Andy_P

I'm pretty disappointed with that remark actually. I've no issue with you at all arguing the point with individual posters over differences of tactics, opinions and whatever else but given that the section have been happy enough to take advantage of this site on a few occasions in the past for fundraisers and publicity it's pretty poor form to be so dismissive of people who have put their hands in their pockets to back you. Maybe you'll find the next time you are looking for people to chip in for something some of them "can't be bothered" too.

Fair do's, but I'd still keep banging at the door politically. You mention the SNP for example. I joined in the aftermath of the referendum last year and can recall a getting emails on a couple of occasions since asking for feedback on issues and suggestions for shaping policy. Whilst I haven't specifically made mention of the Act I have always tried to make the point about allowing safe standing and the sale of alcohol as is permissible at rugby games in Scotland. Now again it would take a bit of orchestrating with 110,000 odd party members, surely a percentage of which will be football fans and may be receptive, it might be worth pushing for them to make the points from inside the party.

I just think it's quite funny that we're debating John Sutton again. In a sense its almost re-assuring that there certain topics or incidents that it isn't a case of if they'll be discussed again, but when they'll be discussed again. I'm just going to type the words Stevie Woods, Rangers, Scottish Cup and Omar Daley,McDiamid Park and substitution stand back, watch and laugh....

That being the case then have you considered starting up a campaign via something like https://you.38degrees.org.uk/about_us and then fans of whatever teams you are aligned with on the issue can distribute to their own supporters and then let social media work it's magic to spread the word and advise on the aims and actions you have in mind? I've also seen sites that provide templates of an email about a specific issue that when you enter your postcode will give you the option of emailing any, or all of the MP's or MSP's that are within your reach. It isn't direct action but with an election a matter of months away there is an opportunity to at least highlight the issue there for you for if handled correctly. Play politics with the politicians. Nobody is going to know who you vote for at the end of the day but get that suit with the wee red, yellow and black or blue rosette to think they'll be on to x amount of votes from you and your mates if they start highlighting the issue or commit to assist then you might make some inroads.

A deserved win for the visitors but an odd pattern to the game. They started like they were going to absolutely blow us away, could have been easily three or four up at the break yet became less and less threatening the further the game went on. On the other hand we were pretty abysmal to begin with, picked it up a bit in the second half and there was even a spell you could have argued we were a just about on top. Overall though it wasn't a huge amount to write home about and on a day where both Killie and Thistle pissed on our chips perhaps the best outcome is that our goal difference didn't take panning. It seemed an interesting/bizarre (delete as applicable) team selection by McGhee. Good some will say I'm sure that it set a tone when two of the expected first picks started on the bench. Others will point to players being used out of opposition and making a difficult task arguably even more difficult. To me it was one of those selections that could be argued is fine with the aim in mind of smothering the opposition's attacking nous yet looks completely redundant the minute you go behind. And so it proved. I'm inclined to think that Lasley could well have offered the same protection in front of the defence in the first half that was asked of Laing and when even more so when our central defender found himself on several occasions in an advanced position charged with the task of orchestrating breakaway attacks in the second half. And it is also difficult not to feel sympathy for Louis Moult who again beavered away in a position far from removed from where his talents are most suited. I mean it's bad enough him being stuck in left-midfield but for much of that first half he was almost a second left-back. But there was a noticeable step up in the second half which offered some encouragement although I actually felt the final two substitutions took the edge off the momentum that had been building every so slowly been building. We didn't get the impact from either Skippy or Dom that we might have hoped for. Of course McGhee's had what, two? three? sessions with them so it is hard to be overly critical about things so early in the process. Let's see what Pittodrie brings in terms of noticeable improvements.

Your thoughts and votes please...

Whilst obviously concerned at what the future holds in terms of the Well Society I'm actually quite happy to continue to chuck in my tenner a month. If nothing further is achieved the very fact that there should (on the assumption that the WS kitty isn't raided for loan repayments) be a fund of sorts sitting there, being added to each month and gaining interest and ready to be of use in times of cash flow difficulties or crisis is worth that modest monthly investment alone. The rest? We'll see what happens.

So it's McGhee then. I think his appointment brings opportunities and concerns in a broadly equal measure. The return doesn't bother me unduly. It wasn't particularly nice to have him throw his hat in the ring for other jobs whilst at the club before but I suppose at least what he was doing was in the open. You contrast that for example to the supposed association with an Aussie club Terry Butcher went to the other side of the world to set up. A few months later Motherwell need a new manager as Terry joins an Australian club. Weird coincidence or what! Eh? So he's far from alone as a player or manager in actively consideration a change of scene. I'm fairly sure his abilities as a coach will enable him to draw more from the current group of players than what we had witnessed under Baraclough which is no doubt a positive thing. Someone earlier in the thread mentioned a managerial "aura" about him. I can see that too. With McGhee there appears an unshakable self-belief and confidence in his abilities bordering on an arrogance. I think it was in part those qualities that enabled him to come in before and revitalise a number of our squad and get them playing in a formation and style that McGhee said he had aspired to throughout his managerial career. Yet it's those same qualities I think can contribute to a potential downfall with him. It is difficult to shake the feeling that no matter who he manages he will always have a burning desire inside to prove he should be managing a better grade of players still at a higher placed club. I have my concerns that if he can mend, stabilise and improve us he won't again lose interest when that rebuilding job has peaked (or magnanimously decide to walk out and do us a financial favour......ahem!) or if a job he feels is more worthy of his managerial abilities becomes available and tests his resolve once more. Open to his appointment but cautious and wary at the same is how I'd put my immediate reaction to his return.

It amuses me their current motto/tagline is 'Together Stronger' some parts of their squad evidently a touch stronger than most...

On the basis of hawking himself around first time, it's surely wasn't any worse than what Stephen Pearson and his reps did in his final season at Motherwell and we've all (almost all?) been man enough to forgive and forget that. As for his actual ability to do the job? That's a different debate entirely.

Have I missed something? What's the deal about whether he was about whether he was at Morton or not? Boyle used to disappear to the other side of the world for a month or two of every season did he not?

I'll follow Lee's career with interest as I do with almost all who leave Fir Park and I hope he eventually goes on to do well for himself in England. What I would say though is that for a variety of reasons he didn't have that extended period that allowed you build up a similar depth of feeling you had for say the likes of a Murphy of McFadden when they went to England. If Faddy or Murph were enduring tough times down there I would feel genuine disappointment for them. If Lee's struggling I'd likely be more inclined to think "ahh well".

I disagree with a lot of that purestate. Brown did excellently with the team he inherited. Stabilising a side on the verge of plummeting down the table and eventually securing a European place. The following season he took us to within a bawhair of the Europa League group stages and we were still in the top four or five and in the League Cup semis when he left. Now don't get me wrong. I'm not sure he would have done anything much to develop youth in the longer term and the way he left is deserving of any and all abuse that came his way. To be suggest he did NOTHING during his time with us is frankly pish.

I'd say 3k is being conservative Busta. They almost had the whole of that section at the other side of the Main Stand plus pockets of fans across all the other Scotland sections. I don't recall an away support ever taking over as much of the Scotland end at Hampden before. And fair play in a sense. The Ta rightly pride ourselves in our resourcefulness in managing to get support to away games. Can't grumble too much when someone does the same to us.

Out of curiosity something else, on what basis? I could probably tell you dozens I didn't want but I can't really say that any of the supposed main candidates stand out for me with Valakari's suitability the most difficult of all to gauge for me because I have no real idea of the standard of that league and what level his achievements should be ranked. How is he the right man for you?

Lies. Otherwise we wouldn't get half as many "woe is me" posts from you every other day. And let's not forget you had us certainties for the drop last season and nothing anyone would say would convince you otherwise and yet here we are. It's not a great situation certainly but way way too early for your doom laden chat. Heid up Milo come oan!!!!

As Ya Bezzer alluded to earlier I don't think we're miles away from other teams. I don't think we've been much cop of late by any stretch of the imagination but just a slight upping of performance and concentration levels would I think see us eek our draws from games like today and against Accies. On balance I'd say Dundee deserved the win, a goal of a difference was about right as I thought 2-0 would have been slightly flattering. There was never really a sustained period where we were hemmed in around our own box, or that Ripley was overworked. It was generally routine stuff and for our part we spent a fair amount of time heading towards their goal.. What we didn't do however was properly defend either of their two goals and when we did get into their box our final ball was lacking or the finish wasn't good enough. Understood the reintroduction of Law to give an extra body in central midfield but felt the move of Moult out wide didn't do him many favours. He beavered away admirably as he always does but you wonder if a more natural in that position might have been more beneficial in terms of delivery and indeed having Louis in a place where he can do more damage. I thought at first glance our goal slightly fortuitous. Seemed to me Pearo was just trying to get the ball across the face of the goal and happily it went in. Just a pity we weren't able to fashion an equaliser having got that late lifeline. Again we were there in numbers in the box or twice but poor decision making meant the ball they desired wasn't forthcoming. There are clearly basics that require to be worked on. It is doing my box in the number of corners this season where we haven't managed to get the ball past the first man and as for standing tall in defensive walls, well......

And no Stevie Hammell to blame everything on either eh!

Mark McGhee? Would that be the Mark McGhee that was Willie Miller's former colleague of his for some years as player and latterly as a director one of his appointments as Aberdeen manager? I think the only thing going on there is that Miller has used the opportunity to give his pal a bit of profile.

Your thoughts and votes please...

People still watch Sportscene?

Hmmm....Agree and disagree Sieb. There are two strands for me. I agree we should be seeking to maximise what we get from him by utilising him better. Baraclough and I think in his programme notes earlier in the season Lasley himself acknowledged that his role ideally would be tweaked this season to compensate for the passing of time. But in losing Pearson after forty-five minutes at Inverness, having the utterly anonymous Taylor alongside him and then watching the team struggle that plan has been largely punted into the long grass. At times Lasley has been our midfield. I do acknowledge that in trying to be all things at once he does run the risk of ending up not doing anything particularly well - and laughably is then stood accused of disappearing by some - but when it borne of a genuine desire to try to get the job done regardless of the circumstances I tend to be a little more forgiving. I still stand by the belief some have written him off now and are unwilling to give a fair crack of the which. Demands are being placed upon him to reach a level of performance that is both unrealistic and unattainable given the previously stated factors. He could be our man of the match over the next three games and run the show totally yet if in the following game again he is below par that will be enough for some to write him off as past it, done or over the hill etc. He deserves better than that. Perhaps the more pertinent question that should be asked is why our management teams of recent years have allowed a situation to develop where our midfield often disintegrates to the point that it is reliant on a 36 year old to do the job or two or three in the middle of the park.

Job done all in all. Not pretty, arguably undeserved and laced with a little good fortunate but a very very important three points. It buys the club time, buys goodwill from the support and makes that league table a whole lot less worrying than it might have been had the result not gone our way. Craigan is clearly an intelligent chap and I think he is underplaying the significance of the team selection. At a stroke he got players and supporters on board with the changes he made. It would have been really easy just to go along similar lines, mumble a few lines about it being the old manager's ideas for that game and the likelihood is few would have argued the point. But it was bold and decisive and set a new tone. As for the team we do continue to see flashes of things from players that hint of better things to come from if they can somehow manage to add more consistency to their games. There are better things to come from this group of players than what we've seen from much of this season so far. I feel a touch sorry for Lasley though these days. He's in something of a no win situation as I see it. I'm not going to claim he played well yesterday - far from it - nor indeed was he particularly great last week either as it happens but he appears to be at a point with some of our support that unless he turns in an utterly faultless display he stands accused of lacking pace, lacking discipline, running about like a headless chicken or all of the above, all at the same time. At least put things in a little context. He is 36, was playing in a two alongside a player returning from injury who Craigan said was no better than 60% against a heavily outnumbered central midfield. Players twice the calibre and with a decade less on the clock are going to struggle to produce the faultless displays that are demanded of him week in, week out, in similar circumstances. But nice to enjoy a win, nice to edge a little further away from those bottom two places and to have a little hope restored again.

Your thoughts and votes please...

In McLean's first season he won the First Division title.