Andy_P

From the Daily Record report of the game (I feel dirty).....

I think a tenner has been the level MFC have set prices at for a few seasons now for friendlies. I'm comfortable enough with that as there will still be costs incurred in hosting games. I tend to agree anything more than that is taking the piss a bit but since its Livi's home game on Saturday I don't imagine we have any say in that whatsoever.

Reid is not perhaps the player you want to have as a first pick if you want to be making progress in the league. He is however one of those types who Motherwell have made extremely good use of over the years in that as a "fill-in" kind of player he is never startling but rarely horrific across several different positions. I do suspect he'll be looking for a new club in 12 months time.

I think if the manager considers the loanee to be a significantly better option than what we have already, then we shouldn't close the door on signing from the same league just because we might lose them for 3 or 4 games, when you might benefit considerably from them in another 35 or 36. It's disappointing they have to drop out but it's disappointing when a player sits injured in the stand for six months, or they going around toeing people and get banned for 2 or 3 games. You cope. But that said I would agree if there isn't much of a difference, and keeping in mind the philosophy of promoting from within to try to tempt improved sales, I'd prefer our own players got the nod.

There's perhaps an argument perhaps that Kerr didn't get enough games at centre-half over the course to properly stake his claim but come the close of the season how much further forward was he establishing himself than when he arrived 3 seasons before? Virtually none! For me in much the same way with McHugh and Cummins, the departure of Kerr seemed a kind of natural parting of the ways. There comes a point where a fringe player just isn't going to cut it at a club, their presence has the potential to inhibit the development of others and most importantly for them it's in their own best interests to get away and try their luck elsewhere. This summer was most definitely that time for Kerr.

In seven out of the first eleven games of last season we conceded goals in the last 15 minutes of the match. You can choose to interpret that however you like but rightly or wrongly I suspect most will draw the conclusion that the team at that stage of the campaign at least simply weren't as fit as they might have been.

McCormack or McFadden? This is can all be weighted in whatever way you want to support your preference. McCormack might well have scored more goals and been transferred for larger sums but all goals have been at a lower level and I'm not sure if he's even played a game in the English top flight. McFadden whilst not faring as well as many might have hoped still managed to carve out a career over several seasons in the English top flight and was pretty much Scotland's talisman for half a decade. Each to their own to determine what has more merit. But If you're having this debate then you might also have to consider the argument that Lee McCulloch trumps both McFadden and McCormack in terms of what they've achieved in England what with his progression from League One to a mainstay in the Wigan team in the top-flight.

This is pretty much exactly as I see it too. I think the proper pre-season or lack of them has been a significant factor in his less than sparkling last couple of seasons and I think there's room for one final last chance saloon for him if not here, at a similar level. Easy to say in hindsight but whether Motherwell or wherever he should have made his decision much much earlier than he did when he chose to re-sign for us after that decent first six months. Had he got back right at the start of that pre-season who knows what he might have delivered but he's never ever got back to that level. As it was he was some way behind everyone else, chasing his tail trying to catch up. When he got the injury at Cowdenbeath it took probably until about Christmas to get anywhere near the level we know we can reach. We got about a month of that, he got injured again and never really regained a starting place. I wouldn't imagine signing for a team after the season started last year will have done much for him either. No question there's a whack of sentimentality involved in my thinking but if the circumstances were right the very fact he is likely to have a full pre-season behind him would make me inclined not to dismiss the notion of a return completely out of hand.

How many close seasons is that you've posted that same thing about Lasley now Dave?

Cheers for organising once again! Tenner from me to start with and I'll forward it on when I get paid next week.

It's a fair question but you've kind of answered it yourself to an extent when you say "we really didn't have to". There were some spells during the tie where we had to really step up and stand tall - the last 15 minutes at Ibrox in particular. Had we conceded a second at that stage that would have been an ultimate test of our belief and mentality yet despite the many defensive deficiencies we witnessed over the season we got through it, and we did it pretty comfortably actually. But were never behind. We were never at a point in the proceedings where we had to throw caution to the wind. We had executed the plan in such a measured, masterful fashion over the 180 minutes that there was simply no need to go hell for leather to turn on the all out attacking exciting football.

Perhaps not fully engaging into the sprit in which the question has been asked but I think at this stage of the close-season with several "unknowns" on board, more players to come and lots of changes across other clubs in the division it's tricky call to say what I'd "expect" will happen. If you'd asked what I hope will happen then a top four finish and one of the cups will do nicely thanks!

It sounds absolutely crazy to say it given he's only 21 but for me time has caught up with Carswell a little. He was clearly a favourite of Stuart McCall's given the extremely early introduction, by McCall's standards at least, to the first team and subsequent lengthy contract. It appeared McCall at one stage had him ear-marked as Lasley's eventual successor in the middle of the park but it became apparent he was never going to be able to exert the same influence that Lasley could. There's a lot to be said for a squad player who can come in and do a sound job, very rarely catching the eye but equally rarely having a nightmare, but sooner or later others players are going emerge on the scene who are ready or have the potential to better what's there. And I think with both Jack Leitch and Chris Cadden that's what's happened with Carswell. He's had three or four years around the first team but hasn't really developed much further than the levels he reached about a year/eighteen months ago. The gamble Baraclough has made is that Leitch and Cadden, albeit both younger, can better what Carsy can offer currently offer. I wish him well at St Mirren.

Just a take a look a couple of pages back guys.

Horrible horrible horrible training top.

Buy a tenner worth of Well Lotto tickets so Motherwell get it!

It's maybe worth also keeping in mind that if you are doing the interest free installment thing they don't actually release the books until your third payment comes off so whether they are ready or not, if like me you've used this option, you're not going to get it until the end of July anyway.

The 2006'07 effort was one that I wasn't convinced about at the time but it grew on my in later years. I think it was the collar gave me doubts. Being a plain white verging on the flappy collar there was just something about it that took something away from the overall look. Worn as Scott McDonald used to wear it I thought it looked better and gave the kit a different feel to it. We also had the odd occasion where we wore the away shorts from that season's strip which again subtly changed the appearance.

If you're bored and looking for something read a (probably overly lengthy) ramble about his "demise" over the last twelve months. 'Where Did It All Go Horribly Wrong - A Year to Forget for Stuart McCall' https://t.co/89LBr0t4gm

Another observation - the Scottish Cup. There doesn't appear to be any dates set aside in late November/early December as has been the case in the past couple of seasons. There does however seem to be a free Saturday on 9th January. I'd be delighted if the 3rd round (in old money) was back in its rightful place after New Year.

Whilst a different manager is now in charge, there's also an argument for saying McGeough had his chance to come Fir Park but chose to decline it, so, jog on. Personally I haven't seen enough of him to know whether his earlier "indiscretion" is worth overlooking.

At the AGM earlier in the year it was stated there would be a reduction in the budget. A figure was quoted but whether that has changed since then I don't know. In terms of having more money to play with, remember though whilst there are plenty going off the books, we've had five or six months where there were several players brought in that weren't originally budgeted for so there is a possibility that may have an impact on this season's budget depending on how they are working things.

Quick glance and one of the first things to catch my attention is that it's a really really shite set of fixtures leading up to the split!

I'm usually fairly relaxed about about summer transfer window business. I'd rather we held off a little longer and got targets we were after than signing early just to have them together for the start of pre-season. We've done well on occasion by holding our fire and getting some good quality in later on in the window in the past be it permanent or loan deals. That said with the volume of players that are required this time if we could manage to marry quality with timing and get our targets in sharpish it would certainly be beneficial, particularly when it comes to our currently threadbare forward line. The longer we give our new strike force to form their partnership and develop their understanding the better.

One of my favourite seasons too. The swashbuckling no fear play from youngsters like McFadden, Pearo, Hammell and Clarky. Wins over the Old Firm, the 6-1 v Hearts. The 6-2 v Livi. Good shout about a DVD for that one too.