Ya Bezzer!

I feel that over recent times we've seen a huge turn over of signings, some leaving a few months into their contract, others being paid off, yet more lingering around without contributing at all. So I'm not suggesting that we didn't sign duds in days of yore. You've mentioned quite a few. But to counter that we signed Tommy Coyne, Rob McKinnon, Davie Cooper, Bobby Russell, Billy Davies, Sieb Dykstra, Luc Nijholt, Brian Martin, Miodrag Krivokapic, Stevie Kirk, Dougie Arnott, etc, etc. All players that I'd say are a huge step up from any player on our books these days. There are degrees of failure and I think the most severe level of transfer failure has been achieve more often that it should have been. One thing though, as I remember Ally Graham scored two goals in the last ever Motherwell v Airdrieonians match at Broomfield. That alone makes the man a legend! I'd perhaps substitute him for Bart Verhuel on your list of duds.

Well with the 'outrage' comment I didn't mean you in particular. I inflated to a general point to avoid getting personal towards another poster and seem to have achieved the opposite affect. I'd also point out that while I grouped Baraclough, Robinson and Gannon together in a broad grouping I specifically referred to Gannon as a cancer. I think he was, my opinion of course and I believe history proves me right, but I wouldn't compare either Baraclough or Robinson to Gannon in that sense. Baraclough and Robinson seem to me to be decent guys that don't do an admittedly very hard job well enough. For me they have been put into positions that are beyond them. They are no Jim Gannon. If Baraclough or Robinson were better managers I'd be fine with them, I wouldn't want Gannon at the club under any circumstances because he was a rotten individual. Brown's record is across his career, not cherry picked from his last role in football. It's 21 years since a Scotland team made it to a Finals so perhaps that length of absence should have had people contemplate Brown's role in that, which is, after all, the highest and most difficult level of football to compete at. How many Scottish managers have won a world title, albeit at youth level? And his record at Motherwell is one of the best of any post war Motherwell manager in terms of win percentage. Perhaps if Brown has taken us all the way to the Scottish Final that season, with all his managerial experience, it might have been different although I accept that's speculation. In any case, Baraclough, nice man that he was, doesn't compare to Brown as a figure in the football world and is but a footnote In Scottish football to anyone not Motherwell minded. Harsh but true and I'm afraid that's the nature of football.

Our signings have been poor beyond the reign of Robinson so this is one instance where I'd cut Robinson some slack to the extent that the problem is deeper than just him. We have signed some really abominable players over the last 5 years or so going back through the McGhee and Baraclough eras and even to a certain extent during the McCall 'he played for Bradford' period. As I've pointed out on various occasions the club policy seems to be sign enough players to get one good enough to be sold on and while I understand that the club needs money I think, long term, this policy is flawed and likely to explode in our face when it has damaged the standard of professional, the standard of football at Fir Park and there is no real possibility on building on good foundations. Secondly, it's been noted that quite a few players have been linked to Motherwell under one manager, or in one window, and then subsequently joined the club in another window under a different manager. This seems to suggest at least some of the players are coming from a short list not of the managers making. I would like to know more about our dealings and relationships with agents because, for me, its an area where I'd like to see the spotlight of scrutiny shine. Either way, I think our transfer policy needs some adjustment.

We aren't going to do anything playing 1 up front. You need cultured players to play 1 up front and we don't have them. We need to go 3-5-2, 5-3-2, 4-4-2, a formation with 2 up front. We've tried 3-5-2 so let's try 4-4-2. The objection is always that you can be over run in midfield but that to me is the terror of the tactics board. Out on the pitch, in real life, I've seen plenty of teams play 4-4-2 and beat teams with 5 in midfield, quite often this season when we've been beaten. A good manager should be able to set up a 4-4-2 against a 3-5-2 and be able to compete - although that involves hard working players that follow instructions. There are a variety of ways you can do it, not just two wingers, two central midfielders playing in defined areas. Aside from our woes, I wouldn't be surprised if we actually we get something out of this. Hibs recent record is poor (2 wins in 13 league matches, 1 win away in 6 was at Hamilton) and Robinson has a track record of pulling it out the fire just before it seems set to explode. And although I seem to have said this a lot this season "We surely can't get any worse that last time?"

These managers you'd dredged up, none of them were any good at our club but I was defending a position on 'a Craig Brown type'. That's why I mentioned Craig Brown, a manager that competed well at international level, not as a defence of all Scottish born managers we've ever employed. As for Gannon, Baraclough and Robinson, I see them all as imported failures with a rather shallow level of expertise who managed to bluffed their way into a higher level in Scottish football than they would have been able to do so elsewhere. The very fact that these guys were non Scots, that they came from outside Scotland allowed them positions they would never have been appointed to if they had been Scottish. So while even guys like Davies and McLeish achieved success elsewhere at a higher level, Gannon and Baraclough achieved nothing aside from perhaps in Gannon's case, sealing the deal on a Y reg Vauxhall Cavalier. Davies and McLeish didn't work out for us. But Gannon and Barraclough they just weren't any good. If anyone see's Robinson going on to success post Motherwell than that's your opinion, it's currently an unknown, but I throw my hat in the 'don't see it happening' ring. As for your defence of Gannon - it's laughable. Even putting aside the turmoil Gannon created at the club in his time here he won 4 out of 17 league matches, won 1 out of his last 10, the last two of which were a shambolic 6-1 defeat to Rangers and a 3-1 defeat at home to St. Johnstone. Many of these poor results where down to the downright bizarre decisions by Gannon in terms of tactics, team selection and substitutions, the managerial equivalent of self harming. The man was a cancer yet many here took in his snake oil salesman patter for far too long and apparently some still believe it. Craig Brown came in and undoubtedly turned the club around and I'm sure deep down you know this. It's that apparent. Anyway let me reiterate my original point since everyone these days would rather react in mock outrage than absorb a point. I don't care if our next manager is foreign or not - but he has to be experienced and understand how to tactically organise a side (like Brown) and not some bullshit merchant from the fringes of professional football (like Gannon, Baraclough and Robinson).

Well depends if they are better than the likes of Gannon, Barraclough and Robinson. Doesn't need to be an 'old Scottish fitba favourite' type but I'll take any competent manager over any of these chancers who's many qualification seems to be enthusiasm and positivity like some half wit office team leader rather than someone steeped in tactical knowledge of football.

It was a baffling post from Busta Nut. Apart from the reading comprehension issues, Craig Brown had one of the best win records of any Motherwell manager ever after picking up the team after one of our worst ever managers. Also played a huge part in setting up the team for the Stuart McCall era success. But yeah, whatever.

I said 'type'. As in someone with a track record and expertise in coaching.

Yeah, imagine watching a team that was coached properly.

We need to bring in a Craig Brown type. Some one is actually steeped in coaching and knows how to organise a team. We don't have good players but I guarantee you if they were coached properly we'd be a hell of a lot better.

I've been saying this for a long while but if you don't have players with decent fundamentals it doesn't matter what formation you play. A year and a half a go I was saying our midfield wasn't good enough and it still isn't. What formation can we play? In a supposedly professional football squad any of our players who can take a touch or pass the ball are exceptional. It's embarrassing. When you take this lack of basics across the squad and then add on top of it that the coaching of the team is non existent and that Robinson hasn't improved a single player then you get performances like today splattered all over the season.

Kilmarnock play 4-4-2 most of the time. Burke - Power - Dicker - Jones. They are a similar sized club to us and they are challenging for the title.

We've done that pretty much through the whole Robinson era. So it's down to the manager or the players completely ignore him. Either way is inexcusable.

If you play a 4-2-3-1 with two sitting midfielders and three attacking midfielders you need a forward that can hold the ball up (Johnson can't), you need wide players that are going to come inside (Frear doesn't do that, Ariyibi didn't show much evidence of that either), you need your most creative midfielder in the forward attacking row (Turnbull wasn't) and you need two dedicated defensive midfielders (Campbell was on the bench). A total cluster fuck.

Manager says he knew the two new players weren't fit but played them any way. Also describes us as a 'work in progress' 29 matches into the season.

This, really. Robinson has had so many chances and he's not built on any of them. At this stage there is simply no reason to believe we can go forward for any more than a game or two before the standard bilge returns.

That's what I meant!

Hastie, came in, scored a goal. Something most of the players can't do over a season, or if they can, barely.

We've been horrendous since November bar a flukey Scottish Cup run.

Ross County more or less played a full side against out Colts and our Colts were far better than our first team today. And it wasn't even one of the Colts better performances.

We are a team completely bereft of footballing acumen because we have a manager completely bereft of footballing acumen. Robinson is a plague of locust and when he's finished there will be nothing left. Nothing but a barren wasteland whence once football existed. The first half was poor but the second half was atrocious. The first goal was over due when it came. Ross County should have won by more than two. Who thought Turnbull should play along side McHugh in a defensive midfield position? Who thought McCormack was fit to play? Who thought that Danny Johnson could play up front on his own? And our touch, our play, our style, our ability, our imagination, our creativity, our defending, our overall attitude..... Honestly, I've ran out of vitriol. I having nothing new to say, no new way to describe it. It's just the same old shite every week. If we don't beat Hibs midweek Robinson should be fired. The whole club needs cleaned out with a high power hose and guys like Hastie, Livingston and James need to step up. We need football people at the club. Please, please, please get them in.

Playing Turnbull in a DM position is a total waste of his ability. McCormack looks about the same weight as Kris Boyd despite being 6 inches shorter. Ross County edged the first half for me.

"ize" is a sign you've gone full American.

Bit of a potted career so far but we needed a right winger and we've got one. The lad has a chance to impress, hopefully he takes it.

It's a right sided player we need.