Ya Bezzer!

Never saw the 70's team as I started coming to Fir Park in 1982. The 93/94 team was the best in my time. Pretty much ever player in that team was a candidate for a best Motherwell side of the last 40 years. Our best chance of actually winning the cup again was the McFadden era team that lost in the semi final to Rangers despite being 2-1 at half time. We were unlucky that day and got punished for a few mistakes (and that Dutch donkey Konterman hitting a once in a lifetime wonder shot). A poor Dunfermline team awaited in the Final and I'm certain a Faddy inspired Motherwell would have won it. I think the big disappointment is the 4 finals we've been in since we've hardly kicked a ball in any of them. (1-12 on agg)

Lafferty scored 12 goals in a third of a season for a team that got relegated. Yeah, not good enough for Motherwell! Not with the high quality strikers our scouting network brings in! Billy Fluffelwaite incoming, trained at Cardiff once, 3 career goals in Isthmian League, two of them penalties. 6'7 so should be a great hoofball option provided he doesn't do his cruciate being tackled by a blade of grass.

Kilmarnock were terrible at the back but I don't think they really had a much worse squad. If you'd swapped Kelly for diddy keepers Doyle and Rogers and gave them Gallagher for Medley/Rossi/Broadfoot they'd have been fine. They probably had a better midfield and width that us (Power, Dicker, Kiltie, Burke, Pinnock etc.) and they had Lafferty up front of course. In 2021 they kept 3 clean sheets and conceded 30+ goals. That was their problem.

The most worrying thing about the squad cull is how much dross is still left at the club. We have four contracted full backs and one is shit and two have big question marks over them. We have five contracted midfielders and you'd have to worry a bit if that's what we are choosing from next season cos they are all pretty average at best and there doesn't look like there is much creativity or anything different there. Dunne getting approached about a new contract is mind boggling. Getting Cole in is going to be huge for us and Alexander is going to have to pull out a magic wand in the summer in terms of recruitment. Two teams just got promoted that will beat our wages.

When they came up there was still terraces behind both goals. The first match at Fir Park was a 2-2 draw. I can't even remember who scored for us but remember Ian Porteous scoring for them.

Who we bring in will depend on what sort of system Alexander wants to play next season. Obviously we mostly played 4-3-3 this season but we also tried a few different things out towards the end of the season so it's hard to really know what is in Alexander's mind. In terms of dependable types we are down to O'Donnell, Watt and possibly Cole. There are other players who can come in O'Hara, Lamie, Donnelly etc but really how we flesh the squad out is going to be dependent on how Alexander envisions our system next term.

I actually think it's quite a tough choice because there are a lot of different types of goals there. O'Donnell rocket, Campbell solo goal, O'hara team goal, Mugabi as good a header as you'll see, Cole, great technique. I'd go for Campbell against St Johnstone cos I think that's the hardest of the goals to score.

Motherwell starting 11 form over the league season (according to Who Scored.com). Based on an algorithm of all the in game data they collect. Sometimes these things don't tell the full story and I'd always prefer to judge a player by eye than on game data but I still think it's kind of interesting to look at, especially as we all have our own bias for and against various players. Basically goes Dark Green - very good, Green - good, Yellow - Average, Orange - below average, Red - poor, Dark Red - very poor.

Actually Accies only have to win by 9 as they are playing Kilmarnock on the last day of the season. Put a tenner on it. Callachan for a triple hat trick.

A recent sequence of Motherwell games Gallagher doesn't play - concede 4 Gallagher plays - clean sheet Gallagher plays - clean sheet Gallagher plays - clean sheet Gallagher doesn't play - concede 2

Did you just compare someone with 20 international goals to Ryan Bowman?

Just tell Jock Brown to pretend it's pronounced Foooks even though it isn't.

They were lucky to get to the play off final. And we were lucky they got to the play off final too!

I was critical of the club for selling season tickets last summer when there was virtually no chance that fans could have attended games. Especially the way the wording of the season ticket copy suggested fans returning to stadiums was likely in the near future. To be fair, the club have 'corrected' that mistake with this announcement. Will be interesting to see what happens next season in regards to supporter entry next season, especially pay at the gate. I'm unlikely to have a season ticket again next season unless the Covid recovery manifests it's self in my bank account but I would like to get to games.

Yeah, I'd agree. I missed him out for some reason.

Campbell has missed 15 league matches over the last 4 seasons and we won 2 of them (3 draws, 10 defeats). We've not won a league match without Campbell playing since the 2017/18 season (the 'Ciftci match' v Hamilton).

If you look at the core of the team you'd want to keep from this squad you have Campbell - Offski Gallagher - Offski Kelly - Probably Offski Watt - Staying Cole - Maybe Staying So that's just 9 or 10 first team players we need then.....

That last minute and a half would have been dire stuff!

For Motherwell taking a punt on a player is taking a punt on the season. Have we not learned anything from season after season of terrible signings? We need to get recruitment right and get the best we can get playing in the 11 on a Saturday. Moult is one of my all time favourite players but there is no point bringing him back to be a spectator in the Main Stand. He's had 4 knee injuries since he left us and one of them was major, he's basically been out for 2 full seasons or if you prefer 2 and half seasons out of 3.

Is it not the cup matches next weekend? You get the impression United are more interested in that. How they approach the game will probably be determined by their cup success or lack of.

This was one of the games that justified my 'Always stay to the end' policy. The 1-7 defeat away at Ibrox when I was virtually alone in the away end for the last 15 minutes taking pelters from 45,000 Rangers fans, less so.

The Only Time I Was In There Was The Odense Match Stand. Is what I know and will always know it as.

Me too. I absolutely hate them. Must be even worse for the players.

Gallagher has been the best defender we've had at the club for a very long time. He was absolutely exceptional last season and while not at that level this term he's still our best defender by a country mile. Disappointing that he's moving on, resigning him would have been a major coup, but if you are good at Motherwell you don't stay here long. I suspect some people will miss him more next season than right at this instant.

Tavernier is right back and Barisic is left back.