star sail

I have resigned myself to a defeat today and will be happy with that if Rangers lose/ draw and we get the Euro spot but I don't think there will be the sweeping changes suggested by some. A defeat is one thing but a heavy defeat (5 +) not only potentially knocks the confidence for next weekend but could also set back some of the young players in the team. Putting young lads like Carswell to the slaughter is not a good move regardless of circumstance. I agree with Saunders and Humphrey playing but I still think we need a few experienced heads in the team. I think Jenno needs match sharpness so expect him to play and I would not be surprised if one of Lasley/ Craigan also plays despite the desire to rest them. If we get away with a 1-0, 2-0 defeat that will do.

I hope we don't go down the road off the anti-Lennon stuff. Talk about this and others talking about Union Jacks in the Well end etc would be my worst nightmare to be honest. All that happens then is that the press and any nuetral observer lumps us in with the like of Rangers and Hearts and Lennon becomes more of a martyr. Motherwell are a family club with it's own identity, an identity that should be strong enough to rise abve this pish. One of the great things about 91 was that Hampden was a bigot free zone. That is not going to be possible this time round but lets ensure that it is that way amongst the 16000 Well fans at least.

At least you have not changed your view from last weekend Kmc but I still don't get it. Forgetting about the Cup Final for a minute, 5th place in the league would be worth some £90,000(so I believe anyway). Surely this is not money a team like Motherwell can afford to write off without a fight? That would be a decent players yearly wage. Secondly, how often do we hear managers bemoan the lack of match fitness of players at the start of a new campaign or after a player has been out for a few weeks. The cup final will come 5 weeks after the Semi- Final and the way things are going our squad will not have kicked a ball in earnest in that space of time. It is a very dangerous and niaive strategy in my opinion. Anybody who has played football at any level will tell you that you cannot turn top end sharpness on and off at will. I think this current tactic is a real concern.

Great memories. I really miss the days of a truely packed Fir Park standing in the Shed. It is a real shame that we don't get this anymore. Add floodlights to that vision and it was pretty much heaven. When you look at that Well side it was a cracking team. I think it is those types of games with Bobby Russell and then Davie Cooper that spawned the pish about h**s without the bus pass. What these bams forget is that that team was just as capable of giving Rangers a doing. Happy Days!!

I don't buy this argument about a fear over injuries. If it is the case then we will not pick up another point between now and the end of the season. Also if this is the case we will have a squad of players who come the final will not be match fit. How many times have we heard managers bemoan the fact that you can play as many pre season friendlies as you like but it does not prepare you for that first competitive game of the season. Yesterday was worse than that though. There was at least three players in that team yesterday that could not even be bothered to track back in the second half. Gunning and Jones were the worst culprits an Jeffers was not too far behind. If there is a fear of injury then rest the key players untill the final and get them on a fitness regime that maintains that top end sharpness because going through the motions like yesterday does no good to anyone. This idea that there was nothing to play for yesterday is total bullshit. A European place and 5th place in the league (worth some £90000 I think?) is not nothing. Also do players not play for pride anymore?

Were you watching Gunning when he was moved to LB? Spent the last half hour looking at his boots and kicking the grass, in the huff that he had been moved. If he was MOTM then it shows just how bad the rest were. First time I have done this but Null vote for me.

Can't even begin to understand that mentality I'm afraid. A 5-0 horsing at home should leave the players upset any day of the week and that any Well fan can be relaxed about their team capitulating like that is an emotion that I can't relate to. You may be right about the players not being to upset but if you are it explains to me why the Rangers players play for Rangers and the Motherwell players play for Motherwell. I would like to think however that the Well players will be totally gutted tonight.

Well if the Celtic fans had reason to suspect that Motherwell lie down to Rangers then they have better reason this evening. That performance was inexplicable today. A couple of really strange performances for me. Jeffers. To put in a performance like that and then shake hands with the Rangers management team on his exit. Why oes he ever think that's ok? Gunning. Took the huff when moved to left back and did not raise himself from a walk in the last half hour. I counted eight times in the last 15 mins when he let Naismith run past him without even pretending to track him. Why was Hutchison not playing from the start? Why are some on here relatively relaxed about a 5-0 humiliation at home? More questions than answers. Have to take things in context I suppose but there are a few concerns. Lost 3 to Killie, 3 to Inverness, 3 to Hearts, 5 to Rangers today. I am not a fan of Craigan but at least he showed some sense of concern and emotion today. In the grand scheme of things the season is still a good one but I feel gutted this eve. Pleased to see however that the Rangers fans took heed of Smith's wise words about the Sectarian chanting.

A really enjoyable read. McCall has turned the ship around as in December there was definetly a cloud hanging over the club. He has picked the players up, the support are getting behind him and the future looks good. Very impressed by his approach. One comment about the players however. That is three out of the last four managers (mcGhee, Brown and now McCall) who have commented on what an excellent squad of players we have. The professional attitude and commitment does not come about by accident. The club deserve praise for creating the right atmosphere and I don't think we should underestimate the influence of the senior players Craigan. Lasley, Hammill leading by example. It is all the more satisfying given that two of the above managers jumped ship to join the biggest bunch of wasters in the SPL. On the 'Forever Claret and Amber', I am pleased he has dropped it. McCall has been very honest and direct so far and that he will know as much as anyone that the FCaA statement just simply is not the case. He is a Bradford man and was very much a Rangers man when in Scotland. If he is successful with us he will move on. The important point is that he is showing total commitment to the Well just now, is building a genuine affection for the club and a good relationship with the fans. Lets just enjoy it for what it is. Loved the badge kissing comment. Are you listening Craigy Brown.

Harry Rednapp has expressed concern about a similar situation in England with Man City v Stoke. If Man City qualify for the Champions League in the league Stoke will get the Europa Cup place. A victory against Stoke in the league would help them in their quest possibly at the expense of Tottenham. Rednapp is asking for the date of the league fixture to be changed to avoid a conflict of interests.

Can understand your dilemma but it's a huge day to be a Well fan and it would be a shame to miss the occasion. Think of it this way, you could just as easily be at work when your wife goes into labour. If you have a car (and your missus is happy to let you go), take it so that you can make a quick exit if needs be. Could be a big week for you if the Well can grab a victory and you welcome a new arrival to the world. Best wishes whatever you decide to do.

I think you are probably right and any doubts over Gunnings injury would seal the deal.

The good news is that you really would not argue with any of the options are right back. The Central Defenders are a little more open to debate. Gunning/ Hutchison have had a couple of outstanding games together and on form look unbreachable but Craigan is the Captain and has the experience of the big occasions so it is a brave manager who leaves him out. Strength in depth. How often have we been able to say that this season.

I am not completely certain about the injury situation but given a full squad to chose from Randolph Ross Gunning Hutchison Hammell Humphrey Lasley Jennings Murphy Sutton Jeffers Subs: Hollis, Hateley, Craigan, Forbes, Saunders This would mean Hateley missing out on a start which is a shame because as someone mentioned on another thread he has played more games than anyone but there are better midfielders available to play and better right backs.

The fact that he is doing the Semi Final would suggest that he is rated as one of the top three refs in the country. Shows the pish poor standard of refeering in the country. Thought St Johnstone looked very well organised and hard to break down tonight. Combine that with a ref that is capable of having a complete nightmare and it highlights just how tight this game will be and how it could easily swing either way. I think the biggest positive for us going into the game is that St Johnstone have little up top. A couple of goals would be enough to win it I think.

Attendance of 24,008 for Queen of the South v Aberdeen a few seasons back. Maybe does show why Wee Broony can see the potential in the Dons. It would be fantastic if Motherwell and St Johnstone could muster the support to match that. Shows up how badly the Don's have been performing for years now. They should be 3rd to 5th every season.

We had 8500-9000 at the beginning of the season for Odense. With only a small minority being Odense fans then it would be fair to say that there is about 8000 Well fans that have shown themselves willing to go to an important game. 10-11000 against nancy as well would back up the theory that there are still fans out there willing to come along. The problem is that ticket prices and an almost empty Hampden will put some of the fans who could have been convinced off coming along. Poor decision making from the powers that be are putting the fringe fans off at every available opportunity. I am still hopeful however of between 8000-10,000 Well fans. Anything less would be slightly embarrasing.

Some really difficult decisions for the manger tomorrow. It would be ideal if Jennings was back to give him a game before the Semi Final but he is not so I don't think Lasley (my player of the season so far) can be rested unfortunately. Hopefully Jeffers is back (McHugh might play instead), would rest Sutton and the rest play. The young lads can recover in a week. What we don't want is a doing to knock confidence. I'm going for an almost full strength squad with a 1-1 draw. On the point of the head to head stats. 21-15. For a team the size of Hearts thats an embarrasment.

Hi Lip I don't totally disagree with what you are saying and like MJC at least you are giving good reasons for your views but I think you are being harsh about the Utd game last Wednesday. Dundee Utd are the form team in Scotland at the moment and we held them to a draw on their patch and took them apart on ours. They did not turn up because they were not allowed to play by a Well side that did not give them a second. There were signs in the first 5 mins last week that Utd were very much up for the game. Motherwell were simply too good.

I was less than impressed when he signed up for two main reasons. One his record at Bradford was poor and two his Rangers connections. As some on here will try to trip over themselves to call me a bigot, I should deal with the second point first. There was always going to be a media love in with the Rangers thing when McCall joined us as it turned out to be with the cringe worthy McCall/ McCoist lunch interview before the CIS Cup game and constant references at other times. McCalls reaction to this has been excellent however. I thought that he looked uncomfortable during the lunch interview. He has never welcomed questions about his Rangers past and I thought it was a really good move to try and distance himself from these questions in one of his e-mails. On the first point he has gone some way towards persuading me that he could be a good manager. I thourougly enjoyed the Cup game last week because of the dynamic style of play and the obvious fight and togetherness within the squad. He has made some decent signings and made tough decisions when he had to (eg dropping Craigan). I still think that the jury is out but a top six finish and a Scottish Cup Final would go a long way towards converting me. The true test will be in the summer when he has to rebuild the team but we have to remember than Brown did not make a good job of that last summer and McGhee made a total arse of it two summers on the trot so we have to be aware of the precedent with this. Gannon's summer signings were in some ways an exceptional set of circumstances. There has been the bad too, ICT away, Hamilton away, Killie away, St Mirren home but again those types of performances have been present under any manager you could mention. Pleased to be proved wrong (yet again). I thought McGhee was good (got that wrong), Gannon was good (probably wrong), Brown I got about right (filled a gap but dull as dishwater) and McCall (proving me wrong once more). Long may it continue.

Jennings for me. Absolutely superb. Jeffers a close second.

Is that the same common knowledge that said we would be getting a new manager with Premiership management experience that the fans would be happy about? Seems like the common knowledge that flys about this board isn't really up to much. I don't know if Casagolda is good or shite but I am pretty certain that you don't have a scoobie about McCalls views on the goal machine.

Fair enough. As a complete aside Malky, are you a Tolstoy fan or do you just like that particular quote? I have always wanted to read War and Peace but never get round to it.

To bin the thread because someone uses a defeat to back up a point seems a bit extreme. Is that not verging on censorship of a sort in fact? I am actually wanting to defend McCall today. I did not want him to get the job and there is warning signs that he may not be the man for the job but I am starting to warm to him. Todays defeat was not his fault. Individual players making really poor decisions at crucial moments in a game is not something that a manager can do much about. Players that give up after the 3rd goal goes in is,but only after the game is finished. The response from the players will be interesting over the next few weeks. What I like however is the way in which he is getting the team to play the game. He is obviousy an advocate of the ball on the deck football and even at 3-1 the team did not revert to the long ball which is a plus in my view. I liked his interview after the game today. He sounded angry which I am pleased to hear and he hit the nail on the head regarding the deficiencies in the team. One thing though, the suggestion from some that motivation is not a managers responsibility seems crazy to me. I think that it is the most important part of a football managers job. This is the bit that is still up for debate as far as McCall is concerned in my view. Being up for the fight against the Old Firm and in the Scottish Cup is one thing but not turning up against Killie, St Mirren, Accies etc is where he needs to prove his worth.

No complaints. Lack of fight, lack of know how and a lack of direction. Jennings could and maybe should have been off. Suicidal defending for all three goals. Definate penalty, what was Gunning thinking about? Craigan tried it again second half with the shoulder barge, good thinking Captain. Hately is not a right back (not a midfielder either). Humph has not been the same player since Brown left. All in all I think that was a performance today that gives a good indication of our level. Killie deserve top six because they are a better side than us and for my money so do ICT. We are now a bottom 6 club. Good luck to Killie. Hope they can upset the apple cart in the run in.