Andy_P

Your thoughts and votes please folks...

Well if we're getting all poetic I give you this utter bollocks.... He wanted to play in midfield But set pieces they rarely would yield Son you won't be a stanger You'll sign for the Rangers Said his father, filling his heid No deal! It was clearly a bummer Disappeared for all of the summer After shedding great tears He at last re-appeared On a contract with mighty Tranmere

Don't have a link to the Soccer AM feature but the video has been doing the rounds on the net all week... http://www.fanatix.com/news/video-motherwell-youth-team-pull-off-greatest-sequence-of-trick-headers/150062/

And the time before that as well.

I'd certainly agree we should have had each of the three games in the bag long before we've the anxieties of the last fifteen, twenty minutes in those games. How you deal with those situations it's a bit devil or deep blue sea. There were a couple of games last season where McCall was criticised for failing to act towards the end of matches to see games through - the two Aberdeen games immediately spring to mind. There has to be a balance struck between retaining an attacking option and trying to capitalise on the break and strengthening the rearguard to get the job done, but I'd say in the last three games I couldn't criticise McCall too much but that's subjective. I'd concede you could just us as easily argue we might have been better served in each of them trying to keep the ball in the opposition half than packing in around our box. But not so sure we can say with certainty better teams would punish us. I say that as in each of those three games in keeping with much of the season it has been a positive that we've been limiting opposition teams in the number of efforts they are getting in on goal. They've had the bulk of the possession, no question but as for cast iron opportunities created, we've limited our opponents. Look through the goals we've conceded in the league so far this season so far, two penalties and own goal, two from set-pieces. Only one goal we've conceded has been from open play. If we can continue along those lines, which you might hope would be the case the more that defensive line and keeper play together, then we'll have an excellent base to start from each game. It's then as you say just getting things to click that bit more offensively.

A good day's work. There was a feeling akin to last chance saloon for Lennon before the game and I was a little concerned as situations like that can sometimes change the complexion of a game. Happily that never really happened and we did what we had to do without having to face any all guns blazing stuff from Saints, apart from arguably the last couple of minutes. Defensively we looked good for the most part, had spells where we put together some good moves and always looked to have that little bit more threat up front than St Mirren and all the while with a little re-working of the personnel and formation. Like the previous couple of games we could have had it in the bag with something to spare and save us the anxious final minutes but we got there once again. Couldn't really make out what actually happened with the goal mind you once the ball had gone in the box. Looked like Sutton was going to score, then everything seemed to stop and the suddenly he was up celebrating. Off the park, plenty of issues raised. Some criticism already in the thread about supporters not adhering to rules - as I saw it the supporters were supporting the team in a fashion little different to that they've done for the past couple of seasons. But if we are to look at the roles of supporters then we must also consider the roles of those employed in positions of authority. Not for the first time St Mirren's stewards must assume a large amount of culpability for their part in an incident developing when we've visited their ground - then absolutely shitting themselves, panicking and demonstrating their complete inability to properly handle the situation they have been largely responsible in creating.

Your thoughts and votes please folks...

I wouldn't say so, particularly if a 3-5-2 was the preference where there was some extra defensive cover in there behind him.

Lasley for right-back perhaps? Seem to remember him filling in once or twice there under McGhee. Would be a more experienced option than either Carswell or Lawson and still allows for a couple of options in the centre of midfield.

It's not the first time there have been calls for its reintroduction. John Boyle I'm sure had similar views whilst chairman and there was an MSP a few years ago, the name John Park springs to mind, who was pushing it too. I would support it in terms of the principle that if it's good enough for a Glasgow Warriors fan to watch a game with a beer then it's good enough for a football fan too. It was surely ludicrous before Warriors moved to Scotstoun that in a fitba stadium on a Friday night fans could get a beer but less than 24 hours Thistle fans were denied that same luxury. It's much the same at concerts at Hampden where thousands can be standing in the dark watching a gig, but half the amount aren't allowed to stand during a game in the same arena and potentially face legal sanctions if they do. There's the financial aspect that will appeal to clubs and there was an argument from Parks that police and stewards would benefit by easing the traditional ten to three rush. But I can't see it happening to be honest. A liberating measure where alcohol is involved goes against many recent initiatives like dry football trains, licensing changes and attempts to introduce minimum pricing.

I thought it was the supposed Gannon 'haters' who were the revisionists ;-) One win in eleven. Last victory came in October. He went after Boxing Day which suggests it was a tad more than one bad month. There were three games in that spell where the opposition were down to 10 men. One game they were down to nine. Results were poor. Senior players were alienated. Younger players morale shaken. We were going one way. I didn't hate the guy, but I was certainly relieved when he went. I didn't share your relaxed outlook of the time that if it took a season or two in Division One to rebuild for the longer term then it was worth the pain. I didn't think we needed to drop that far whilst completing the process and would say the evidence of the past few seasons backs that up. But that said his time was not without success. The beginning of his reign was hugely exciting. He was a breath of fresh air initially and we most certainly benefited from the guys he brought in. The Flamuratari game in Airdrie will always remain of my favourite games of his time. So he does deserve credit for laying foundations, no doubt. Perhaps if he was more evolution rather than revolution there might have been a different conclusion.

It's a difficult one with the U20's. I suppose in part it comes down to what your aims are from the team. The poor start last season was attributed in part to the late appointment of an U20 coach, the appointment of which itself drew remarks from some posters that the current incumbent was perhaps a cheaper option than some other interested candidates. Yet for all that when we got to the close of the campaign and the bulk of the players involved were youths and not so many first teamers it seemed like we had hit a vein of form. Another poor start this year has seen the question marks return. The results themselves don't really bother me at all. It has been a stated intention of the club in the past to blood players as far up the youth ladder as they can, as early as they can and in the past this has seen some miss-matches which and will contribute to results to a degree also. Perhaps it puts additional pressure on some of the players playing above their "level" but it suggests to me that results aren't critical to the club. Whilst its nice to win for me ultimately as a club we are spending money on youth development to get players into the first team squad so they can make a contribution there and if we are lucky earn us a few quid at the end of it. So if we lost every game this season but somehow two or three players "made it" then that's a result as far as I'm concerned. And be it through choice or necessity we are still seeing them come through in Carswell, ZFA, Moore and Erwin currently. It also doesn't perhaps help that so close to home our neighbours across the Clyde seem in rude health in comparison to us with a team that looked far our superior recently and they can also point to the recent successes of McCarthy and McArthur going through their set-up as a selling point, when you compare us results wise currently. But I suppose JJ, McCall and Young will be the only ones who will have a full handle on what they want from the U20's and where they think we are.

I can see the point you've been looking to raise with your original question, albeit its a question I think might be better asked six months into the season than six weeks,but using phrases like "bad signing" and "waste of a wage" even when asking a question tends to suggest you had already made up your mind before asking. Your post above doesn't say anything to me to change that impression. Perhaps worth remembering that Lawson committed to join the club in the mid-late May - around the same time that Nicky Law stated he was going and three weeks before Humphrey made it known he wouldn't be taking up the offer of a new contract, so whilst it maybe argued now the budget may have been utilised better, clearly McCall can't see into the future and there will have be an element of hedging bets involved with so many out of contract. On Lawson himself I thought him a tidy player when seeing him first and believe he will be called upon regularly throughout the season so no qualms about his signing. Far from being cover he's still making a contribution each week and there aren't too many games he hasn't been involved in, even if from the bench. I think he'll certainly be the one to be pitched in for Lasley in terms of injury and suspension and on the occasion where we are looking for an extra man midfield I'd expect he'll get the call there too. Perhaps a little ironically given your call for pace I think that's just one of the reasons why Carswell is getting the nod currently over him given he is more mobile and can get up and down the park a little more quickly than Lawson can, and helping our midfield.

Hi JackFish, welcome to the forum. There are a few threads on the Club Chat forum that will give you most of the information you need. Briefly though, some of our fans had the visa element taken care of through travelling with MFC on the charter but plenty arranged the trip themselves, including the visa element, without too much difficulty. From memory some did the trip via London and Moscow and then down internally although they may well have stayed a few days to do that. From those that returned you'll have a ball and will be well received by the majority - although there were reports some of some chancers trying to pick off flags and the like as "trophies" from 'Well fans on the day of the game. I'll leave it to those who were there to give you a more in depth answer but as I say look through the threads or do a search and you'll find all you need - with plent of photos to go with them. EDIT: PS If you are old enough - Mon the Cusack!!!!

Believe its at Creamery Park Bathgate this one. Presumably the early kick-off will be a nod to the distance travelled by County and ability to limit floodlight use.

Interesting reading some of the posts thus far. It could be argued whether folk are unnecessarily focusing on the negatives or simply highlighting deficiences that can be improved but it's pretty evident that there are some yet to fully commit their faith or belief in the team for whatever reason. For me it's very much as anticipated in that we are a side growing, evolving, gelling, call it what you will with each passing game. As individuals there are some reaching their "level" quicker than others. I would say we've still got a good way to go yet, and we'll get tripped up along the way, but as a whole things appear to be going in the right direction. The game had many similarities to last week I thought. We deserved to win over the piece and again made it far more difficult for ourselves than it should perhaps have been. Again you look at chances immediately after the re-start that could have given us a two goal cushion which you suspect would have done much to galvanise ourselves and deflate the opposition. But we've shown some great character in the last couple of weeks to recover from throwing away the Aberdeen game and not turning up in Inverness. We've then had to face a team that was flying and undefeated in the league in 20 odd matches and then negotiate the ever awkward "backlash" effect of a side yet to win in the league and on the back of a cup defeat to a lower league side. We've dealt with it all whilst developing as a team. I'm confident that in comparison to many in the division we have a good measure of ability and when you have that aforementioned character and the battle scarred doggedness that several of our team has we have you are always in with a shout.

There was a post probably about 300 pages ago now, where someone posted a link about a laddie from NI who had joined or would be joining up with one of our youth sides. I'm guessing it might be him.

Your thoughts and votes please folks...

Well Anier did play up front on his own in Russia and I thought he was pretty impressive that night. Aside from performing the tasks mentioned throughout his hour or so on the pitch made himself an absolute nuisance with his harrying and chasing. I'd have no qualms about him in that role, although whether he gets the opportunity to do so is another thing entirely.

Surprised you haven't picked on the U20's sporting a different set of shorts to the first team, Underboyle. Makes it a lot more reminiscent of the second Bukta kit we had a few years ago I think, albeit this season's socks are a bit funkier. Better or worse than the current home kit with the white shorts would you say?

No. Assuming all top flight teams go through the only assurance you would have would be avoiding any of the other seven of the top eight from the SPL last season.

Forgive the slight drift off topic and my ignorance here but how does the summer desk shuffling exercise of the leagues impact on suspensions and stuff across the three, or perhaps four if you include the Challenge cup? Remember it used to be that unless it was violent conduct your suspension if it occured in the League Cup, was for the League Cup, if it happened in the Scottish Cup was for the Scottish Cup and so on. Has the arrival of this SPFL pish caused any difference at all seeing as I suppose the League and SPL are now as one? Is the Scottish Cup still seperate as its under the auspices of the SFA? Was anything ever mentioned as to how this would be overcome if say a player had a suspension carried over from the League Cup last season? Back on topic will wait and see how the ties go before choosing a preference but fancy Danny Lennon's jaiket could be on a shoogily peg if their defence ends at the first attempt at Palmerston tonight.

I think Higginbotham getting the stick he did was largely down to Thistle not putting the ball out. Whether you believe they were right or wrong in not doing that is a debate for another day, but whenever you are on the receiving end there is always an explosion of anger from those fans who feel wronged. It's worth remembering that he actually got a pretty decent welcome when he came on at first, particularly when you consider he was a fringe player on loan for six months who albeit had one particular moment of magic, did very little else of note. There was a spread of applause across the East Stand and that's far more generous a welcome than many who have contributed more have ever received. I must admit the turning point for me was his gesture towards the East Stand. In my estimation he went from a former player I was neither here not there about to an opposition fucker fair game for any abuse that came his way after that. On Reynolds I was told by a mate who bumped into Reynolds father a few days after the game that he was raging with the abuse he took. That I can understand. Without wanting to feed Frazzle's fire about his ability, he was with us long enough and left in a way where I personally feel he deserves a bit better. I do ofcourse understand the view that the minute someone goes elsewhere and comes up against us they have the power to do us damage and are therefore now the enemy, but aye Reynolds I personally felt was a little more up the scale than just an average returning Motherwell player.

This if Thistle had..... It's the old if your auntie had balls she'd be your uncle. If Motherwell hadn't given away a penalty against Aberdeen we might have won.... If Motherwell hadn't given away a goal early on last week the game plan wouldn't have been shafted after five minutes... And so on. It's all supposition. When it boils down to it you play what's there in front of you. We played and beat what was there in front us. No requirement for seeking any additional angst that what might have been a worse case scenario.

Your thoughts and votes please...