park, a section of the 'Well fans began chanting 'one Michael Higdon', McCall told him to applaud the fans, so he did. This is all a complete joke. If he'd raced over to us like Adebayor did to the Arsenal fans, or he'd actually made an offensive gesture then fair enough, but it's all pretty pathetic.

Who?

You've not quite gotten your head around how the whole 'football message board/forum' thing works, have you?

It's all pretty pathetic. All football fans are fickle, but for Motherwell it seems to run deeper than that. There seems to be a certain number of Motherwell 'supporters' who go along and actually seem to get some sort of kick out of abusing the same targets each week. And how often do you clock one of these roasters and they turn out to be some fat, red-faced muppet foaming at the mouth and looking like he needs help just climbing a few steps never mind having kicked a ball in his life? Tommy Coyne said in an interview a few years ago that he seriously to had consider giving Motherwell a wide-berth because the fans were renowned for abusing the fuck out of their own players. Duncan Shearer said in an interview a few years ago that he instantly dismissed the chance to go to Motherwell because the fans were renowned for abusing the fuck out of their own players. That's more than just being a set of averagely fickle football fans. There's got to be something more to it. I'm not sure what that something is. Perhaps the reason the anti-suicide campaign folk are always hanging about Motherwell is because stats show 'Well fans are more likely to have depression or stress or something, and abusing Higdon, Fitzpatrick, Burns, Adams et al is a way of screaming from the stands at some guy doing their job for a football team in some bizarre attempt to make these fannies feel better about their own lives. Whatever the reason, it affects us all as 'Well fans because there absolutely no way every single human being that plays for Motherwell can block it out and just get on with their job which in turn simply must be detrimental to performances and therefore results. Fitzpatrick being a good example - he always looked a decent player away from home, stick him in front of the East Stand and that was that. Folk are wondering why we didn't give Henrik a long term deal - maybe it's because McCall knows that all it'll take is a few mistakes before Motherwell supporters start hounding him, and he needs to be sure the Estonian kid has the actual mentality to deal with these morons. Collectively, I hate Motherwell fans. When I was a kid I used to take great pride in being a part of the Motherwell support, but that's not really the case now. We're all quick to have a go at the Old Firm's percentage of arseholes, but we have a vocal number ourselves. Just because they're not singing about the Queen or the Pope doesn't make them any better when they spit horrendous abuse at Motherwell players. Good to have a chant of 'one Michael Higdon' at the end of the game on Saturday amongst those of us there to actually support the team, and I don't blame the big man for his gesture in the slightest.

One Michael Higdon. I fucking hate Motherwell fans.

I can't agree more. Many a time this season, while we've been struggling to find form at home, I've felt the side has just been crying out for Randolph to constantly throw a jaw-droppingly suicidal ball at Hateley's feet, while he's at the edge of the box with his back to play.

So who's next up then? Alan Stubbs? Chris Sutton? Kenny Black? And how long will we be giving them before we realise we're not challenging for the title and thus need threads like this? So many questions...

Nah, yer awright pal.

Just thought I'd bump this if anyone's swithering over going or not. You can pay £5+ for stuff in one of the wee 'local' stores in the city centre and get a voucher, then buy your ticket at Queen Street with it. So basically, you can purchase your train cargo from Sainbury's and then be on the train to Dundee for £15 less what you would have paid. As always, the more 'Well fans in the away end the better!

I've not seen anyone on here suggesting pace and fitness are the same thing. No one has suggested he should swan onto the park from the bench looking like a beacon of fitness, but there have been numerous times in the last year or two where he's been introduced as a substitute and looked as though he's blowing out his arse after less than half the time the rest of the team have been on the park. That, to me, suggests he's either unfit or lazy - neither of which are attributes associated with a player who will succeed at this level.

I don't particularly rate him as an SPL player, he has obvious footballing ability on some level and has a sweet left foot, but he's sadly missing some of the additional tools he would require to succeed at this level - pace, fitness and work ethic spring to mind. I fully expect him to leave in the summer, if not in the last two weeks of January, and I reckon the best bet is we'll see him in the First Division in the near future.

Another train day. For anyone that's interested, Scotrail and Sainsbury's are doing that voucher scheme they did a season or two ago (we played Inverness up there during it I'm sure), where you can get a return to Dundee for £19 rather than the £34 Scotrail are after without it. Sainsbury's Deal Buy your cargo for the train in a 'Sainsbury's Local', get your voucher, and away you go. Alternatively, if you fancy chancing that no one will actually ask to see your voucher on the day, the code is SAINSBURYS12.

I'll go along with that. Plus, Higdon to net a double but still be shite and worth getting rid of so we can bring in the striking messiah that is John Sutton.

The money you'd have to spend on new shorts every week for Imrie, as well as employing someone full-time to tie his shoelaces, on top of his wages would make it far too expensive a move for us to consider.

Unfortunately I can't actually remember the Falkirk '91 cup tie, but it was my first ever 'Well game!

To be fair, after our inability to display anything remotely resembling professional defending against Weiss, I put a fair few quid on McCourt first goalscorer in the 1-0 at Parkhead defeat for entirely that reason and got a tidy return back - so it's not all bad...

Sad times. R.I.P. Bill.

Nah, if we had a few quid to bring someone in I'd far prefer we went for someone other than that wee ned waster.

Just bordering?

Okay.

Average SPL defender, good luck to him though.