Andy_P

I don't know who. Do tell!

An impression that he tries to find a balance between finding a good level of fitness and match sharpness without impinging too greatly upon the players physical and mental recuperation from the season before?

The Record is the issue most probably. Have a look at his interview on YouTube where a slightly different impression is created.

Youse got that for free? Bastards! Ha ha.

No idea. I paid my whatever it was quite happily and thoroughly enjoyed watching Jamie Murphy put the tie to bed from the comfort of my favourite chair. Money well spent!

I remember when we played Breidablik there was a PPV option via some Icelandic channel. Hoping there will be something similar on the go this time around.

So not the greatest result in the world but as we all know actual results and performances in pre-seasons can have little bearing on how things go when the action starts for real. In terms of our readiness for Thursday I'd say it was a good final fixture to have before it. Fulham had more than enough about them to win fairly comfortably and their ability ensured we were tested on and off throughout the ninety testing both the concentration and fitness levels of the players. At the same time we were by no means completely under the cosh and were able, on a few occasions, to build moves of our own. There was just nothing at all clinical about us when those chances, or even half chances came. Performance wise Twardzik looked as capable as he did whilst on loan but made a complete mess of their second goal. Pleasing to see him recover sufficiently to pull off three good saves after that. It's perhaps the worst possible thing we wanted to see on the debut of our new keeper after the edginess of last season though. Law appeared to take a few minutes to adjust to the pace of things but I thought looked eager throughout the second half. I was quite heartened towards the end when the likes of Thomas, Cadden, Erwin and Leitch were all on. All of them were trying to play football and were keen to get on the ball. So they should be of course, but you know what I mean, there was no fear that they were up against some players worth £xm or anything. They wanted the ball and wanted to play. Encouraging. Credit to the 249 Fulham fans who were there and in particular their new number four. A very classy way to make your return and say your farewells and Hutchy was fully deserving of the standing ovations and chants that came his way. On to Thursday then!!

Overhearing some chat on the way out after the game the two punters concerned suggested Hollis was training with Carlisle. No idea how much truth there is or is not to that.

I don't like that one at all UBH. There's way way too much going on in there. Scrap the shadow stipes, scrap the shadow badge. Don't like the collar much either. Nah, not for me this time.

If it helps offer any clarity as to where the topic of compensation/fees over Dom Thomas arose you might well be able to pin that one on me. It wasn't actually a Well Society meeting but the club's AGM 2014 back in February where it was mentioned in passing by Stuart McCall in answer to a question about prospects in our youth set up. What I noted at the time was... Despite what has been speculated over since there was never any mention of what the fee was or the merest hint, as appears to be backed up by Onthefringes anlaysis above, that he was being denied first team action because a fee was due. No more, or less than that.

Yep. Nope. The Albion Rovers result certainly was but there seems to be growing hyperbole when it comes to our Cup exploits. Reaching a Scottish Cup Final and losing to a fellow SPL side, one match of which was a Quarter Final is hardly absolutely disgraceful. And yes you could make the point about the Rangers cup game but again we've lost to SPL teams in both Hibs and Aberdeen and in both games have had goals disallowed that could have changed the course of those games completely. Again hardly absolutely disgraceful as you put it, Certainly agree we need good Cup runs given the financial element and having done the best of the rest thing consistently I might be persuaded that a day in the sun at Hampden trump another second place finish. As long we finish above Aberdeen mind.... Disagree completely about Europe though but that's an argument for another thread. McCall and the players have a personal pride and know fine well they could have done better but to suggest they owe us anything in just nonsense. They owe us fuck all particularly when there are supporters who are ultra quick to engage in histrionics and toys out the pram like behaviour if things don't go our way.

Have to say I liked them both too, particularly the home one. There have been plenty much worse Motherwell strips since.

It's an interesting one. I did wonder around the time of that League Cup game if when this time came whether we might escape some of their ire as after Charles Green initial bluster he seemed to imply in not so many words that we weren't the bad guys of the piece - I remember some claptrap about "we could see it in their eyes" and "we know who our friends are" but since he's long since been discredited in their eyes I doubt that'll hold any weight whatsoever now. On one hand as you say you'll have the bitter and twisted that will point blank refuse to put a penny in the coffers of teams they consider put the boot in. Then there will be the bitter and twisted but who will want to be there in person to revel in any victory over those who they consider put the boot in. Then you'll have folk that regardless whether its Motherwell or Montrose Rangers are playing they will be there if they possibly can as they simply want to support their team. And then regardless of everything that has happened whatever their view there's the fact as we've experienced before and after their demise, that in general Old Firm fans don't travel in the same numbers as they once did.

Particularly when at the same time you are highlighting supposed deficiences you are touting the return of Brian McLean!

Stephen Hughes, Frazzle. Hardly a mistake though as claimed. He was given training facilities, which was "upgraded" to a contract for a month, and then allowed to move on when it became sufficiently clear he wasn't going to improve our team at that time. And no, McHugh was given his debut by Mark McGhee which shows how long he's been kicking about trying to establish himself as a first-teamer.

It's not uncommon for the club to offer training facilities for guys who have served us well in the past so Clarkson going with the squad to join pre-season training is in keeping with that. Will obviously help him in terms of fitness and will give McCall the opportunity to assess him at close quarters and see if he is perhaps the one to replace Anier. It's maybe worth remembering though that going on trial is no automatic route to a contract as Craig Reid found out last summer - albeit that changed later in the season. Nothing to lose in having a look.

There has been supposition (emphasis on supposition) that Thomas has not been played due to a fee that would be due to Celtic after playing a certain amount of games. It was Stuart McCall himself however who actually brought the fact to light there was any fee due at the last AGM.

Aye, Faddy's last season before going to Everton I think. Think we drew, might have been 2-2

You can certainly argue the point as to why we've reached where we are, but the statement from the board was pretty clear on what was required going forward. The early ticket release and pricing only reinforces the revised strategy. Their point is pretty clear that if the finances don't come in as required there will no longer have a budget to give you European football far less argue over a fiver.

He seems a pretty decent sort Martinez. He can perhaps afford to a bit more mellow in his outlook when reminiscing about how his time at Motherwell came to close given what he has achieved since, but you contrast that with the venom of the likes of Forrest and Dow when presented with the opportunity. I also found it quite amusing to read in another article about him (in Four Four Two IIRC) that his living room has a huge corner sofa with two large TV's so his missus is kept happy watching her shite whilst he watches whatever fitba happens to be on the telly.

Perhaps too early as you say but you sense this season ahead is something of a make-or-break season for him. Although I think I've been saying that about McHugh for about the past four seasons and he's still here and still trying to make a starting team place his own. There's no question last season was a fairly significant step back for him given the game time he had enjoyed the season before. He strikes me as a player who needs a lot of time not only to develop but to find a level of consistency that you look for in a first-team player and he will have suffered for that. For example I think of some constrasting displays from him like the first game against Celtic at Fir Park in 12'13 where they could have taken eight off us easily that afternoon. He was Gunni Jonnson like in his performance and if I mind correctly was red-carded and gave away a penalty. Either way he was utterly hapless. Yet with a few months experience and confidence behind I remember him being outstanding the next time Celtic returned to Fir Park and he coped admirably and didn't look out of place at all. Cummins certainly has a measure of potential, and in an ideal world he would have come back from Dundee with a dozen more starts behind him, buzzing from winning the league and ready to make a real go of challenging for the first team. But he's probably worse off now than he was when left for Dundee. As it stands for me unless he has a storming season ahead, his career is definitely heading more the way of Johnny Page than Shaun Hutchinson.

Time will tell whether he's a long term solution but on the basis of his loan spell with us I think Twardzik is worthy of closer scrutiny to see if he is that player. Despite the fact he was available on freedom of contract and impressed on loan his signing did catch me by surprise and even more so the two year deal that came with his signing. He does now come with a certain level of expectation given his performances and our results first time around ofcourse, but what I would say is that the defence looked almost instantly more at ease with him between the posts than they did with the two incumbents they had been playing and training with for months, or years beforehand. He kept 3 clean sheets in 5 games, two of which were against top half teams and helped the team to a win in his debut on having met his team-mates just a couple of days beforehand in a game where we at one of our most fragile points of the season after the Rovers and Celtic debacles. As I say time will tell but there's a fair degree to be encouraged about from what we've seen already.

Interesting signing the Law one. Noting the comments about his position and style of play the immediate thought is that it offers the potential for Vigurs to return to the left hand side of the field, where he played some outstanding stuff in the latter third of the season and may also remove some of the onus on Lasley to push forward.

I agree that Porter's time has come and gone but remember they did have six months in the same team together before Porter left. Soccerbase suggests Porter scored 9 and Sutton 5 during that spell which, when you had also Clarkson in the equation chipping in with 6 goal they aren't the worst returns. But yeah it's a bit of a moot point, a modern day Sutton-Porter partnership isn't likely to happen any time soon I would imagine.

For the last time this season....your thoughts and votes please...