star sail

It really is crazy what is happening now with managers in our division. The fact is that somebody has to occupy positions 10, 11, 12 in our league and it seems increasingly that club owners are panacking at the first sign of getting close to the drop zone, regardless of the time of year. It almost seems like a strategy now to use the new manager bounce to buy 12-18 months before the search for a new manager begins again. We could well be next. If SK goes that would make 3 managers in as many seasons. Since the turn of the century we have had, on average, a new manager every 18 months with only Mark McGhee and Craig Brown leaving from a position of strength . What does this tell us? That every manager has been rubbish/ an imposter/ wage thief etc, or that the job is becoming impossible with an expectation that is far to high. I sometimes wonder if the drama of the search for a new manager has become as much a part of the entertainment of the sport as the game itself. The appetite for sacking managers has become even stronger amongst the fans. Maybe it is now just a part of the show. When players are lasting longer at clubs than managers, there is a problem. It cannot allow for a sense of stability or vision of how a club might adopt an identity for the future. There is no vision generally within the Scottish game it would appear.

I think this is a really good point you have made. It reminds me of the McGhee/ Gannon/ Brown era. McGhee had a very successful spell but had left the club with a threadbare squad. Jim Gannon arrived and did possibly the most impressive squad rebuild in Motherwell history. When Gannon left, Craig Brown inherited a very strong playing squad. Gannon is a very devisive character amongst the Well support but he actually had a very positive impact on Motherwell's success at that time. Let's not forget that Motherwell qualified for Europe that season via the Fair Play award, thanks to Gannon's philosophy on how the game should be played. I made a comment last night that Hammell is possibly the only manager in recent times not to have made a positive impact but when you change the context a little, he did contribute to Motherwell's survival last season and did not have the best of fortune with injuries at the time.

Good point. If these figures are right it is pretty impressive. 8 in 36 would have us finishing top 6 in a league season. Do we really want to sack a manager with that record? There is a few mitigating factors in the last 7 games. Firstly two of these games were against the OF and could so easily have been draws. Secondly we have missed a couple of key players in Biereth and Butcher. Yes, they are now back but they have to be given time to get back to full match fitness. KVV is the X factor that makes both past and current form difficult to quantify. We can only hope that Biereth fills that gap when fully fit. A 1-0 defeat at Rugby Park is not uncommon. We have had results like that during good spells in the past. I think we need to see how the next two games play out before jumping to any conclusions. The Ibrox game seems a long time ago now but was actually only just over a month ago. It is funny how quickly the mood music changes.

That is indeed a shocking statistic and highlights very well what we are talking about here. I think I am right in saying that Craig Brown is our only manager not to be sacked by the club in the last decade or so. What does that tell us? That all the other managers were useless or that the job of Motherwell manager verges on the impossible? Some would have us believe that all the managers were useless. My opinion would be that every one of them ( with the possible exception of Hammell unfortunately) did a good job in difficult circumstances and all contributed to Motherwell continued top league survival.

I don't disagree with what you say but the tendency is to focus on the bad rather than the good. It is four poor games in what has otherwise been a successful time with Kettlewell as manager. I think it can be useful to look at the wider context. I think some are looking at the situation from the perspective that we have lost the next two games already. Let's at least see what actually happens and then look again at the situation next weekend. We never know. With the unpredictable nature of Scottish football we could be looking at two wins and sitting on 17 points by this time next week. Aberdeen have had a week just like that having looked in some difficulty last weekend.

So is the Motherwell Football Club manager strategy to replace the manager every season for the new manager bounce then sack him? Alexander got about a year before the support started to turn. Kettlewell has had 9-10 months. A month ago people on these boards were posting Kettlewell's fantastic managerial stats and touting him for the Hibs job. This bad run started with us running both Rangers and Celtic very close, so we are really talking about the last four games as being the start of the loss in form. The notion that we have any pre determined right to beat the likes of Aberdeen, Livingston, RC or Killie is unrealistic. If after a season, we find ourselves at the bottom of the league then it may be time to look at a change of manager but are we seriously suggesting that this is the correct decision after four poor games? As a sustainable model for any club that type of strategy is unworkable in the long term. RC were a whisker from relegation last year and they stuck with the manager. Killie likewise. Is it poor decision making from these two clubs to keep those managers or can we recognise when taking the emotion out of the argument, that these football managers are doing good jobs in difficult circumstances. The manager of Motherwell has a task that is equally challenging. Kettlewell did a great job to keep us up last season. He has proved already that he has the skill set to turn things around. The notion that we bin him after four poor games is ridiculous. St Mirren fans wanted Robinson out after a run of bad results early in his time there. Aberdeen fans were starting to voice concern about Barry Robson. He has just won two games on the bounce. It is the fans more than anyone that drive this unhealthy desire for change at the first hint of trouble. Give Kettlewell a chance. He deserves the support of the fans.

First home game I have managed to get along to this season so it was interesting for me for a number of reasons. Firstly, I thought Firpark was looking as good as I have seen it. Nice to see that hard work is going into to maintaining the stadium. The first 10 minutes from a Motherwell perspective was like a training session. I was taken aback by the lack of intensity. Biereth coming on in the second have made the contrast of the intensity with which the game should be played all the more notable. Biereth was a level above any other player on the park. I was particularly interested to see Bair given the negativity when he first signed. He is no striker certainly but I thought for a big lad he had some nice touches and decent close control. It would be interesting to see him play with a couple of pacey strikers playing off him. The second RC goal in particular was a lovely goal and shows that they can play a bit when they get going. We were fortunate to escape with a draw The last 10 minutes reminds me of why I keep going back to the football. 80 mins of dross and then 10-15 mins of high drama and entertainment. Biereth could be the difference between a top 6 finish and a relegation battle. All in all a fairly typical Motherwell performance. A kind of four seasons in one day performance. Anybody saying it is the worst performance in decades cannot have spent decades going to FP.

Does anyone know what the form league table is from the moment that Kettlewell took over ? We must be very close to being top of that table along with Celtic albeit they played 5 games in the top half of the split. I can't think of another team that has been as successful in the last six months. Maybe Aberdeen? As I stands, Kettlewells win statistics are very impressive indeed.

I agree with this 100%. He seems like a decent guy and solid pro who for a time represented the club for Scotland. It is a very strange attitude that a small minority of Well fans have adopted with him. The lack of support he got from some of the Well support during the Euro's was baffling. He was a fraction away from scoring at Wembley. Had he done so he would not be playing for us right now. The fickle nature of football. His assist yesterday was lovely. Really nice to see two underfire players ( crazy though that is) combine to get the goal

Absolutely brilliant. Delighted for the boy after the shite on this forum over the last few days. Hope he can kick on from here.

My prediction is that we will make the top six this season. My second prediction is that we will go out of the Scottish Cup to a Louis Moult goal(s) and he will not celebrate the goal(s) as a mark of respect. I also think we will lose to Dundee today because the promoted teams seem to hit the ground running untill they are found out after the first round of games. I hope this prediction is already wrong by 5pm this evening.

He looks like a young Scott Brown.

I was not trying to underplay Stevie May's ability. The very opposite in fact. I was using him as an example of a player that has proved himself at our level and yet still had a season where he struggled to score in a St Johnstone side. The point is that a player can have a poor season ( even an experienced player like Stevie May) and sometimes it is for reasons other than the player himself. The other point is that having had a poor season one season does not guarantee failure the next season. SK clearly believes he can make a player out of Bair. Maybe he thinks he can man manage some confidence into the lad. Maybe he feels that St Johnstone were not playing him to his strengths and believes that a different formation/ role on the field will play to the players strengths. Look at what he was able to do with KVV by simply changing a few things. One thing is for absolutely certain. If it is a confidence issue, the fan reaction to his signing will not have helped. Even if Bair has been advised by SK not to read social media, the fact that a negative impression has been created already will mean that the first misplaced pass or lack of control during his first game will result in a negative reaction from the stands. Football fans will never learn that their behaviours and reactions can actually handicap the team they are supposed to be supporting. Give the boy a chance. A couple of early season goals could be all that is needed to kick start his career. Let's try and provide the environment which best allows that to happen.

Also for a little more perspective, Stevie May scored 2 goals in 30 appearances on season 21/22 and then scored 10 goals in all competitions last season. The two points I would take from that are that the performance of one season does not necessarily predict the form of the next. 10 goals is not prolific but they are goals that contributed to St Johnstones safety last year ( including a win against us). Secondly if a proven SPL standard forward in Stevie May is struggling to score goals in that St Johnstone team then a young Canadian trying to find his way in the Scottish game may also struggle to find his form for reasons other than that he is useless. It does not look like an inspired signing I would agree but SK's reputation as a manager capable of building a competitive squad is at stake so he clearly believes that Bair is worth signing.

There is nothing wrong with mentioning these players as being of the standard we should be aiming for. The problem is that is is a post that is easy to make with the benefit of hindsight. Watt in particular was a massive risk. It just happened to work when it had not really worked for other clubs before or since. The question for Steelboy or anyone else being critical of the signings is who is out there now,that Motherwell can afford, that would guarantee the output of the players mentioned? Name a name. The risk is always there that it might not work. A success rate of 25% is probably about as good as we are likely to get. I think Motherwell have been more successful than most of finding gems, Higdon, Moult and KVV being the most obvious modern day examples Imagine the reaction if Motherwell were announcing the signing of a young Dougie Arnott today. A player from the Junior leagues. It would be mayhem.

Safety as good as guaranteed. A wonder goal to seal the deal. If KVV is playing his last few games for Motherwell then what a way to sign off. The 2-2 draw at FP derailed our season so it is nice to seal the deal with a win against Killie to put the demons of that game well and truly behind us. The planning can begin for next season. Well done to the team and SK.

That was an interesting read and very reassuring but 3% does seem optimistic. If Killie and Utd win this weekend the table will read MWell. 37 DUtd. 34 Killie. 34 St Johnstone 33 With 4 games still to play after this weekend it would all be a little too tight for comfort. I am confident we will get there in the end but there may be some twists and turns yet. A win tomorrow however would put things beyond reasonable doubt

Are you sure your not a Rangers fan MJC? I think the 'rather not see that again' quote might have been me. Sorry if it offended you. You have certainly been holding onto it for some time. I think that quote was months ago. Just to clear things up on that. I loved Bobby Russell as a player. I loved Colin O Neill as a player. His goal in the 4-2 Scottish Cup semi final gave me my single most enjoyable moment as a football fan on what was for me the greatest night of being a Motherwell fan in my life. I loved wee Tommy McLean. His management coincided with my most enjoyable days going to the football. I get nothing but pleasure from watching the videos above. They bring back many happy memories. Davie Cooper was a gift from the heavens to Motherwell at the time and I consider it an absolute privilege to have watched one of the most gifted players in Scotland history wear claret and amber. When I think of all these players I think of players who were playing for the Motherwell jersey. They were celebrating goals as Motherwell players. Tommy McLean sides were beating Celtic and Rangers for the Motherwell jersey. My favourite ever Motherwell player happened to be Tommy Coyne, an ex Celtic man. I remember him having to take the abuse of Rangers fans about the tragic death of his wife when we played Rangers are Firpark and Coyne was visibly shaken. I think from memory Tommy McLean had to substitute him. It is those kinds of moments that strengthen s my belief that Rangers are not better than Celtic despite your claims otherwise. On Skippy Sunday I felt that Terry Butcher was celebrating more than just a Motherwell win. It is a personal opinion of mine that has obviously caused you some offense but it does remain something that I would not care to see again. I enjoyed Motherwell's draw on Saturday as much as I enjoyed Skippy Sunday. The impact that the Skippy Sunday result had on either Celtic or Rangers meant nothing to me. As one last aside, if Celtic or Rangers were playing a European final I would and have supported both of them. Any bitterness I have for the OF does not extend beyond my wish to see Motherwell thump them both every time we play them. Sadly these days the pickings are lean. It's what makes Saturday's result something to celebrate and the videos above something to cherish forever.

That has been a theme throughout the season. The BBC did an interesting article saying that some of the less obvious statistics in games were favourable to Motherwell and they suggested that we should have been further up the league. I was very confident last week that we were completely safe but despite a fantastic draw at Celtic yesterday, I feel slightly more nervous this week. It would still take a fairly exceptional set of results for us to end up in the play-off place but the notion that both Dundee Utd and Killie could both have a 3/4 game winning streak is not beyond the realms of possibility, particularly when RC and to an extent Livingston and St Johnstone are on a poor run of form. My preference is that we stay off the plastic pitches so Livingston and Killie at home would do for me. We would have a reasonable chance of winning at least one of those games.

Fantastic result. Well done to the team and the manager. Had a wee feeling for a draw today. So close to top 6. Brilliant!!! Happy Saturday night everyone.

I do understand that to a point MJC and I have felt anger and frustration when playing both sides of the OF but by being dragged into that bitterness and hatred as Motherwell fans we become no better than either Rangers or Celtic who collectively have stained the culture of life in the West of Scotland for a century. It can be difficult sometimes but I try to focus on Motherwell's positive achievements rather than getting caught in the bitterness of the OF rivalry. I did take joy from Motherwell winning that day but I took no joy whatsoever from having a helping hand in Rangers winning the league. Let's not kid ourselves, had the role been reversed and we had been playing Rangers that day the build up from the press and their fans would have been exactly the same. Both Rangers and Celtic have proved that time and again.

I really feel that we could sneak a draw today. It would be a huge point if we can get it Of the matches mentioned above, the 4-2 semi final game was my favourite. One of the best nights ever, football or not, with some world class goals thrown in For all I enjoyed the play offs eventually it was a nerve shredding week that I would not like to experience again. Skippy Sunday did nothing for me other than the normal satisfaction that comes from beating the OF. It had been an average season generally for Motherwell and I have never really understood the joy with which some Motherwell fans celebrated that result. Each to their own I suppose.

I wonder if we are reaching an equilibrium point in Scottish Football where each season we will lose three quarters of the top flight managers. There has been seven stackings in the league already this season. The trend seems to be going like this: the second place manager of Rangers and Celtic loses his job. Van Bronkhorst lost his and Michael Beale is probably only a couple of poor results away from losing his. Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen have set our their stall as the 3 rd place team in Scotland. Don't finish 3rd, you lose your job. Jim Goodwin and Robbie Neilson gone, Lee Johnston a couple of poor results away from losing his job. Then there is the safe haven of mid-table. St Mirren and Livi are sitting nicely in those spots. Martindale and Robinson must have the safest jobs in British football at the moment. Then there is the 8th-12 th black hole. Get within 6 to 9 points of relegation and club owners/ directors get nervous. Davidson at St Johnstone is the latest victim. Hammell and Fox are already ancient history. Will Mackay at RC and/or McIness at Killie keep their jobs if these teams go down? So only three from twelve teams (Celtic, St Mirren, Livi) have managers that can sleep easy at this time. We hear that it is a result driven business. So what is the result that's driving the business? It is certainly not long term development of clubs or a nurturing environment for young players. It seems like the owners of the clubs have no real notion of what the result or destination is. The vision is short sighted if it exists at all. Maybe the manager merry go round is just part of the entertainment package now. A side show as enthralling, if not more so than the football itself. Certainly the lust for blood seems to be shared by football directors and some supporters alike. That there is rumblings about Kettlewell after one poor results seems ridiculous, but it simply a reflection of the crazy world that football now inhabits..

We are safe for this season. Whilst one of RC, Utd or Killie may go on a 4-5 game winning streak it is highly unlikely that all three teams ( or two of the three) will. They will take points off each other on the way as well so it would take an exceptional set of circumstances for us to end in the bottom two now. Every draw in the last round of games will play into our hands as well. One more win for us, if it does not come against Livi ( I have written the Celtic game off)will 100% seal the deal.

What makes you say that? I thought 37 points was generally considered the marker for safety based on the last decade or so. Are you working on the basis that Killie, Utd and RC will take points off each other and that two of the three can't now reach 33 points?