star sail

Is it a warped prism in this case? Remember ultimately what is at stake is peoples lives. I think the problem generally is that football often sees itself as operating out-with the norm. The SFA is a great example of an organisation that believes that it is above the laws and regulations of the common man. Professional football as with many other professional sports throughout the world, is very fortunate to be operating at all at this time. I see the tennis players are having a hissy fit because they authorities dare to quarantine them because they were sitting on a plane beside positive testing passengers. My opinion is that these sports, football included should not be operating at all. The hardmen of football are very good at playing the victim. Neil Lennon's outburst yesterday is a total embarrassment. People are losing their lives. People are losing their jobs, businesses going bankrupt. Vulnerable people have been imprisoned in their own homes for a year. Young people are being robbed of the joys of leaving school, starting university , starting a new job and somehow it becomes a travesty that Kilmarnock are deducted 3 points for not being able to behave like responsible people? The professional sporting world should think itself very privileged indeed. I am not a fan of the SPFL but for once does the (relatively small) punishment fit the crime. Absolutely. After Neil Lennon's antics, how about professional football in Scotland is held to the same standards as everyone else and told they cannot operate. At the end of the day, football as with all professional sport is non-essential. The hardmen of Scottish football maybe need to swallow their pill like everyone else.

What a great result and totally unexpected. I don't understand the thinking amongst some regarding the quality of the squad. Given that the standard in our league is poor I think we have a squad that is more than capable of getting us out of this situation. Watt, Gallagher, O Donnell, Polworth, Campbell, O Hara are all players that could steak a claim in any Spfl team ourhwith the OF. If Alexander can sort Long's head out there is a player there. Mugabi showed today the potential is there. Carroll, Lawless, Cole are all players that deserve to be playing at his level. Lang could have been added to that list too. Losing Turnbull was really the tipping point between a decent Spfl squad and a mediocre one. This is the first window since Turnbull left so let's see what happens. The quality from the bench needs addressed but if you look at the benches of Kilmarnock, St Mirren, Ross County, Livingston there is nothing much to inspire. I don't think anyone could say that we matched Rangers today, they are much the better side but we have matched Aberdeen an Hibs this season. It has been small margins all season. It is not going to take much to get this team heading back up the table. A decent goalscorer this window may be all we need if we can keep the better players till the summer.

As far as I am aware NHS Ayrshire and Arran did not ask the full squad to self isolate for no reason. They asked them to self isolate because players within the squad had tested positive and the wider squad had not followed the protocol put in place to allow Kilmarnock to control and manage the situation themselves. Other clubs in the Spfl (except St Mirren) have controlled outbreaks and have therefore been able to fulfil fixtures. The rule was that if you could not fulfil the fixture because protocol had been breached you lost the three points. I don't think there is anything laughable about applying the rules. What is laughable is that the SFA (as always) are making it up as they go along contradicting Scottish Government guidelines and completing misjudging the importance of sending out a strong message that professional football in this country takes its responsibility seriously in playing its (very) small part in getting us out of a National disaster. I don't think that is laughable at all. It's not really about the six points.

I agree with this. It is a public relations battle the club would not win and whilst it could be argued that it does not matter what the wider football community thinks, it is a least a distraction and at most an added pressure the club do not need. As a footballing person I would like to see the 6 points won on the football field and if this decision does not put a bit of fire into the bellies of this squad then even Jurgen Klopp would not be able to motivate this team. Regardless of the circumstances Motherwell find themselves in, it is proof positive, if any was ever needed that the footballing governing bodies in Scotland are totally inept and it turns Scottish football once again into a circus.

Shaka, I often think that much of what you say makes a lot of sense but the passion with which you say it detracts sometimes from what can be good points. Mugabi is far from perfect, a raw talent I think is what you could call it but there is a player in there if he could iron out the mistakes. I get the frustration. Been there myself shouting and bawling in the stands but at some point you have to cut the players a break. Mugabi can’t be blamed today for past mistakes. Calling him a c**t is in my opinion a step to far. I think now is a good time to let these boys prove themselves and let the new manager either drop them or turn them into better players.

I cannot understand the desperation from a small minority of or fans to criticise and disparage the club at every single opportunity. Robinson, Burrows, Mugabi, Grimshaw, the boy Whyte. That was never a penalty in a million years and yet we have posters like Shaka throwing all sorts of insults at Mugabi. It is the strangest thing! Totally bizarre.Opposition fans would not be so critical of our club and players.

Reminds me of poor Kipre when Craig Thompson was the referee. Soon as big Cedric put a foot on the pitch Thompson was reaching for the red card.

It is interesting to read your thoughts and you have clearly given it some consideration but I think the fact that you have not given a name to OntheFringes question shows the difficulty of finding the type of manager you describe. Let's say we could have Derek McInness from Aberdeen tomorrow. Would that guarantee our survival this season? Would he have 100% support from our fans? Of course it is a mute point. We could not afford McInness even if he was available. I think your argument falls down on the basis that your start point suggests an unrealistic representation of MFC's position in the footballing world. Firstly we are only an established SPFL club because of a lot of hardwork, good decision making and a little luck over the last 20-25 years. We have absolutely no birthright to being a top 12 team as the likes of Hearts, Hibs, Dundee Utd and Rangers have proved. The fact that we have maintained our top flight status for so long is something of a miracle. It is a reflection of historical success rather than a snapshot of present reality. Secondly, an experienced manager with a good track record will be outwith the clubs financial reach. There is a reason why names like Gordon Strachan and Martin O Neill do not get mentioned even in fantastical bookies lists. They would not be tempted to even get out their bed for the money we could offer them. Thirdly, experienced proven players are priced out of our range by the crazy nature of football transfers these days. Adam Rooney was mentioned above as a Salford player. I don't think we could afford to pay a months salary for a player like that. Even if we could persuade him, could his arrival guarantee goals? I have some sympathy with the points you make and would like to agree with much of them . I would love to think that we could tempt more exotic names to the club. However, the truth is as a club we have to constantly think outside the box to survive. That brings risk both with players and managers. I think Graham Alexander is about the best we can do given all these constraints. I think in fact that Alexander may prove to be a good appointment constraints or not.

The interview is very interesting. Makes reference to possible divisions in the dress room but most importantly says that there is no lack of ability in the team. Talk is cheap but it certainly inspires confidence when the manager is articulate and says all the things a fan would want to hear. Plenty of reason for real optimism and I would not be surprised if we got a big response from the players on Saturday. I was really disappointed to see Robinson go but now the reset button has been pressed I am feeling excited and optimistic again. The King is dead. Long live the King!!

Interested in why you think that Steelboy?

Doing a little reading on GA and the Salford fans seem to think that he was a decent enough guy who's teams did not play particularly attack minded football. His home record was relatively poor apparantly (away form was good) and he had a natural tendency to be defensive minded in his approach. A suggestion that he did not get the most out of a fairly expensive squad. Also listened to his last couple of post match interviews with Salford and it sounded not dissimilar to Robinson latterly. Complaints of players not doing the basics properly (I think Robinson term was the right to play football) and poor decision making. Having said that, there was no character assassinations suggesting he was a total dud. If anything most fans wished him well and thought he might shine at a club that would be a better fit. Will we be that better fit? Time will tell. If he is to be our new man I wish him all the very best

It is a tough decision for the club. I don't have any real sense of excitement for the candidates in contention. I can't help but feel that we will not improve on what we had before so there is not a sense for me of a bright new dawn. I think on balance Tommy Wright would be my preferred candidate. If he could do anything like Craig Brown did the last time we needed a wise old head to steady the ship then I would be delighted. We need a streetwise element to our team and TW would be the man to bring it. Marry that to a fair bit of ability(Campbell, Long, Gallagher O'Hara, O`Donnell) and we may have a bright new dawn after all.

Scott Mullen on BBC Sport Scotland saying four candidates including Lasley will be interviewed in the he next two days with the new man being in the dugout by the weekend. Lasley and 3 others so who are the three? Sorry, don't know how to post the link from the BBC.

I agree with this 100%. One of the downsides to the Internet age is that people can hide behind forums and post anonymously with little to no repercussions or consequence. It gives a voice to a minority that can then influence a mood or sporting landscape more than the reality reflects. When you actually look at the brief summary of Robinsons achievements, posted by the club itself, it his hard to marry the reality with the criticism ( and on rare occasions abuse) that has been a feature on this forum. Two Cup Finals, a 3rd place finish, European football, a strong financial balance sheet. Hold you head high SR. It would be interesting to look under a microscope at the daily business of some of the vocal anonymous critics and see if they too could hold their head high. This is a culture that is not going to go away and any manager good or bad will have a 2-3 year shelf life. I think we will look back on Robinson's time as some of the better in Motherwell's history. The managers change. The critics are ever present.

Would never want to see McLeish anywhere near our club again. Talk about a manager wasting money on transfers, there is your man. A media darling whose reputation far outstripped his ability. Ruined a decent Motherwell team, and was heading the same way with Hibs. There was horror stories of player indiscipline at Rangers and yet he managed to maintain a good reputation in the Scottish game. His second spell as Scotland manager I think is a fair reflection of his capability. I would take his Aberdeen playing partner Strachan over McLeish any day of the week.

What makes you think Craig Brown was an excellent appointment? I don't disagree that he was the right man at the time to steady the ship but from memory we were 5th when he started and 5th when he left. I remember a good few thumping at the hands of Celtic on the way through as well and his brand of football was never scintillating (6-6 v Hibs apart) and I don't remember him having a forward thinking vision. Was it not Gannon that signed the players that Craig Brown worked with? He was a steady pair of hands. Maybe that alone made him an excellent appointment at the time? What interests me about the comment is that Scottish managers just seem to get a fairer, more measured evaluation from our support generally without much more to show for their efforts. I am never a fan of the clamour for ex players but I did feel we missed the boat on Van der Gaag at the time Baraclough was appointed. He may not even look in our direction but would be the kind of appointment that would spark my enthusiasm once more and he has had success in Holland and Portugal. That apart, a Brownesque appointment like Tommy Wright might be the safe option that could keep us in the league. Pragmatic if not ultimately hugely inspiring.

Much of what you have said is not unreasonable but I think you look too negatively on what might happen and use that has a basis of fact. You seem convinced that Motherwell would not have finished 3rd last season if it was played to a close yet you simply don't know what would have happened. None of us do. I don't remember anybody complaining about the quality of the squad in August. In fact many were excited by the apparent strength of the team. I think a few of the players will come good in the coming weeks. Long, Lang, Polworth, Gallagher are all good players who will find there stride and become the influencial players like a few you mentioned from recent seasons. Who is to say we will lose Campbell this window? You just never know. Give it a month and let's see from there. The reality might be better than you think. Remember the Hibs and Aberdeen performances. That is how it could be. Keep the faith.

LOL. It is like Groundhog Day. We keep going round and round in circles making the same points. I am as guilty as anyone. I love the manager chat. I remember arguing with Steelboy in 2008? about Jim Gannon. 12years later and I am still saying the same things for managers, he is still saying the same things against them. Keeps our mind off worrying about a pandemic.

When you see his achievements summarised like this it seems all the more unbelievable that we have the Robinson out chat as often as we do. He has done a really good job as your summary shows. You have to wonder just what would make some of the supporters happy given that Cup Finals and third place finishes don't cut it. For some reason Robinson's face does not fit with sections of our support and no amount of success will change their view. My gut feeling is that were he Scottish, he would be given more respect than he is currently afforded. I have always felt that the Scottish managers (Brown, McGhee, McCall) have been afforded a benefit of doubt than the non Scottish managers (Gannon, Baraclough, Robinson) have not, despite managerial records at Motherwell that are broadly similar. My own opinion is that all the above mentioned managers have made a significant contribution to keeping Motherwell in the top flight despite us having no divine right whatsoever to be there. The exception to this in recent times is ofcourse Maurice Malpas. You can't defend the indefensible.

Ruddy Kipre Hutchinson Carroll Cadden (cheating by putting him at RB) Turnbull Campbell Vigurs (when on form) Johnston Murphy Moult

Today was always going to be tough. 4 games in 10 days (three of which, a fair distance away) was always going to leave the team a little leggy today. The opponents could not have been worse but maybe in a fixture we never win anyway this was the the best possible team to play today. The 18 year league record does grate. Interestingly the only managers to break the monotony have been the much maligned Baraclough and Robinson himself. You could argue that their victories came against a weakened Rangers but anybody that watched McCall's team put in a subservient display in a League Cup display at Ibrox against a Championship Rangers will know that the Scottish managers record in the last 18 years have been dire. That said if financial doping applies to Man City against top European sides then by ratio of revenue (if not legal definition) Rangers and Celtic have been getting a doping advantage over every other team in Scotland for a long time. As it is we sit 9th approaching the end of the first quarter. We matched Aberdeen and Hibs for performance and in Europe we beat the teams ranked below us and lost to the team ranked above us. Not scintillating by any means but no Armageddon either. I think we will find a consistency in the second quarter that will take the team up the table rather than down.

Madden was the ref when we beat Rangers 3-1 in the play-off. We played really well so beat them. Our poor start to the game has cost us so far today.

Despite history telling me otherwise, there is always that what if? thought comes into my head on game day. Our record in almost supernaturally poor against Rangers but the sun is shining and miracles do happen. It is the hope that kills us!!!

I think you are doing the Israelis a disservice comparing them to Killie, Hearts or St Johnstone. They beat us comfortably last night without having to play well themselves. I can buy the idea that a team can be unlucky in a one of game but Scottish teams both at club level and at International level have made an art form of gallant defeats over the last 30-40 years. We read and listen to the hard luck story over and over again. If only....... The truth is that HBS scored three goals last night because they have the technical ability to turn it on when it matters. Sadly Gallachers performance last night is a snap shot in minature of performance after performance we have had to enduree from Scottish players in recent decades. It is no coincidence that we struggle to beat part time teams and it is no coincidence that a team like HBS beat us without getting out of first gear. Scottish football is a long, long way off the pace. Progress has been made in recent years. The professionalism has improved as has the fitness thanks to managers like Robinson. Sadly however we have years of neglect to make up for. We may never catch up but at least we are taking steps in the right direction.

I am almost NEVER right so I am going to take this opportunity to pretend I know what I am talking about. I am also going to take the opportunity of a great result to make a couple of points about some negative comments over this last month. 1. 'We are favourites to be relegated' We were no more favourites to be relegated in 12 place after 7 games than we are to favourites to finish 8th now after 8 games. We should try looking at the bigger picture. 2. 'Robinson should be sacked now because after Hibs and Aberdeen beat us we will only have 4pts.' Let's try to make statements about sacking managers based on the facts of what has happened, rather than negative speculation of what might. 3. 'Motherwell were not really 3rd last season because Aberdeen would have finished 3rd' Can we be absolutely certain about that based on today's result? They might have but like point 2, I would rather base judgement on the fact that Motherwell did finish third, rather than that Aberdeen may have in some mythical end to the season. Great result today. Let's give our team the benifits of the doubt and give them some proper backing.