star sail

Credit must go to Mark McGhee on what has been a fantastic string of results. Thinking back to the Kilmarnock game at FP when I really believed our season was falling apart, it's hard to believe that was only 5-6 weeks ago. Also Ian Baraclough has been vilified by some but Moult, Johnston, Ripley and others are looking like shrewd signings now. The squad had to be overhauled when McCall left and Baraclough built a platform for the club to move forward. Ironically the last time an overhaul was required a certain Mark McGhee left us with a thread bare squad. I think when we look back Jim Gannon and Ian Baraclough can both be credited for helping maintain the clubs proud history of top division football.

Talk that the foul leading to the goal was not a foul but for me it was a foul any day of the week and should have been a booking. Studs showing, two footed, reckless, dangerous. In European football that could have been a sending off. I know that people pine for the days of Peter Grant/ Colin O Neill type players and challenges but those days are gone and rightly so. Nothing better than seeing strong robust challenges but that one was dangerous. Good result. Great to see some fight. Also now seen two great goals from former players at FP this season, Vigurs and Anier. Vigurs one hurt because we lost, Anier one we can enjoy because in the end it did not matter.

Shit!!! Maybe I am getting confused by Claudio Ranieri mentioning 40 points for safety in the EPL.

I think 41 points (26 +15) would see us safe. Be unlucky to end up in the play off's with that total I think.

Fact is that nothing seems to work at the moment so a radical change may just do the trick. It's the old story, win and the manager has pulled a rabbit out the hat, lose and we will all be back on to add 10 pages to the Mark McGhee thread. My only feeling is that we need three in the middle. Lasley is just too immobile for a midfield two. Gomis, Lasley and one other in the middle would suit me. All the best to MM on a bold team selection.

The thing is though that, taking personality out of it and McGhee is not covering himself in glory at the moment. Publicly criticising players , contradicting himself in interviews, playing some baffling formations and being out thought by the likes of Lee McCulloch on Saturday. You make the joke about dinosaurs and it reminds me that you were a strong critic of Ian Baraclough. What would your view have been if Baraclough had put in the same performance as McGhee has since the start of the year? Ian Baraclough's Motherwell comfortably beat ICT in the first game of the season. Fast forward six months and ICT seem to have taken a step forward when Motherwell have gone backwards. McGhee himself made a big play on this before the ICT cup game. This is not about personality it's about performance. For what it's worth, my belief is that the problem lies with the players. McCall, Baraclough and now McGhee have all been (or are being) shafted by players that just don't care enough. I happen to believe that all three (Baraclough included) are decent manager being let down by a poor squad of players.

Funny how different people see things but i did not think it was a stupid question by the journo. It was exactly the type of questions they should be asking more often rather than asking players and managers sterile questions. My disappointment was that the journo backed off when McManus got hot under the collar about the question. My take on it was that McManus became very defensive. You make your own luck and Motherwell's problem of gifting goals in the last 5 minutes of games is actually one that has lingered for a few seasons now. It is perfectly reasonable to think that fitness may be a factor. I am by no means saying that the players are not fit, but it is all relative and if the players of other teams are slightly fitter that's all you need to give you the edge, particularly in the last 5 mins of a game. McManus knows it was a reasonable question to be asked, he just did not like being asked it.

The league is incredibly tight. Ross County are only seven points ahead of us in 4th and we have a game in hand. Was there not times last season that they were the same distance ahead of us and were only one/two places above us in the league. For this reason I don't think any team from 4th to 11th can relax. Any of these teams going on a bad run could find themselves in 11th and likewise a good run could see a team rocket up to 4th. For us I think that it is so important that we bring in the right players in the next week. Get it right and we will be fine, get it wrong and it could be another play-off. The possibility of Davis going to Killie makes the situation all the more critical. Regarding the penalty, if the Dundee player has made any contact with the ball and Cadden has not, the ref will be able to justify his decision. Would be very harsh all the same. Maybe slightly naive from Cadden in what otherwise was a really good performance.

I have just had the chance to catch up on all the chat since McGhee's appointment and can't quite believe what I am reading. For me the biggest disgrace in the whole McGhee story the first time round was having to endure 90 mins of filth at Pittodrie when there was the paedo chants from the Well fans. It was a total embarrassment that day, not to mention totally distasteful on any level you care to think of but that's it with football fans, first to offend, easily offended. McGhee has more to forgive us for than we have to forgive him for. I think it takes someone with great emotional intelligence and leadership to be the face and voice of a group or organisation in mourning and McGhee performed those duties with genuine dignity. For that alone, McGhee deserves our support. I happen to think that this is a great appointment. There can be few, if any managers in football, willing to consider the Motherwell job, that has the managerial experience that McGhee has. He has a presence that, much as I liked Baraclough, has been lacking and in the prime of life regarding football management. Yes he has made his mistakes, but he will be a better manager for it and he was pretty decent the first time round. Was reading Jim Paterson, Stephen Craigan and Keith Lasley wax lyrical about the impact he had on the team the first time around and about how he knocked them into shape. Anything like the same reaction from the players again and we could easily be top 6. The best football I have every watched was under McGhee. I remember a game against Aberdeen at FP in late November (I think) of that first season and in the first half hour Aberdeen hardly touched the ball. It was superb to watch. Stephen Hughes ran the show from memory that day,Were we 3-0 up after half an hour in that game? Welcome back Mark McGhee. All the very best!!!

I was having a look on a Dundee Utd forum the other day to see what names were being touted on their boards and if those names could have any relevance for us. At that point in time Paul Lambert was being discussed as a genuine possibility for them. I could not believe the amount of negativity towards Lambert. It was a minority, but enough to surprise me. To me, he would be a no brainer for any SPFL club with a huge amount of experience and a fantastic managerial record (if his last months at Villa are disregarded). Even he was not good enough for some on the Utd forum. I think this proves your point about football fans in general, not just our own. We could only dream that Lambert would come to us, but you could guarantee that even that would not meet with universal approval on here.

Pitch looks great. Is that Jim Gannon in picture 4? A team bus in the background and it would feel like deja vu! Good pictures. Cheers.

Does anyone else feel that this process seems to take too long? I can understand the theory that the club must take time to get the right man but back in November the process was lengthy and it appears now that we got the wrong man. Dundee Utd have been manager-less for 10 days and could be close, if rumour is to believed in appointing shortly. Liverpool look as though they will take less than 7 days to appointment. It is now 2 weeks since Baraclough was sacked with no real sign that we will hear news any time soon. It took from Wednesday to the following Monday for the board to even meet to decide the way forward. It just all seems a bit slow. I know that in business these appointments can take time for a number of reasons, but they say that in football a week is a long time so it would seem that maybe what is an acceptable timescale in business may not be in football. Maybe I am just getting frustrated by the lack of news but there does seem to be me to be a slight lack of urgency both this time and the last time.

Of the names being mentioned: 'Craggs' - cannot understand why he is even being considered unless it is simply out of courtesy. Up until the summer he had no more experience than I have of managing a football team. Also this 'senior players' chat concerns me. We need one manager not half a dozen and I don't think Craigan is the man to distance himself from all that. 'Jimmy Calderwood'- it is very difficult to argue with his record. His success as Aberdeen manager was impressive and he achieved heights with them in Europe that McIness has yet struggled to match. It just seems like a step back in time though, with potentially old school method, so maybe a little uninspiring. Mark McGhee- 'August to Christmas of his first season was the best football I have ever watched a Well side play, and arguably the best football I have watched any Scottish side play. His handling of the Phil situation will never be forgotten which is why I was really saddened by his treatment by Well fans on future visits to Pittodrie. His second season however was at times torture to watch and he has a 9-0 thumping by Celtic as Aberdeen manager on his CV. A switched on McGhee however I would take back in a second. Simo Valakari- the kind of appointment, I would love to see our club make but it could be Baraclough all over again. Success at a lower level, thorough, professional, hard working, forward thinking but would he have the presence to knock the ego's in the dressing room into shape? Would be very interesting to find out but a risk. So in summary, who would I want based on all this. Jim Gannon of course!!!!!!!!!

I can't understand why Craigan would be considered. Many of the fans were unhappy with Baraclough's appointment because of his sketchy management experience. The reality is that Baraclough had considerably more management experience than Craigan currently has and played at a higher level in terms of club football. Was not good enough then so why should even less be good enough now?

Pressley is one of those guy's that likes to stick the word football in front of every second word. ' The football players at the football club want to win the football match by putting the football football in the football goals' He must be keen to make sure that people don't think he is talking about snooker

Very much agree with your first statement. The conclusions that people draw from these interviews verges on the irrational and is hugely subjective based on an individuals viewpoint. What struck me about that interview was how Baraclough-like the interview was. In fact, I would go as far as to say that Craigan himself may in fact have been influenced in his thinking by some of Baraclough's ideas. The same man that might listen to Baraclough saying these words and think, imposter, car salesman, clown, bluffer etc, etc listens to Craigan and thinks, good interview, I want him to be our next manager. The reality is there is a subtle prejudice at play that has nothing to do with the words spoken. Said in an English accent by a previously unknown manager and it's without substance, said by our previous club captain and loyal servant to the club and it's suddenly the words of a man ready to manage our club. I happen to think it was a good interview but then I always thought Baraclough interviewed very well. What strikes me is how they all (McManus included) are becoming almost politician like in what they don't say.

Or could be a reference to the Old Firm history of McDonald and McManus. McDonald's comment at the time of ,'this is the game I want to play in' and McManus's desire to get his head on the end of Marv's cross for the goal, something that he had not shown previously or since, may back this up. I have a strong feeling that McDonald's influence in any dressing room would not be very positive, if things were not going exactly the way he wanted them to go.

I have been fairly consistent in saying that I did not believe Baraclough to be the problem. I may be wrong in that but that has been my position the whole way through. If you don't think that the key players have downed tools, or at the very least have been severely underperforming, then please list for me the games over the last 18 months where you think they have seriously stood up to be counted. (the play-off games apart which actually to me proves their guilt still further).

Pretty disgusted today. The Motherwell players have a history of downing tools within the last 12 months alone and it seems like they may have been at it again. Something stinks within that dressing room. Very Jim Gannon like in the way it has ended as well. If Baraclough has had a go at one or two then good on him. The word imposter has been used alot on this thread but I believe Baraclough had the interests of the club at heart. I think there are players in that dressing room that could not say the same. Player power wins again. Just think how powerful they would be if they were any good!!

Sir Alex Ferguson. He could come in and wrestle the title off of Aberdeen in the last game of the season, with a 1 yard screamer from Craig Reid providing the winning goal.

I have fought the good fight on here, trying to provide positivity amongst all the negativity but I think sadly the writing is on the wall. I always thought that the turnaround would come but for whatever reason it simply has not worked. For the second time (Gannon being the first) what seems good in theory does not convert to practice. Really disappointing but a change is needed now. I can't help but feel that some of the players at our club have a lot to answer to however.

I seem to find myself quoting and replying to you a lot Ya Bezzer. I think it is because, I often find that much of what you say is well reasoned and I agree with, but there is often something within that, that shows the irrational way in which Baraclough is being treated at the moment. The idea that Rangers were performing like a team at the bottom of the Championship makes no sense. The fact that they were in the play-off is testament to the fact that they were best of the rest in the Championship. They had just beaten, QoS and Hibs to prove it. Had we beaten QoS or Hibs in the playoff's 6-2, it would have been an equally impressive result, particularly given the horrendous season that we had all endured. I do agree with you however, that many of the senior players gave their best performance in the play-off's having not performed like that, prior to or since the play-off's. McDonald and McManus are the perfect examples of that for me. If these players were playing ever week with the same commitment and energy that they showed in these games then we would not have a problem as a team. Going back to yesterday's game. Motherwell do not have a divine right to go to New Douglas Park and get a result. Hearts and Dundee Utd have already shown what a difficult place that will be to go to this season. I think we need to get away from the idea, that we have any rights to even be in the top 6, never mind finishing 2nd or 3rd in the Premiership. People on these very boards have talked about how we are a selling club and that we should be bringing on young players to sell in the future. The word 'future' is key. That they will be sellable assets in the future, suggest that they are not sellable assets now and that we should not be expecting the level of consistency of a player who is. Laing, Fletcher, Moult, Chalmers, Thomas, Johnston all fall into this category and yet suddenly we want them to be the finished article. For this model to work however, the senior players have to perform and guide. I don't think that is happening at the moment. Somebody made a comment that should be beat Morton and Thistle, we are only delaying the inevitable as the next poor result is just around the corner. I say, with the model we are trying to promote, why should we expect anything else at this moment in time? Seems to me that we like the idea but we don't like the reality. As Jim Morrison sang, it seems to me that 'we want the world and we want it NOW!!!!!'

I agree with almost everything you say. The only one thing to remember is that McIntyre and Dodd's have had a few months more in the job to get there house in order so should be a few months further ahead in their plans for the their team. I was very interested in yesterday's game because I believe Ross County to be the benchmark for us this season. They had similar problems to our own last season with management change and a fight against relegation. Furthermore as I have said, McIntyre and Dodd's are widely recognised as doing a great job so to match that much represent success surely. (unfortunately I think for a section of our support that will not represent success). I don't think that the gulf between the teams is as wide as some would have us believe. Consistency is key and I think that will be the next piece in the jig-zaw for our slowly developing side. Mouth watering performances may take a bit longer. As always time will tell

I don't really understand the logic in what you say. You are using Ross County as an example of a team who, thanks to a good management team have improved considerably having quickly brought together the new signings into a cohesive unit. Motherwell matched them yesterday. This is a team that is on a good run (3 victories in a row before yesterday) and everybody is happy (and rightly so) to give the Ross County team and management praise and plaudits. We matched them yesterday suggesting that we have improved and there is next to nothing in the way of positivity and praise. I do not understand why our own fans are using all kinds of reasons to have a go at our team and management. Here in one big positive. For the last 18-24 months, I have watched Motherwell teams lose goal after goal in the last 10 mins of games to lose or draw matches from winning positions due to fading badly in the second half of matches. Yesterday we scored in injury time to salvage a point against a fit, strong RC side. That's good. That for me is progress.

Of the teams we were fighting against when Baraclough took over, Ross County, Kilmarnock, Partick Thistle and St Mirren, one has since been relegated and two currently sit below us in the SPFL. We matched Ross County today, a team that have a highly rated management team in Jim McIntyre and Billy Dodds and by all accounts have made big strides forward since they took over in September 2014. I would say, putting opinion to one side for a minute, that those facts would suggest that progress has been made. Certainly under no circumstances could you agree that we are witnessing 'a terminal decline' based on those facts.