Joeboy

Notice Riordan's chances of getting a deal at Kilmarnock might be lesser as they have signed Dean Shiels permanently today.

Never nice to hear of a fellow Dosser passing, especially one who put so much time and effort into the club. Thoughts are with the family.

Page and Forbes could go either way I think. They could both want to play regular first team football and be happy to drop down to a team with less prestige to do so, or I could see us offering them a year extension, as McCall may see them as cheap labour and decent squad players.

Murphy seems to be the same every season. Has great games and anonymous games. I reckon the main thing that keeps Murphy at Fir Park is the fact that he's never really had a good game against either half of the Old Firm.

I am going to opt for Higdon as well. As mentioned above Sutton was always a purple patch player and thus far Higdon's goals have been spread out, but we will be in a better position to judge that at the end of the season. The main difference for me is positional sense. The naive amongst us thought that John Sutton chasing lost causes benefited the team, it didn't. He spent large parts of his Motherwell career out of position (and him being in the wrong place whilst playing upfront, not when he was getting played left mid) Higdon is always in a central position as far forward as possible, meaning he always gives the defenders something to aim at if there is nothing else on and he is more disciplined in his role. Also, I think if you play up front for a team like Motherwell you need to contribute more than just goals. I could count on one hand the amount of times I came away from games saying John Sutton had played well when he didn't score. Anyway, either would do me and I think we've definitely had far worse.

Couldn't agree more but I'd imagine Reynolds is on considerably more money than Clancy. We do miss his pace a bit, but Hutchinson is definitely a better all round defender!

It is. His final game was the big Lanarkshire Derby on the 2nd.

It's always been considered a league game in Football Manager. That's good enough for me!

Pretty much agree with Iain's thinking here with regards the line up, but I would probably play Murphy in this one, as he always seems to net a couple against lower league opposition and it may be a welcome confidence boost!

Was watching the game online yesterday, but thankfully some visitors came in and deprived me of the majority of the second half, so I'm limited about what I can say about the game myself. I've been to the majority of away games this season, but I didn't really contemplate going yesterday. I could barely even gather the motivation to watch it online. Normally if Motherwell are playing and I'm not at the game, I can't concentrate on anything else for that period of time, I'm constantly checking the score etc, but I was so pessimistic about yesterday I saw it as a foregone conclusion and barely even batted an eyelid to the score when the visitors came in. What makes it all the more difficult to take is that it is the worst Rangers team there has been for quite some time. Take 2009/10, the Rangers team was better then than it is now and they only managed one victory against us out of four. To add to that in 2/3 draws, you could argue we really should have won (O'Brien's missed penalty in the first game and Forbes disallowed goal in the second). Nowadays our team seems to offer them an unnatural amount of awe and the personnel from that season is mainly the same. To add to that, Rangers didn't beat us at home between January 2007 and Boxing Day last year, now there seems to be no doubt about it. I'm not for a minute suggesting we should be expected to beat or even get a point against Rangers, I'm just suggesting we should compete a bit better. Sone Aluko never really stood out to me against us for Aberdeen at any point, especially not to the degree he could make the "step-up" to Rangers or Celtic. Infact, I found it quite entertaining when Rangers were so desperate to sign him and I thought it epitomised their fall from grace, yet he is still afforded respect by us yesterday, certainly in the hour I saw. Part of me thinks that in a way we have our performances against both halves of the Old Firm to thank (if you like) that we haven't received any bids for our highly rated players recently. Murphy was decent in the second half of the 3-3 draw at Ibrox in May 2010, but other than that he hasn't kicked a ball against either half of the Old Firm in my opinion. I think potential suitors may be watching him in games against Celtic and Rangers and see he isn't very effective against superior opposition. As for Hutchinson, he has been badly exposed during each of our last four games against Rangers. I must underline I am beyond delighted with our position with two games in hand halfway through the season, but it would be an injustice to ourselves if we took the "we've surpassed expectations thus far" stance to justify inept performances such as this. Let's hope we put it right and cuff them in the next game at Fir Park.

3-0 Rangers is my prediction. Would love to be wrong.

It's now being denied that there has been an offer made! Hutch only has four. The match report for St. Mirren wrongly credited him with a yellow. Motherwell against Rangers at Ibrox is a fixture I can never seem to get excited about to be honest. I'd bite your arm off for a point but I see it being a three goal plus to Rangers affair. David Healy might even manage to score. Someone always mentions how good odds we are shortly before we play at Ibrox and how we are tempting for a bet. But the odds are like that for a reason. Would love to be proven wrong.

Aye, Hutchy didn't do too much wrong. He gets my vote.

Terrible today. Hateley, who has been our best player this season until now in my opinion, was absolutely rank. Not only was he terrible, some of the decisions he made seemed to be out of pure laziness. Hughes was an empty jersey, you could tell we really missed Jennings. Also little to nothing offered going forward. Higdon wasn't great to be honest but he needs someone up beside him. No point in winning headers if there's no one to play off him in any direction. Would definitely play Carswell instead of Hughes on Wednesday.

McCall has more or less guaranteed Hughes will be a starter in his interview on MFC TV.

Is Lasley not suspended for Saturday? Sure I read that somewhere. Anyway, I think the way the rules are set up currently, they couldn't possibly video evidence Goodwin without doing so to Jennings. But I know I'd rather have someone hold my face than uppercut my ribs, but that's just me.... Do have to agree that it stemmed from Murray's incompetence, how he missed such a obvious bad tackle on Jennings to start with was inexcusable for one of the nation's supposed top officials. But Jennings is a professional footballer and he should be able to rise above it, as difficult as it is when a situtation like that occurs.

Only missed four games in all competitions this season, actually. I didn't at any point say I thought Murphy played brilliantly or well or anything, I just said he had played better than I have seen him in a long time.

Was Murphy's finest game in a long time. I gave it to Higdon, other than the first half miss he didn't put a foot wrong. Great centre forward for those of us who can understand football. Thought Daley was superb going forward but his positional awareness defensively was gantin'.

The article in the Express about Hammell and Lasley goes on to talk about. The 3pm kick off has been given the go ahead.

The Express said most of our players are tied up beyond the summer, but I'm sure there must be a good few. Definitely Hammell, Craigan, Jennings, Hollis, Lasley, Clancy and obviously Hughes in January. I also reckon Page must be out of contract this year. Am I right in saying Gannon gave McHugh and Forbes three year deals in 09/10?

Between either of Lasley's against Inverness and Murphy's against Inverness. Think Lasley's at Inverness shades it.

Just tweeted Jim Spence telling him of his lazy journalism.

Couldn't agree more Steve. If only more Motherwell fans could display such rationality.

Can see this game either being goalless or decided by a single goal. No need to change the team or bench at all.

Aye you are right mate. Was Bob McHugh who made his debut and his first action was putting 6'7" Rob Jones on his arse. As you say Murphy made his debut against Celtic under Malpas and he made various sub appearances the season we were third.