Andy_P

More interesting I felt during the interview was McGhee's admission about the Hamilton game and how he believed the substitution he made late on contributed to us drawing rather than winning - and how he subsequently spent that evening on the phone apologising to his players. If you haven't watched the County preview interesting stuff. It's a direct interview rather than the usual press conference so a bit easier to follow than the mumbled questions and clicking of flash bulbs that you usually get.

I take and agree with your second point about ICT in general but personally I wouldn't be so blase to dismiss a midfielder scoring 4 in 11 as "not exactly prolific". Particularly when he's popped one in from about 25 yards against us already and it's a record a few of the strikers currently on our books would be only too happy with.

Lasley had also been with but never signed for Kilmarnock before we got him - both times curiously enough!

I took advantage of the scoreline to catch an earlier and direct bus back to Bargeddie so happily I missed out on goals five and six, although suffering the first four was plenty as it was. I think almost all were cautious beforehand but we were certainly culpable in our own downfall. I do find it slighty ironic that we spent the week ahead of the Cove game hearing how we wouldn't be experimenting, wouldn't be playing fringe players, would stick to our tried and trusted and yet just seven days later we are witnessing a left-back of nearly 15 years shunted across to play right-back to accommodate a right back playing in central midfield all to avoid playing the central midfielder sitting in the dugout and another one in the stand. It seemed questionable even before the game and appears madness in retrospect. But it set the set tone. It would be quite a claim to suggest that Cadden or Leitch being involved from the off would have resulted in us winning the game but I'd wager that Cadden or Leitch being involved alongside Hammell and Law playing in their spots would have considerably increased our chances of avoiding a 6-0 drubbing - and I dare say either of the two of them would have benefited more from the experience. I saw echoes of the first game up there where Hearts were extremely clinical when the chances came their way. By contrast when we carved out any, and there were actually three or four decent chances of the kind we've been putting away of late, we fluffed our lines. After such a horrible start, leaving aside whether they were or weren't questionable goals or penalties, we did well to get to half-time just the three down. I think some credit is due for the attitude shown in the early part of the second half where there at least seemed the desire for us to (cliche alert) "win the half". It seems however that when the fourth went in the floodgates opened. For me today it was collectively poor from both the team on the park and the management off it and the sheer extent of the loss casts some doubt as to the future. We could have gone up there, lost by a couple and nobody would have minded that much. It's Hearts away after all and we're couple of midfielders light. But a six goal hiding has the potential to really knock you off course if the reaction to it is not the correct one and immediate results don't go some way to redressing the failure. Big one next week now.

You've been eagerly awaiting this haven't you!! But please no sleverring or spontaneous combusting about being the ridiculousness of being asked to pick a Man of the Match after a 6-0 pumping. I know it's ridiculous but we do it every week regardless of the result. Call it tradition, call it habit, call it a waste of time, whatever. Don't want to do it? Nae hassle just toddle along to the next thread.

Why would you not want to keep looking back at United? Aside from the happy fact it's someone other than us that's fifteen points or whatever from safety I'm enjoying the show. Not far enough away for a proper day out like Aberdeen or Inverness but not close enough that it's straight forward or cheap to get to, one of the clubs who have often made life more difficult than its needed to be for our support, a group of fans who retain the arrogance and swagger of a a successful club whilst ignoring the elephant in the room and living in denial that it's not actually the 1980's any more and their team isn't anything like as good as their wee minds would have them believe. Nah, quite happy to look over my shoulder at United for a while longer yet, ta.

I'm wondering, unless there is movement before Saturday, if it might be Lionel who would be the replacement for Grimshaw. Not that it was as a direct result of his involvement but we came from behind at Parkhead and won when Lionel replaced Grimshaw. There's an obvious concern going there with two wingers but we've also had decent recent results away from home at Pittodrie where we had both Johnson and Ainsworth on the wings and then the following Saturday at Killie (albeit it was a shit-fest smash and grab). It places quite a responsibility on both to track back and cover but it's not beyond either to do so when sufficiently cajoled/motivated. The central midfield switch is the most interesting decision for McGhee to make. We've heard him say how his focus since he came in has been about creating and taking chances. Now you obviously need a defensive platform to be able to go on the offensive without the worry that you're going to be ripped on the break every time but we've managed to find the net at least twice in each of our last six games, I would hope the decision McGhee makes is who is going to best allow us to continue to create those chances. When you've two bang on form strikers and a winger who is also beginning amongst the goals it would seem sensible to that you try to ensure you'll be involving them in as much of the game as possible rather than thinking about going there and trying do the backs-to-the-wall thing.

In a sense this almost meets the aims of what the club are trying to do with promising talent. Bring them to the club, give them a platform to showcase their abilities whilst benefiting from them whilst they're here and then once folk see what they can do, they move on to bigger and better things. How bloody typically Motherwell-esque however that the player we manage to we meet the aims with isn't actually ours and we get nothing back financially for our part (barring any miniscule development fee we may or may not be entitled to with it being a loan deal). A shame. A good player who approached his time on loan with us with an exemplary attitude. Sorry to see him move on.

It was pretty much everything I'd hoped for when the draw was made. A chance to play against a "fresh" opponent, a good win to see us in to the next round and some good interaction with the visiting support that has seen our club come out of with it looking really good and with their reputation enhanced. All good. The perfect start. There was no messing about, we took the game to them at pace and they were 2-0 down before they even had a chance to settle and think about a giant killing. To Cove's credit once they settled they looked half decent in spells. Not afraid to shoot and one or two or of their team looked impressive on the ball. Our fourth was particularly good, ok you can argue it was "only" a Highland League side but cutting edge counter-attacking football at its best. I must confess to being a little disappointed we didn't put further gloss on the scoreline being five up with around half an hour left but then I've always been greedy! On another day we could have added another two or three but it wasn't to be. I've been pleased to read of how the Cove fans have enjoyed their trip. A good number of them and they appear delighted at how they were welcomed both by the club and 'Well fans. And then there was Faddy's third debut too! All good!

Your thoughts and votes please...

There were two games that I recall had the reduced admission costs. I think the United one was a fiver and something makes me think the other Dunfermline might have been slightly more, perhaps a tenner or something towards that. Whilst we didn't lose either in true Motherwell style both games were utterly dreadful - a 1-0 and 0-0.

You ask that G&F as if you expect a sensible logical answer! It's all part of the fun, the game, the pantomime that is football. We love our club and devote way too much time and money to it than is probably healthy. We try to convince ourselves that our players share that same love and passion for our club (because some actually do) and will play all their days here and we'll all live happily ever after. In many cases we've invested months or years nurturing their talent from their teens or rebuilding their shattered reputations by giving them a platform to show their talents. We've loved them as sons and kept a spare seat at the dinner table of a Sunday just in case they happen to be walking their dug 30 miles from home and fancy a bowl of homemade soup and a dod of steak pie. And then you have the Old Firm. The evil Old Firm who want to have their cake and eat it, who want a competitive league but want to take all the other teams best players for buttons. The Old Firm who lure potential supporters away from Lanarkshire in their thousands every week helped in part by stealing the column inches and coverage on TV and radio that we feel we're entitled to. And knowing this, all this, our player decides to join them. Them! The bastard!! The fact they are going to be (arguably on occasion) playing alongside better players who can aid their development, up their profile, increase their chances of international recognition and set their families up for life by tripling or quadrapling their wages is frankly of no concern whatsoever. We've been scorned! They've turned their backs on us and should therefore be deserving of abuse until they see the error of their ways and return home seeking forgiveness as soon as is possible! Obviously.....

A lot of it is down to success, but much to do with the opposition also. It always sticks in my mind for example the crowds between Motherwell and Kilmarnock during their first season back in the top flight. Having checked Well Again it suggests that over 33,000 folk watched the 4 games between the sides during 93'94. How many games would we need to top 33,000 now? Even Hamilton brought close to 1000 the first time they played at Fir Park after coming up a few years back. Fast forward to last week, Saturday afternoon at New Year and they couldn't bring more than 550.

If we're going to open both the top and bottom tiers for 400 - 550 Dundee, St Johnstone or Hamilton fans as we have recently then housing a similar amount of Cove fans in the South Stand isn't out of context. That said It has crossed my mind as to why we've opened both tiers of late for modest visiting supports but in my view it's always better to have the opposition support close to us for the interaction and atmosphere.

I've said it before that whilst there are still people around the club who were here when the Albion Rovers debacle took place that ***should*** be painful enough for them to ensure there isn't a repeat of something similar any time soon. But then you need only think back to East Fife so there are no guarantees! But there should be no excuses for not doing the job professionally on Saturday. Cove have played (and indeed are playing this very afternoon) when we've had games off and on different days from when we've been playing recently so there has been the opportunity there for the manager, his assistant or whoever in his coaching/scouting team to have them checked out. They have a smattering of players with SPFL experience, one or two with promise who will be out to showcase their talent and with their recent successes have a confident, winning mentality so there is the potential for awkwardness....but...we have a team that's in pretty good form ourselves who have got into a very good habit recently of finding the net at least a couple of times each game. And of course we're at home. I would be disappointed if we didn't win by three or four. It's a tie I'm looking forward to. Always great to to get something fresh in the Cup - a team you've never or rarely faced. A new ground to tick off. Something like that so getting Cove was great. It'll be good to see how many they bring down (also be interesting to see how many of our fans come back at £12 after yesterday being half decent) see what standard they are but ultimately I'm hoping for a smooth passage into the next round.

Quite a topsy-turvy afternoon. Very frustrating conclusion but still a fair bit to take from the game. Good start and given the fact in recent games between us when one team takes they generally go on to win, I was pretty confident. But we really lost our way thereafter in the first half with them passing up a couple of chances before they scored we had already been warned. The first seemed a cheap goal to lose but the second an excellent finish. But what a response in the second half. Up until about the last 10-15 minutes we were absolutely dominant. Our third was a cracking cross and finish. If we'd have got that fourth I'm sure there would have been no coming back from them but the finale illustrated how fragile a single goal lead can be. I don't know about the penalty. It seemed odd that if it was perceived as a deliberate handball that the offence merited just a yellow card rather than a straight red but it was a total sickener and it felt more like a defeat than a draw coming away. Accies are without question a total pain in the arse. From the likes of Gillespie smirking over at the East Stand to the wee ginger knob running over to our support to celebrate scoring (again!) and half their team waving over at full-time, they're a fucking nuisance. But... their engagement with our support undoubtedly adds to the proceedings and they certainly get it back at them in spades so I can't grumble too much. I just look forward to our lot returning the favour in due course......before Accies get relegated back to where they belong. So aye, really disappointing not to get the win but so so much better than so many of the shit-fests we've endured against them in the recent past. The unbeaten run and the progress continues.

Your thoughts and votes please...

I have to be honest the prospect of going back to through 20 odd games to record the Man of the Matches and tally them up isn't something that appeals but leave it with me.

Just win. That is all. 1-0 or 10-0 just get the three points and send them over the road with their tails between their legs. In a sense I was pleased to see both McGhee and Flow when speaking to Ripley refer to, or at least attempt to put some importance on the derby element of the fixture. Clearly for us a game against Accies isn't and never will be akin to a derby game against Airdrie but I do wonder at times when its obvious that Accies fans and their team treat games against us as the most important of their season, if that underplaying the importance has contributed to our desperate performances against them because we've rarely come close to matching their intensity and desire to win. So perhaps no bad thing in my mind that the fixture is being talked up at Fir Park.

No worries. Appreciate you checking it out.

Cheers for checking Ya Bezzer! I think it's a tall order and would probably need someone to have been there and taken note of the details for their own records. I have team-lines away up in boxes in the old man's loft from when my obsession was at it worst where I attended games against the likes of Stonehouse, Darvel and on Highland tours. But this particular one was just a couple of years before I started jotting things like that down.

I've been in contact with a couple of (very very helpful) Cove Rangers fans for some stuff for the programme next week. Whilst in discussion one of the gents asked if I could shed some light on a pre-season game we played against them in mid-80's. Beyond what he knew already from 'Well Again I was able to tell him Andy Walker scored twice but ideally he's after teams, subs, times of goals if anyone might have it scribbled down somewhere. I'm wondering if the likes of Brainier, Keith Brown, Graham Barnstaple, Rickoza or indeed any of our resident stattos (regular posters or lurkers) might be able to assist. All info gratefully received!

Your thoughts and votes please...

What was it you called him the white Josh Magennis or something? Remember it raising a smile or two at the time.

Probably more down to the fact I'm a sore arse but I never found McCormick's cartoons that great. Not so much the cartoons, clearly there's a bit of skill involved there but I never found his quips particularly amusing. A non-Old Firm fan given licence to occasionally poke fun at the Old Firm should really be a win-win but they never did much for me. But you're right though when it came to cartoons for any Scottish fitba publications he pretty much cornered that market for a good couple of decades.