MJC_MKI

At least we won't have to worry about playing against ten men tomorrow as Celtic never get players sent off at Fir Park, or at least haven't done in recent memory. Can see us getting someone red carded though...

Celtic will win and if they are in the mood will do so with a bit to spare and of course Scott McDonald will score at least once. We have no midfield and the thought of McGeady up against Yassin just doesn't bear thinking about whilst Robson and N'Guemo will have their easiest games of the season. 4-0 to Celtic

You know what? If Aiden McGeady's in the mood for it on Saturday he will have a fucking field day up against Yassim and I really fear for us if this is the case.

On one hand, I'm quite glad to hear the manager of Motherwell tell 'hacks' like Traynor etc. to go and fuck themselves, especially after all the 'chumming up' to the press that Butcher & McGhee did when they were here...On the other hand, I don't really see where he's coming from with this. Where did this feud start? And why? Could it possibly be that he is trying to deflect criticism for his shortcomings by starting a fight over nothing? I don't know and I'm not accusing him of that, but it's worrying that it seems to be going on and on like this and especially when we appear to be going through what is our worst run of results so far... It's a strange set up...

Sounds very much like we were well beaten by a much better team. We didn't create many chances but that's not really any different to most games this season, we have no spark or guile in that team. And Gannon's constant chopping and changing is getting frustrating, especially when the changes he's making are clearly not working. We need a settled side in order to pick up or form, just ask any Chelsea fan who saw the same thing when Ranieri was their manager.(Not that I'm even beginning to compare this Motherwell team with any Chelsea one) With back to back games against Celtic and Rangers coming up I think this could see us slip back down the league and could well herald the beginning of the slump that I have expected since day one. We've done very well to be where we are at this stage, but the reality is that we are not that good a side and depending on what, if any changes to the playing squad made in January, we could be in for a bit of a struggle in the second half of the season.

I think we can get a draw, probably 1-1.

Not the best draw, but not the worse either. Most of our Cup exits to lower league sides tend to happen at Fir Park so maybe it will suit us going up there where more people will expect us to slip up rather than us being clear favourites, which never suits us. It will be a very tough game though and I wouldn't be atall surprised if we came a cropper.

But that's just it I'm afraid. We aren't able to kill teams off, simple as that. We don't have players who can hold the ball up, we don't have players to create the chances and we don't have enough firepower to turn these draws into wins. We've also been quite lucky to draw many of the games that we have this season; ie. St.Johnstone away, Aberdeen home and away, Celtic away & St.Mirren away so I don't think it's just a case of 'we just have to turn the draws into wins'. I think this is as good as it's going to get for us this season and that's not a criticism of Jim Gannon or even the squad in general. It's a team in transition and IMO it's doing pretty well so far to be where it is at this stage of the season. A lot of folk got really carried away with themselves after the Flamurtari 8-1 game and the first few games of the season and there was all the talk of us finishing 3rd, splitting the OF, winningt he Cup and being better than McGhee's team of 07/08 but that was expecting too much IMO. I'd say that we're doing better than expected rather than the other way around.

Clyde 1 just played Gannon's latest interview and he's had another go at the hacks AND the referees this time. Basically he said that the refs are bringing the game into disrepute and the 'hacks' have no right to comment as they have never been footballers themselves. Keevins isn't impressed by his conduct.

I've got a feeling we'll get Airdrie Utd.

IMO Gordon Marshall was an excellent goalkeeper for us when he was here and probably was the best we've had in recent times. Despite his age he was very reliable and worked well with the defence, who in turn had a lot of confidence in him.... Craigan's best seasons in his second spell here were in the two that Marshall was in goal, I don't think that's any coincidence. Marshall was just unfortunate that his worst performance in a Motherwell jersey was the CIS Cup Final which is understandably remembered by most fans more than anything else. As for Dubourdeau, the only quality he had as a goalkeeper was that he wasn't Stevie Woods.

They've beaten us once at Fir Park since then in December 2006 when they beat us 3-2. They were 2-0 up then were reduced to ten men, we got it back to 2-2 through Reynolds I think before in true Motherwell fashion, we allowed them to snatch it late on.

To be honest, I don't think we've really played that well since the Rangers game. That said, I'm not too despondent by what's went since either, we're doing very well to be where we are. The poster who makes the point that this is a young developing side is spot on, we are a 'team in transition' considering that we lost so many of last season's key players over the summer and Gannon had to come in and basically work with kids whilst rebuilding the squad with his own signings, so to be sitting where we are having lost only once at this stage in the season is fantastic.

2-0 to United. No we're not.

Hard to argue with that and to be honest, that could sum up our team altogether. We have plenty of this tippy-tappy stuff but with very little end product and that's why we dont' win games.

Can't agree with that, more like a point gained. Aberdeen were the better team today and should have won and indeed would have done if it hadn't have been for a superb display from Ruddy. The first half was even but they had the more clear cut chances whilst we scored with a half chance that their keeper should have saved and only really looked like scoring again in the entire game when we had the one cleared off the line. The second half belonged to Aberdeen, no two ways about it. You could see it right from the off that we were trying to hang on for the 1-0 win whilst hitting them on the break and our midfield was as deep as our own 18 yard line, thus allowing them to force us onto the back foot, get into good positions and force several corners and eventually this paid off for them. They should have won it, especially at the end with the cross-come-shot across our goal that everyone missed. I agree with what's been said about the O'Brien for Forbes substitution at half time, it just didn't make any sense and it certainly didn't work for us. Another major concern for me is our inability to deliver decent balls into the box. Yassin in particular being one of the main culprits, as on a few occasions he gets into a decent position only to fail to deliver a decent final ball. Also, our corners are nothing short of deploreable and nine times out of ten fail to even get past the first man. I know this probably won't go down well but we were lucky today against a better side and I'm actually quite relieved and please to have got a point from that today.

Is that Murdo MacLeod?

My prediction is that we won't win on Saturday and the best result we will get is a 0-0 draw. Otherwise I can see McGhee doing to us what so many ex players have done in the past and coming back to Fir Park, getting pelters and sticking it to us by beating us. 1-0 Aberdeen for me.

He's injured.

Yeah I was thinking that too. Does anyone remember if anything was said regarding Gannon's contract when he first arrived? It would be a very strange set up indeed if that was true as I don't understand why he would be offered such a deal. Or is there more to this? Did Gannon insist on a contract of that nature before agreeing to join us? Anyway it is all just speculation and rumours just now, but it's worrying all the same. I accept that we are a stepping stone club for players and managers but it would be very disappointing to lose Gannon at this stage, especially as he has made such a good start with us and it would be made even worse if these 'rumours' about his contract situation were true as that would just be taking the piss.

Yup and still only been beaten once in the SPL and we're into mid NOVEMBER. That is almost unheard of for Motherwell. Whatever anyone thinks of that team, it has plenty of guts and doesn't know what it's beaten and Jim Gannon deserves immense credit for what has went so far. Just keep on defying those odds and proving the doubters - like myself - wrong Motherwell.

Pleased with the draw, apart from anything else just to sicken the Accies fans who must have thought that they were heading for a win, get it right up them. From our point of view it's a good result given that we're away from home and were behind twice so I'll take that.

Yaaaaaaaaaas 2-2! The Duke. Fuck you Accies.

This game is finished, we could play all night and not score.

It wasn't actually. We'd beaten them 1-0 in the Cup on the Saturday before that with Faddy scoring a penalty in what was the start of our '03 Cup run. I know what you mean though about Dubourdeau lamping the Killie player. It was probably the most ridiculous penalty I've ever seen us giving away but it was just typical of the way things were going for us that season with luck and disciplinary problems.