one m in motherwell

Looks like another:

Definitely. Ability to run through brick walls a definite plus!

Getting a bit Strike It Lucky there Davie!

Flow did seem to suggest on Twitter that another signing was coming soon...

I suppose it's a logical time for a new manager to put his stamp on all aspects of the club. Getting shot of Black was always going to happen sooner than the rest - not sure if the likes of Marshall just aren't having their contracts renewed?

My other team! I'd happily take that as an away kit, perhaps with claret in place of the red.

We've managed to sign players without a Head of Recruitment before, I'm sure we'll cope.

If it came with a discount for the curry club I'd be all for it.

I'd hope McDonald signs on again - the more time goes on, for some reason the more I can see it happening. If we were able to find a more physical striker (in the Sutton/Higdon vein), then Skippy could be a good foil for him providing we are able to get them service from the wings. Any more chat re. Ainsworth? I suppose with most of the folk on holiday it might be another couple of weeks before the rumours properly start flying.

The sea. Get in it.

Yeah, he was totally shite. So shite in fact that he should be hounded from the doors of Fir Park and never be allowed near a football pitch again. In fact, extend that to his family too. Those six appearances were more akin to war crimes than footballing performances. Jeezo Dewell - get a fucking grip. But well done on toning down the random capitalisations though.

Beaming looking at those. Marvin though - fucking brilliant!

He's a player that until this season could easily have gone the way of Bob McHugh. He did a job for us, but not consistently and needs a lot of refinement before he can be considered a finished article. I would have much preferred he stayed, but he wasn't worth breaking the bank for at this stage. £380k for a player who's only really asserted himself for six months isn't a bad return.

This season, probably to a greater extent than before, I don't think we'll have heard of many of the folk who'll join up. It's going to be another Gannon-esque effort I reckon.

I see that Kello has been released by St Mirren. Signing a keeper from a relegated side isn't perhaps the most awe inspiring, but would anyone take him?

I suspect Skippy will sign on for another year (at least).

A few others on the list too. Vigurs, Lawson, Carswell, McHugh...not sure if this is just folk who are out of contract, rather than ones who definitely aren't getting a new deal.

The worrying thing is that he will most likely still be our manager for the foreseeable, barring a further collapse at the start of next season (wherever we end up). The approach behind the scenes at the club has certainly changed since the new owner came in, and it strikes me that Baraclough is seen as being integral to that. There's also the financial aspect of it too - whilst he has been backed with money for transfers in January, I'd probably say that only Johnson, Pearo and to a lesser extent McDonald have justified that outlay - the remainder are no better than what we had before. However, the club will want a return on that investment, so I suppose the question is how much rope will the board give Baraclough before deciding that enough is enough? The apparent new setup certainly seems to be a step in the right direction (on paper at least) but it's not translated at all on the park - I almost wonder whether the board saw relegation/the playoffs as a certainty, and have effectively been planning on dropping down a division since McCall left. This isn't too far outside the realms of possibility when considered in the context of our new 'develop talent and sell it on' ethos, is relegation seen as a bit of a clean slate to allow us to clear out the dead wood in the squad and start afresh?

Yeah, he's more of an attacking mid than a striker these days. I can see him perhaps taking on more of an Ojamaa role, sitting just behind Sutton? I'd always seen that as being Erwin's best role, but Skippy's experience could be exactly what we need. Once Hammell and Pearson are fit, we've got a good spine of experience through the team, including Skippy, Las and Sutton in that.

I suppose you have to hope that those two - as arguably our most experienced (fit) players - will be the ones to pull the rest of the team together on the park and drive them on. The problem is, Lasley has suffered from trying to do far too much, ending up being almost totally ineffective, whilst McManus just hasn't looked bothered all season. In saying that, a centre back pairing of Laing and Ramsden/Kerr gives me the fear, and until Pearson comes back I wouldn't risk dropping Lasley at the moment (as shit as we've been, I think without him we'd be worse). In an ideal world, I'd go with: Long Law O'Brien Kerr Hammell D. Thomas Grant Lasley/Pearson Johnson Erwin/Moore Sutton We desperately need Hammell and Pearo back.

I'm sure Baraclough would get a bit more slack if there was the slightest hint of fight, or grit, or dare I say heart about any of the performances since he took over. There may have been a couple of 'better' performances but sadly any semblance of a new manager bounce has dissolved by now. After McCall there's no doubt that we needed a freshness of approach, but it just seems as though there's a basic level of tactical nous that's missing. I'd agree though that you can't lay all the blame on the new faces that have come in - not after four games - but patience generally is running out.

Yes, Bradford PA. I'll give them a wee phone this afternoon and see if they want him.

The problem is that the board have obviously invested in his 'vision' for the club, to the extent that we actually paid a fee for a player for the first time since around 1976. I can't see the board punting him, but if they do its not as if we can just call van der Gaag up and ask him if he's still interested. The most likely scenario, if he does go, will be that he does so under his own steam. We'll then be left with a Leitch/Johansson dream team to see out the inevitable.

Just thinking about potential striking targets. What about Curier? Always seems to have been effective, but I'm not sure if we're better just banking on Moore and Erwin to progress?

At Obertraun, no less. As for the striker chat, I can still see this happening, but wouldn't be too upset if it didn't. Sutton will score goals if he's given service, and hopefully the players brought in over the window will be a bit more accommodating on that front. The continued development of Moore and Erwin will also be of help - I'm actually feeling quite confident now for the rest of the season!