Andy_P

If it helps its on Alba at six tomorrow night.

AGM was online last night. It took me a bit to login so not sure what I missed at the start but basically all the board, secretary, (accountants possibly) and Graham Alexander were all present. As ever an informative hour or so the contents of which I'll try to sum up. The main thing as ever was finance. Several questions were submitted by shareholders beforehand and Jim McMahon lead straight into it and referred back to it several times. Key things were that the the current situation is currently manageable in the medium term. There is an insurance claim in and the club have applied to take advantage of the Government's 20 year interest free loan of up to £1.6m (they reckoned 11 of the 12 clubs had) so with these things to be confirmed, they couldn't be certain of how things would look this time next year, but are sure that as long as we aren't relegated and even without fans in the ground there would be cash in the bank come the end of next season regardless. The question of the robustness of the club should the worst happen and we are relegated was discussed and whilst nobody wants this they clearly have to plan for such eventualities and the phrase used was the club would "get through it". The view is the club is in a significantly stronger position to deal with it now than it would have been 5 or 6 years ago. The club haven't taken/accepted any monies from the Well Society this year or last in an effort to allow the WS to build up towards the previously stated £1.5m fund that would play a significant part in helping the club through any traumatic event such as relegation. In addition contracts are structured in such a fashion that costs can be taken of the business quickly. No regrets from the board about the Season Ticket offer of committing to the 19 games as it was the correct thing to do. They envisage more details about what will happen next season in around a month to six weeks. Staying at Fir Park is not off the table. Happy they have been able to undertake some significant modernisation and upgrading of parts of Fir Park e.g. replacement of Hunter stand seats, paintwork. Will work on contactless entry and perhaps in time and re-design of the entry points to the Hunter stand. Some brief chat about contracts stemming from a question on Declan Gallagher. View from one board member was that in general terms specifics of contracts that appear in the media should largely be taken with a pinch of salt. They did however say they have made offers to Declan but he is currently keeping his options open. On a wider point they acknowledged that it is difficult to tie down players to extended contracts with agents advising players to let them run down to consider options. The flip side to this is that get it wrong and you may find players locked into deals that are unsuitable for both (e.g. Casper Sloth). On training facilities there appears a change in thinking in that seeking to enhance what they have at Dalziel Park is likely to be more cost effective and beneficial than a new development. Plans are ongoing with a sub-group of board members and reps from Dalziel to achieve this aim at some point in the future. Could potentially see the club be an anchor tenant and based there day to day but there is an acknowledgement that what is there at Dalziel is the envy of others already and would benefit all if that could be built upon. Graham Alexander "took the floor" once the board had answered the submitted questions and spoke well, and at some length, about him taking the job, his first weeks in charge and his hopes for the future. He spoke of his and his families excitement to re-locating Scotland to be fully committed to the job. He had a gut feeling when applying for the job and when talking to the board that this was a challenge he wanted to take on. He spoke of the warm welcome given to him by all within the club and the good people he had found. He mentioned his disappointment as not having been able to interact with fans but expressed gratitude for the welcome from supporters who had sent warm wishes, letters etc. He is keen to meet fans when the time comes. He said he found a squad of players naturally somewhat dejected on the back of previous results and offered credit to all players and staff for a great attitude and how they have turned that around. A lot of work has been done but still much work to do and nobody can relax. He complemented many behind the scenes for the support in helping him implement changes and made the observation that small improvements that on their own might not seem much combined had helped things improve. He stated he had a positive outlook and preferred to focus on the positives of what he had in a team rather than concentrate on the negatives. He feels he has a way of working that brings clarity to the players about the plan they have to follow, based on his experiences as a player. The initial aim is obviously to keep the club in the division then look to add quality to the squad. He envisages working with a smaller squad than that currently. He has aspirations to see us take on and compete with bigger clubs in the division, for his team to have the drive and ambition to compete consistently. He is learning of the challenges that face a club like Motherwell but wants to see us change historical patterns and not to take a step back against anyone (the inference being the two recent Old Firm games). He wants to change the mentally of how we approach such games and create an environment where players all buy into that mindset.

2025....ish https://www.northlanarkshire.gov.uk/regeneration-and-investment/glasgow-city-region-city-deal/pan-lanarkshire-orbital-transport/improving-access-through-ravenscraig

Some wrongs to right...

Fair to say a better result than performance. Fair to say I don't really care too much about that! That's maybe not actually fair as certainly defensively we for the most part pretty solid. Bit of a weak start and it took us a good while to do anything much at all offensively yet strangely enough we had arguably the best chance of the half with Cole's fairly weak effort after Watt's lay-off. Kilmarnock looked the better team and a bit like at Dingwall previously you hoped for something better in the second half. It gradually got a bit better though not to perhaps to the levels we've seen in spells in recent games. Cole forced a fine save from their keeper and it was a lovely bit of football and finish for what proved to be the winner. Thereafter it was down to the defence to see the game out which they did so generally pretty well. In many respects I thought it was something of a role -reversal to many of our games earlier in the season where we were the dominant side, had most of the ball, most of the corners and more efforts, but still managed to lose. Nice to be on the right side of that for once. Above all though it's such a vital three points given the respective placings of the side beforehand. It makes that league table look a whole lot better with the potential to improve on it still. I think we are good bit from the finished article but there are pleasing signs. It would be tempting to start to get ahead of ourselves and say we're going to finish here or we're aiming for there. But as we slowly tick off decent results against those around us like coming back from Paisley with a point. three from Dingwall, three from Kilmarnock and beating Dundee Utd at home there is no reason not to have confidence that we have the measure of the teams in our half of the division. And we have another opportunity to re-affirm that as soon as the weekend.

I don't know if the desire of the board comes into it. Sooner or later it will most likely have to happen. Going over old ground here but we have a stand made of wood that costs more and more every year to ensure it gets a license for use. Opposite that almost thirty years on from the point it had crush-barriers removed and seats bolted on to it, we're still sitting in a converted terracing. We have a pitch that has required tens of thousands of pounds spent on it because of the make up of the sub-base not helped by plonking a massive stand up behind the goals which does nothing for natural sunlight hitting the pitch for growth and wind to aid the drying process. Every year they edge closer to the tipping point where it becomes unmanageable and solving the issues with a new ground becomes increasingly desirable. How they would pay for such a move is something entirely different of course!

Your thoughts and votes please...

I looked back at the AGM 2019 thread as I remember it being discussed then. The line was that the situation was resolved amicably and there was a sell on involved.

I'm not quite sure whether to be satisfied or disappointed with yesterday. The start was awful. I might imagine that post Dundee Utd there would have been a lot of emphasis on not conceding early, being tight, growing into the game and trying to sneak the lead and see how they react. Not for the first time this season against Celtic we've conceded early and not taken advantage of any pre-game vulnerability. But then we did begin to do what I think Alexander had asked of them. There wasn't a collapse. We didn't retreat to the 18 yard line and wait for an onslaught and what in so many cases in the past would have been the killer second. Ok, they still had chances, but I would expect them to have chances. But then, so did we, albeit not so many. I thought from the angle behind the goals it seemed to suggest he'd been fouled outside and fell inside the box. I only caught that angle once so it may be from that with further views it has become apparent it should have been a penalty. Certainly they referred back to it in the commentary a few times. When the second went in I thought that would be that but evidently not so. The goal saw the belief build and without doubt Celtic rode their luck a little before the end with the chance at the death leaving a real sense of frustration. Whilst unfortunately not a point there was certainly plenty to be encouraged about that can be taken forward. Hopefully a thumping loss for Accies will mean that one of the trickier away days will have been negotiated with no ground gained by those underneath us.

Shall we try again?

Your thoughts and votes please...

A sluggish opening 15 minutes, a very anxious last 15 minutes or so but with a lot to be content about in between. The result in itself is fantastic. It boosts our league position, it boosts confidence and it drags a team above us down into the mix. But there was a lot more besides that to be encouraged about. Our finishing wasn't perhaps as good as it could have been this evening, but I struggle to think of us carving out quite so many clear cut chances for a good while. Then there was the performance of Cole. Perhaps his finest in either of his two spells in claret and amber? The goal was a wonderful piece of quick thinking, speedy reactions and execution. The other goalscorer was pretty impressive too and undoubtedly one of his best displays of the campaign also. Really good to see us have the ability create so many good opportunities without necessarily having tonnes of possession and dare I say it, with at first glance a midfield that many would suggest more is set up for it's destructive work rather than creativity. I guess given it has worked on a couple of occasions it is doing as intended, even if it isn't pretty, but the "see it out" changes from Alexander leave me on tenterhooks somewhat. I fear the day that we don't hold firm despite battening down the hatches. Other than the chance he set up soon after coming at Pittodrie I haven't been overly impressed with Smith both in terms of looking a threat in front of goal or his ability to hold the ball up and let the team get up the park a bit when we've been holding a lead. Bringing another defender on in McGinley and effectively playing him as a left sided defensive midfielder reduces the scope for doing anything attacking of note further. Still I guess the fact that we managed to see it tonight as opposed to Tannadice when much the same was happening in the last 5-10 minutes is most certainly progress. But another evening to enjoy on the back of a fine result. The rebuilding process takes another positive step.

Your thoughts and votes please...

Good things come in threes...

At least what gets said on here, good or bad, generally stays on here. We're essentially having a natter amongst ourselves. There is nothing more cringe worthy though than seeing players getting @'d on Twitter when folk are piling on. It comes with the territory and all but I pity this guy looking for a fresh start here and seeing what's waiting in his mentions for him.

As perhaps illustrated by the new manager himself remarking that his interview was undertaken by video call.

Indeed. A point I've also made to some of their support in conversation over our last couple of meetings. They're the first to whine about lack of competition domestically when they get papped out. However present them with the challenge of having to break down a team who are holding the lead and they squeal like pigs because you aren't set up in a manner that let's them steamroller you.

So, prove it wasn't a flash in the pan then....

I thought it had been decided his signings were rank or they didn't want to be here. Surely we should be actively encouraging him to raid us for players in the summer!

You certainly weren't wasting your time promoting youths. You were however being somewhat unrealistic in expecting a conveyor belt style of first-team ready youths to be ready and waiting as and when required.

He is from Airdrie...

How pleasant to start the day, any day, on the back of a win the day before. It's been a while. And it was deserved too. I thought we started pretty well and were largely dominant before conceding a bit of a howler. From Campbell losing possession deep in their half, to Gallagher's poor attempt at a challenge to to Kelly allowing the ball to squirm away for a tap in, all could have done better. And I think everyone saw the effect that had on them. A Cole save at short range apart, despite a healthy advantage on corners and possession, nothing much to write home about in the first half. It was encouraging how the second half was opened. You sensed a real determination to get back into it and County were being hemmed in. With each chance, or half chance that passes, you become ever more fearful we're not going to get anything but what a relief when the equaliser came and the confidence that brought that they could go on and win it. A fantastic header for the winner, one or two edgy moments aside as County went for it, we saw it out pretty well. It was one of those all too rare occasions where you couldn't help but be impressed by the character and desire shown, and given the utter pummelling some of them took from County players, their temperament too. There will be tired bodies after last night's efforts and a couple of the more lengthy away journeys back-to-back but I can't help feel a little disappointed that we don't have the chance to immediately build some momentum against a team that you might imagine will be in a state of shock after their result last night. But the immediate, pressing crisis has been averted, for the moment and there is now something tangible for us to build on. A great night's work by all concerned.

Your thoughts and votes please...

At first glance a 34 year old cast off from St Mirren isn't a great look on several levels. From the question marks from some about Martin Foyle to the budget being made available to the manager. It's a proposed signing that hardly fits in with the buy low, sell high ethos and you might argue if, as has been mooted, he's being signed for his attitude and character as much as his ability then that's perhaps an admission that allowing two such thirty-somethings who brought exactly that to walk out the door last summer has been proven to be wrong - or at least the failure to replicate those characteristics in the replacements For all that though, I know absolutely nothing of him. I don't really care where they come from or what age they are. If this guy can do a job and improve on what we have in the short to medium term and isn't going to break the bank, then regardless of the look I'm not going to overly upset.

Ayr fan I know is suggesting they are after someone from the League of Ireland now rather than pursuing Jordan White. Interesting to see what happens.