Al B

I do like Brendan Rodgers, I think he's an unbelievable appointment for Celtic and he will definitely be an asset to the league...but if you watched the "Being Liverpool" documentary a few years back, he is genuinely a real life David Brent. But aye, any manager who Louis Suarez credits as making him the player he is, coming to Scotland whilst still so young and in the prime of his career, is a fantastic appointment whether you like Celtic or not.

The '91 cup win was sort of life-changing for me in a way. I was in 2nd year at High School in 1991 and Id been following Motherwell from afar for a while. However not being from there or living anywhere near there, no-one else I knew had any interest in the club, so it was pretty much just a "following the scores on a Saturday, getting a top for Christmas" type of thing and that was it. All I ever really heard was Rangers, Celtic, Falkirk (local side), and being a kid in the 80's 90's, Aberdeen and Dundee United. To be honest I was totally fine with that, as I'd never known any different, and had no expectations of that ever changing. Then you had the '91 cup run, the Celtic games/replay, then the final itself....the victory, they way the game unfolded, the sheer quality and drama of it. All of a sudden, literally overnight, things went from no-one ever talking about my club, to EVERYONE talking about them! For a good few months, right into the start of the next season, and then beginning the next year at school when you see people you haven't seen since the end of the previous school year, Motherwell were the talking point! It was probably the best, most uplifting feeling i've felt as a football fan yet, and the first time I felt that whole "pride in sticking with a smaller club" thing. It absolutely, 100% justified my choice in sticking with them as my team when no-one else really knew anything about them. Actually remembering it back whilst typing this, brings back the feelings of playing football in the park in the weeks after the cup final (and at that age everyone is pretending to be a particular player), and overnight it had gone from no-one ever even mentioning my club or having the slightest interest, to all my pals being like "right i'll be Stevie Kirk" "no IM Stevie Kirk, you be Phil O'Donnell", and im just thinking...YASSSS! Good times!!

If that's your choice mate, then so be it! Any idea how to donate?

I have to say I'd see that differently, I thought Roberts had him on toast. He'll do that to much better and more natural full-backs though...so it's not really a criticism of Marvin. Roberts is a fantastic footballer.

Great thread. Would read again.

If £15 is a sum of money that someone can't do without, then fair play and they would have my best wishes in making ends meet. However if that same person is spending money on going to the football at all, let alone dropping circa 300 notes on a season ticket, then they need their bank card taken from them and sent on some sort of life-choices course.

What happened at the Motherwell XI night?

Top 3 plus cup winners. If the cup winners have already qualified through the league then that place goes to the team in 4th.

Yes mate, results going our way puts us 4pts clear of 6th with one game to play.

You aren't interested in anyone else's suggestions if they don't match your own. You just want to be told you're doing it right. Anyone who doesn't is "Holier than thou". Here's a clue though...solutions to problems generally start with listening. Give it a try sometime. If there are 5 points to a rule, and you want to change point 5 because you dont think its fair, the authorities will refuse to listen if you have flaunted rules 1-4. You can't then turn round and say..."yeah but that doesn't matter because we only want to change point 5 and we've not done anything wrong with that one". Life doesn't work like that. Yes, there are some Motherwell fans who are critical of what you do, but there are also those whose comments are trying to help, but until you pay attention to the difference and stop lumping everyone that doesn't tell you what you want to hear into the same category, then you are just making things harder than they need to be. There is a large cross-section of fans who are explicitly tell you you that they agree with what you are trying to do, but it all-too-often comes across looking like the intent has nothing to do with changing anything, but purely revolving around being able to do whatever you want. You need to listen to these people because the sooner you realise that isn't actually criticism or disapproval, then the sooner you will find these "better suggestions" for change that you say you are looking for. If that's how it looks to the people who are generally on your side, then you'd have to be a prize moron to not appreciate how it looks to those on opposing sides to your argument. Motherwell fans are trying to give you a heads up, and you're generally telling them to piss off. Which proves them right unfortunately.

From the highlights im trying to work out who Las is going utterly mental at when the 2nd goal goes in...looks like Ripley? I don't think i've seen aggression like that short of actually punching someone!

In any walk of life, if you want to change rules, you have to abide by the ones that currently stand. Only then will they give credibity to widening them. As it stands it seems like the attitude is "if we just ignore the rules then eventually they will just get rid of them". That's an extremely naive and youthful way of looking at life, and I think is whats largely responsible for the group being viewed as a bunch of kids. It's not an age thing...its that to an outsider looking in their approach to authority is extremely childlike. As long as thats the case, progress will never be made. "Im just going to do what I want until I get my own way" is Kevin the teenager behavior at best. I approve of the goal and the aim, but the methods are generally embarrassingly counter-productive.

As an example, back when I used to go to all games home and away, I always said if I were to give up some if it got too expensive then I'd give up home games and continue to go away. As that has bourne out, it has proven to be the case. I make maybe 3 or 4 home games per season, but much more likely to go away.

Cheap option? Please do enlighten us on his salary and how it compares to what other candidates would have demanded. No experience doing the job? Please enlighten us on what his job is and how it compares to his previous employment. (I'll give you a clue...his job history doesnt start with media officer at MFC). He may well have binned his Hilton badge that had the word manager on it, but I can assure you he did more than take the fucking bins out. He's got Bill Clinton stories that most definitely supercede looking after Tom Hateley's whiney moaney face. No managerial experience? See above. Out his depth? Again please clarify for us all what his experience is, and what his job description is, to display such a disparity. None of us have a fucking clue as to either of those, so if you can let us know that would be helpful in clearing a lot of this shit up. I'll tell you one thing for certain, he's got more MFC-related silverware in his house than any player or manager connected with the club can offer, and all awarded by industry people, so he's clearly been doing something right.

How he has done can't possibly be up for debate, because we don't have the slightest clue what he does. (As it should be in my opinion).

The only thing that it's indicative of is his handsomeness. Even my Mrs has a signed photo of him, and she couldn't point out Motherwell on a map. Incidentally, It's no coincidence that during our successful spell when we were getting used to finishing 2nd, we were the most handsome side in the league by miles. Then we started getting worse as each of them left and we lost our #swag. Signing policy needs reviewed I think. Get the team chock full of 9's and 10's again and we'll be there or thereabouts.

Don't talk yourself down. It was very well written and I have enjoyed reading the resultant thread. I'm actually toying with the idea of putting in for a half day tomorrow so I can come home and read it again. It would be a real waste of annual leave to get home and find it had gone.

That first time pass with the outside of the foot though.....

Will have a listen when I get home later. Softy is actually the sole reason I'm a Motherwell fan...my best friend at primary school was his nephew, and we used to go along to watch him play, and it all went from there!

The fans need to play their part as well though. The whole "he just hasny goat it...he's never a fitba player" after 10 games is a massive part of the problem.

Reynolds? Your point still stands though.

And the only thing that brings in a bigger crowd is a better matchday experience. And that is why we NEED Eddie Van Halen on guitar.