wellgirl

I've only got two essays to go to finish the year... And I need to pass them both to finish this year (no pressure). I've been derailed slightly this week with studying because of my broken leg. (Hard to explain... The pain. But I do need to crack on). Crack maybe being the wrong word.

Yeah I hope so. In other news renewing my season ticket is going to be so much fun. I can't renew online as I'm a student. I'm just hoping my mum can take the proof I need to show and do it for me.

We need to find a team of Theo Bairs 🤣 not suggesting Theo isn't quality, the opposite. Actually depending on how the investment talks go we might have some more money to spend (or possibly not if the offer isn't suitable).

To be fair it was me that suggested that - and it's likely not the case given he sees the players much more than any of us. I would have thought it a bit odd though given the rest of the defence were offered terms if Mugabi wasn't. Particularly as Butcher who featured far less than he did was offered a new contract. (I don't know anyone at Fir Park and have zero inside info). I also don't think he'll be away if we have a bad start to the season - we often don't start the season well irrespective of who is or isn't playing.

Im sure there will be a deadline as to when they've to accept or not. Mugabi and SOD aren't the only people still to accept contracts offered to them. Surely players have the right to negotiate and look at any other offers before signing on. That's only fair.

Butcher is away and the only person who has signed on so far is McGinn.

I don't think Mugabi has been rotten from the off. I just don't think he's progressed. Also - keeping players doesn't mean we won't sign new ones. I'm not surprised at all that SOD and McGinn were offered new terms.

It was just a thought about why Mugabi has been offered terms. If you have an underperforming defence and you offer three of them terms and not the fourth I think that's a pretty strong message you are sending out. Plus as other people have said. We don't know what the terms are or whether Kettlewell sees Mugabi and others as back up options. Or if Mugabi will accept the terms offered.

I think so re Butcher. Good luck to him.

If you wipe the slate clean you risk leaving yourself with very limited options apart from youth. I don't think McGinn is shite and I don't think SOD is either. I think we are all going to have different opinions on that. I think Bevis is very good when he's on his game but when he's off it he's very poor. There's been rumours that Dundee utd are looking at Bevis but that's all they are. Plus Kelly has gone too. A new keeper might help the defence situation

I personally think offering Butcher terms was the decent thing to do - not expecting many people to agree with me. Think it's clear from the twitter video clip that Butcher wanted away - maybe wants to go back to England, he was wishing the club all the best for the future. Same with Slattery. Im happy that he's been offered new terms.

I understand how poor our defence was for part of last season. I don't think McGinn is a poor player though and I don't think SOD is either. I think SOD is far better than he gets credit for. Also. Just because they've been offered new terms doesn't mean we won't be signing anyone else. Or that the players are going to accept the terms offered.

I also think Spittal developed an awful lot under Kettlewell. Plus we had some very decent loan signings in Biereth, Vale and Gent. Id say Nicolson too.

He's signed plenty of players since he came in - even if he's made mistakes with his signings that hasnt stopped him making signings. Brian Caldwell said in his interview last week that the club had made a number of offers to players who don't play for us. Being immense in three games doesn't mean Bevis should be first choice. When he is off his game he's really poor.

You're right, I'm just trying to justify why Mugabi got an offer. However as I said as well. There are fans who do rate him and think he's better than SOD, Casey etc.

I think you're right and that's the case now - but I don't think that's always been the case. Teams you would have expected to come straight back up haven't always done that in a season. I think Dundee Utd would have struggled a lot more if they hadn't had Moult (stating the absolute obvious here ). What I mean is at the start of the season fans were still calling for Goodwin to go and it took them a few games to get into their stride. I think they benefited from having several players who had played at a higher level. Watt Moult and a few others.

I think possibly that could be a factor. If you have an under performing defence and you offer all of them a contract bar one - you're basically singling one player out. And like I think you posted earlier - it's not just the defence that was at fault. Kelly was underperforming and at points the entire team was. You could see the confidence dip after the Celtic game in Sept. I think a lot of it is subjective as well. There are people who don't rate Casey (I like him) and people who do rate Bevis. I think the most important thing is that we get more signings in so that there's competition for places.

Yeah absolutely. Avoiding the drop is essential because the Championship isn't easy to get out of once a team is in it. Look at Accies since they got relegated.

When he's on his game he is good. But when he's not he's a bombscare. Anyone I've spoken to away from here over the last 24 hours -Mugabi is the name people are surprised over. However maybe Kettlewell didn't want to single him out given the rest of the defence were also poor for a lot of the season - not that I think that justifies a new contract offer.

It's for budget reasons we aim for tenth - planning for the lowest placing in the league. If you check the stats we've only made top six nine times out of the last twenty years. I believe we finished third under Robbo but also 9th 8th and 7th. I personally don't think we are in a slump. We've finished top six twice in the last ten years. We could have done a lot better this season obviously -next season will be an important one for Kettlewell, that's clear.

To be fair to Motherwell at this point in time few other spl teams have made a lot of signings. Id expect to see more activity obviously as the summer goes on. Loans or not. Plus at the moment we don't know if SOD or Mugabi will accept the new terms on offer. Was only rumour that Dundee utd were after Mugabi but if they offer him better wages then you'd expect him to take them.

I'd be surprised if Slattery has been offered pay as you play. There's zero security in that and I think he's a decent footballer who is worth a new contract. Someone said earlier that both McGinn and O'Donnell were offered a year and wanted two. Again I've no issue with O'Donnell being re signed whether that's coming off the bench or not. I agree re Ox and Kelly not being dropped. I do think there will be additions as well. Long way to go till the season starts. Just saw a short interview with Butcher after the St Johnstone game which the club have put on twitter and he said he's looking forward to see how Motherwell do next year - looks like he was wanting a move away.

Id rather see him go

Very good point.

I personally overthink in every aspect of my entire life. So I'm not going to overthink this. I don't think it's unreasonable to offer terms to players who have been with us a long time. I don't think it's unreasonable to offer Butcher terms either. I said several threads back that I thought he would be.. But theres been no official confirmation of this. Think it's the decent thing to do after the injury. Same with Slattery. The point is. We are a long way from August and I would expect to see a fair few changes between now and then.