Ya Bezzer!

This is pretty much the case but my view on it is who do you expect to act more responsibly? Some daft laddies or the police? Or some daft laddies or stewards? I went to games in the 80's and 90's and there is nothing even approaching that level of hooliganism today. It's not even close. I'd rather fans didn't run on the pitch or throw flares and don't condone either but the bigger picture is that I'm much more worried about the scandalous press sensationalism or the actions of police than I am about the actions of our supporters. Does anyone genuinely feel unsafe at a football these days?

We have been very poor this season but do you really think Hamilton Accies played superb football? Or Dundee Utd? Morton? We aren't getting smashed 5-0. It's been 2-1, 3-2, 1-0, so of course it's margins. In 4 out of 8 matches this season 1 more goal would have got us more points out of the game, whether it be a draw or a win. If we 'simply aren't good enough' rather than it being margins we have no chance and will finish bottom and there is nothing we can do about it. On the other hand we can try and concentrate, get an extra point here, an extra point there, maybe steal a win, get more points on the board and then confidence will start to go up and everyone will be singing from the same hymn sheet again. Maybe then, if we get to that point, we can start looking for some silky soccer. Right now, however, there is a lot of shit shoveling to be done.

But also irrelevant when you are dealing with players on a day to day basis that have played in the Champions League, internationals and the upper levels of English football.

If we lose today your next bet should be Motherwell - Relegation.

I think McManus has been a very disappointing signing over his time here but I doubt very much if we are awarding player contracts on his say so. In fact I'd be pretty confident that no player has any influence over signings.

I like Shiels as a character but I think he would be too polarising. We need someone who is going to bring everyone together because obviously there has been a split in the camp and tensions among the playing staff. Shield would start an argument in an empty hoose.

He has a problem on the other side. He only had treatment on one side last time, when the normal procedure is to treat both. Why that was, I have no idea.

Would be my formation and line up with the exception of Dom Thomas for Chalmers. I'd accept Grimshaw in place of Cadden as we've not seen much of either. However, Hammell is injured, he has a groin problem and will be out for a couple of weeks at least. So Chalmers has to go in at left back.

If what I've heard is true then the club and the SPFL need to sit down with the police and stewards and have a serious discussion. It's not that long ago we had police horses on the pitch at Fir Park for no reason whatsoever and I've personally witnessed some deplorable policing and crowd control at NDP in recent times.

They weren't here for either, just for a wee runabout and maybe the odd win bonus. Call me a cynic if you will, but I think a lot of players come up here from England that are maybe on the fringes of things down south and they think it's going to be a stroll for 6 months or a year until they get a 'proper' job. Also some of them can't be bothered when they are playing in small grounds in front of small attendances and just aren't up for it.

Rubbish. He was absolutely superb when he got a run of injury free games. Much more to him than 'that goal'.

I didn't mean it in that sense....

Whoever said the first thing we should do now is to send Taylor back to his club was absolutely right.

Gardyne played up front against us, along side Boyce, with Rocco Quinn playing along side Jackson Irvine in midfield and De Vita and Franks in the wide positions. Irvine is good on the ball, technically composed and has strong game awareness, he's not a midfield terrier like, say, Lasley. We don't have a player with that intelligence and ability, except Pearson of course.

I think we need to go 4-4-2, at least in the short term. Interestingly although most teams are playing the what is now standard 4-2-3-1, Ross County have turned things around by going with a 4-4-2. However the creative midfielder is perhaps even more important in a 4-4-2 than it is in our current system. Ross County have Jackson Irvine, we don't have a player like that.

Your wish is my command! Points won - 32 for 90 Points % - 35% Loss Percentage - 53%

Don't agree with this. McDonald and Ainsworth didn't start and when they came on they were the catalyst for our best spell of play. McDonald hasn't been in good form but I don't think you could doubt his effort, doesn't hide like some players. Ainsworth has been far from the poorest player in the team. On the other hand contrast Johnson's performance last night and against Rangers. Same with McManus.

Well I guess the point is to give a more specific picture of a 9 month period. Bar a short period of form numbering a few weeks around March time where he won a good portion of his overall wins, the Baraclough era was fairly abject and bookended by two very poor runs.

His league win percentage was 30%, 9 wins in 30 matches. 3 of those 9 wins came in a three week period against three struggling teams (St. Mirren, Kilmarnock, Hamilton). Take that period out of the equation and it was down to a 22% win ratio. Since the 5-0 win against St.Mirren he had only managed 3 wins in 14 in the league (21%). In those 14 games we only scored more than 1 goal once, and kept only 3 clean sheets. Perhaps more importantly was this overall league loss percentage was 53% due to a small number of drawn matches, (57% loss percentage in last 14).

I'm having my dinner just now. You'll need to wait!

When we are as bad as we've been there is no risk in getting rid of a manager. The only way is up or to continue the current trajectory. The more resources Baraclough got, the more players he brought in, the worse we got. He was a liability. Anyone watching that team in the last few weeks should have known that it was absolutely bereft of even the most basic level of semi competent management. Sacking Baraclough was the easiest decision any Motherwell board has had to make. No good previous track record like McCall. No offsetting a lack of support and resources. No playing well but not getting the result. Just rank rubbish and Championship football waiting in the wings. Anyone could see that. Taking up any kind of contrary position can only be due to complete ignorance or utter stupidity. No one is under any illusions that the next manager has a tough job but it will be just a little bit easier for every week we might have hung in there with Baraclough, when really he was already finished.

We need someone with a track record in team building and youth development. The whole "contacts in League 2" is a dead end. We need to produce our own players, not become a dock for the flotsom and jetsom of the English lower leagues. Organisation, motivation, a game plan. Someone with a bit of an aura. A guy players can respect. We need to get back to basics and build from there.

The only decision that could be made. There was no where else to go. I'm afraid Baraclough was badly caught out as nothing more than a patter merchant without out any leadership ability, tactical thinking and a long hard streak of self delusion. In short, one of the worst managers in our history. After 9 months in charge we are further back than we were when McCall left. Whoever takes over will have a very difficult job due to 15 months of poor morale and terrible results, as well as a poor squad of players with huge holes in vital positions due to negligence by a manager who was found to be quite simply out of his depth.

If Baraclough is still in charge the future of the club is at stake, I'd rather lose one or two games in exchange for a new start, than scrap by and allow this current situation to continue. Sometimes you have to cut off a leg to save the patient. Show some long term thinking. Hopefully he gets the bullet today.

We should be so lucky. How often do you go to games hoping to lose? If Baraclough is still there, and he probably will be, I'll be supporting Partick. This guy has to go for the long term future of the club, hell, the medium length future of the club.