El Grew

Can confirm that is the one and only Pat Gardner. Signed from Dunfermline. Great passer of the ball but always a move ahead of team mates for which he got the stick!!!

Cheers Ernie. Good to see somebody who knows how football tactics evolved.

Got to agree with the guy's argument. Time was when teams played 4-2-4 and 4-3-3 then Alf Ramsay came along and won the World Cup with 4-4-2 and people bemoaned this for long enough for only playing 2 forwards. Now we have 4-5-1 (and variations thereon) and are reduced to only 1 forward. Its difficult (to say the least) to argue against the fact that the accent has now gone firmly to not losing games of football. Yes we all want to see out team winning but surely we want a bit of entertainment too.

Folk can debate it until the moon turns claret and amber but the truth of the matter is that £22 to see an SPL game is too dear. And this goes for all SPL clubs not just ours. At the Hearts home game a couple and their young son were waiting to get in at the East Stand and had to fork out £42 to get in (Adult @£18 + Adult and Child @ £24). And that's before adding their travel costs, programme, eats etc. The same couple and child going to the cinema to see a top film would only be required to pay a total of £19.25 for entry. Regardless of your football supporting persuasion, it's not rocket science to see where the better value for money is to be found.

So Gus MacPherson thought it would be "completely ridiculous" to play his team's CIS Cup Semi against Hearts at Easter Road!!?????? Well we had to it back in 2005! So what's so special about St Mirren then??? And as far Hearts fans comments about stadia. They are having a laugh. Access to and from and parking at their hovel of a ground is a complete bloody joke. As for new Love Street, its a completely soulless set of 4 boxes.

My, my, my, what a lot of fuss over very little. Maybe JG wants to bring new players to the club in January and JB has told him that he needs to shift some out first. Simples.

Great to see the big lad scoring two cracking goals today.

Fantastic result today. Well done lads. Whilst I can appreciate the comments about us not scoring goals etc. IMO Jim Gannon has gotten his priorities right in that he is making us a hard side to break down and score against. He has given us bit of steel in our game and all good sides begin by having a solid goalkeeper and defence that gives nothing away which gives them a solid platform to build on. The forward part of the game is always harder and good forwards are rare and cost money however I'm confident that this side of our game will come good.

A hard worked for and earned 3 points for which we should be thankful. People really need to get things into persepective. Jim Gannon arrived at FP only 4 months ago and IMO inherited as thread bare and poverty stricken squad as we've had since the mid-1970s and he was pitched straight into the qualifying rounds for the Europa League. I'm pretty sure that most fans at that stage feared the worst for the club. But he got us through that and although we didn't qualify, we did come out of it with loads of credit - only being beaten finally by ex-winners Steaua Bucharest. He has quietly, efficiently and effectively taken some our own young players and allied them to some other young players he brought in, built up a decent looking side - in 4 months!!!! He has taken us into the SPL campaign and after 7 games he has us 5th in the table only a few points from 3rd with only one defeat. With the exception of Celtic, we've now played all the sides in the top half of the table (Rangers, Hibs, Dundee Utd, Aberdeen) and have only lost once. I for one think he has performed nothing short of a miracle so far. Most fans would have chewed your hand off if you'd offered them all that after Mark McGhee left. Okay, so we didn't play so well in the second half yesterday, but we still managed to win. Remember that young players form can be a bit in and out so give them a break and stick with them. Its great to see youngsters trying their best and, with no small measure of success as opposed to watching elderly deadbeats whose best years are behind them.

Aye it is a sweeping statement. I'm an 'older member' of our support and I totally applaud what Jim Gannon's trying to do. Possession of the football is 9/10ths of the game. I for one am pleased to see it and he has been a breath of fresh air in the SPL unlike those on the usual managerial merry-go-round who perpetrate the 'long ball game'. How many times do you see Scottish footballers looking up to see that there is nothing on then just booting the ball up the park hoping that something will come out of it? Since Gannon arrived, we have played some of the best football I've seen from a Motherwell team in years. And, he has got us playing like a team all working for each other and not 11 individuals. As far as the East Stand's concerned, I thought all the 'moaning gits' were in the Main Stand. I've moved back to the East Stand after a few seasons in the Main Stand (for financial reasons) and it seems there are just as many if not more there.

Ruddy looks like a good goalkeeper in the making. Has made couple of errors but then that's the perils of being a goalkeeper. I personally like Jutkiewicz. From the little first team action he's had I've liked what I've seen so far. He has good physical presence, strong in the air and likes to take the ball into his feet and lay it off for others. He's the type of player that can do well in the SPL. Last week against Hibs he was played wide right (why, you'd need to ask the manager) and he showed some nice touches but was clearly out of position. Also, Jim Gannon said that the lad's fitness or rather lack of it, surprised him and that they were working to get him up to full match fitness. We need to give the lad a chance to settle. After ll he's come to a 'foreign' country with a different style of play to perhaps what he's been used to and yesterday was his first full 90 minutes and he scored the only goal of the game which turned out to be the winner.

I had the dubious pleasure of being invited to New Douglas Park a couple of weeks ago to see Hamilton play Hibs. Hibs were rank rotten and Hamilton thoroughly deserved to beat them. Hamilton played 4-5-1. Antoine Courier played up front and ran the Hibs centre backs ragged especially Bamba, with continual runs into the inside right and inside left channels backed up by midfielders feeding off him. The Hamilton midfield kept a high line and pressed and stifled Hibs so much that their defenders had no option but to go long and this played into the hands of the Hamilton back four. I saw Jim Gannon at the game - he was in the BBC radio commentary team. So I thought, well done Jim, you've just seen how to beat Hibs. I therefore thought turning up today that we would have it all sussed out and get the 3 points, However, I thought our performance was reminiscent of our opening game against St Johnstone in that the players didn't seem sure about the formation and as a result looked all out of sorts. I couldn't work it out either and the best I could come up with was that we were 4-2-3-2 but I'm still not sure about it. We seemed to have two holding midfielders in Hately and Cokes and two attacking midfielders in O'Brien and Forbes with two forwards in Sutton and Jutkiwietz. Although only Sutton seemed to play in the centre as Jutkiwietz seemed to have been deployed to play wide on the right. Hately and Cokes both had poor games today and as a result we just weren't able to get going. So come on JG stop messing around with the formation. The side, formation and tactics you used against Rangers worked a treat so why not stick with them? If its not broke then don't fix it.

Have to agree with this one. Seen all our SPL games so far except Aberdeen and although we play some really good football we lack real penetration and goal scoring threat. Today, for example, I thought we never looked like scoring from open play and that our best chance of goals were going to come from set-pieces.

Its well enough documented on this site that I never liked Mark McGhee from the day and hour he came to Fir Park however if it is correct that our fans shouted the kind of bile that it is being reported then I condemn it utterly. If it is true then those involved, and they may well be a minority, have brought nothing but shame on our club. Mindless morons.

Jim Gannon's been like a breath of fresh air for Motherwell and the SPL. IMO one of the major reasons that Scottish football has stagnated in recent years is due to the people who have come into management in the SPL. With only a couple of exceptions, eEverytime a managerial position has come up its been the same old tired guys that get tipped for it and generally get it and continue with the same boring old ideas and attitudes. Fair play to John Boyle (and I have been one of his biggest critics during his time at FP) but he appears to have unearthed a real diamond in Jim Gannon. Gannon has arrived without any of the baggage that usually accompanies SPL managers when they go and off the managerial merry-go-round and it is impossible to believe that he and the likes of Maurice Malpas etc. are in the same profession. He immediately noted the lack of athleticism, fitness and skill evident in some of the players at our club but that there were some terrific youngsters with great potential and unlike the previous regime has not been afraid to play them. He has (again unlike the previous regime) used his knowledge of the English game and lower divisions to unearth other good young players and play them. Necessity may be the mother of invention but Jim Gannon has demonstrated imagination and management ability way above others who have been 'kicking around' the Scottish scene for a long time. Good luck Jim and long may it continue.

A terrific performance from all players and a terrific result. Remember we failed to beat Kilmarnock on four occasions last season so this is certainly a step forward. I thought we played some lovely football, showed great energy and desire and were fully committed in every aspect of our play yesterday. The goals came at exactly the right time. The second goal gave us a vital cushion because at 1-0 any team is never out of a game and I thought they would've been delighted to only gone in one goal down considering the roasting they'd had. The third goal was vital and killed them off because they were just beginning to get wee bit on top of us and had they got a goal back it might have put us in trouble. I don't think we had a failure but I would give special mention to Saunders, Hutchison, Hately, Coke and O'Brien. The first three of these played with a style and maturity that belied their youth. If we did have a fault, it was perhaps in not converting some our terrific play into more goals and if we'd won 5 or 6 nil Kilmarnock could have had no complaints. I have been really impressed by Jim Gannon so far and I like his refreshing attitude towards young players and not being afraid to make early changes if he thinks something's not working out. And so far his approach has made for entertainment which is also a pleasant change. They probably will lose more games than they will win but if they continue to play this brand of on-the-carpet easy on the eye football I for one will not complain.

Note to Mods - I honestly won't mind if you explain 'untermenschen' to madscot'

I sincerely hope not. I've always rated Keith and hope that he will be staying at the club and playing a part in the Gannon plans.

I was merely expressing an honest opinion in response to a sensible question posed. And I was under the impression that this board was about honest sensible debate and exchange of views etc. between fellow supporters but I forgot that there are still folk like you posting on it!

Journeyed up to Perth yesterday to take in the first game of the SPL season and I think given that SJ were always going to be up for it big time and that our guys haven't really bedded-in yet then a draw was always going to be acceptable. Its a point away from home and regardless of the opposition that's always acceptable. As for the game. Overall, I felt SJ were the better team and probably should have won. First half definitely belonged to them and we were very poor. Our second half performance was much better and we always looked to go forward and we did create chances but they missed a couple of good chances to kill us off. Fair play to Jim Gannon. At last we have a manager who when he sees something isn't working, he makes changes - early. His two half-time changes in taking off Craigan and Sutton were brave but they were needed and they worked. The most disappointing feature of our play yesterday was that we are still incapable of dealing with bog-standard crosses into our penalty box. Both SJ goals resulted from a deep cross to our back post which was then headed back across the goal and caused chaos and resulted in both goals (although the first goal did take a wicked deflection on its way past Ruddy). SJ continually adopted this tactic all afternoon and got a lot of joy from it - long throws, crosses and corners - and we were atrocious at trying to deal with it. When we put Reynolds back with Hutchison and made Hutchison the 'attack the ball in the air defender' we did look a little better. Apart from our frailties with crosses we also looked very weak and poor on the left side of our defence with Hammell and O'Brien really struggling at times and SJ continually looked to exploit this, particularly Hammell's poor defensive positioning. Considering he was chucked in at the last minute, young Hately was excellent at right-back. Coke was terrific and along with SJ Jody Morris was the most accomplished player on both sides. From what I've seen so far (SPL and Europa League) I think we will struggle badly unless: - sort out the centre-half position; - sort out the left-back position; - get another forward in - one who can hold take the ball in and hold it up. But again good to have a manager who walks the talk as they say.

In a word, yes! Gannon doesn't rate him and IMO the only reason he's being kept at the club is because its his beneft/testimonial year.

He was as good if not better than Kenny Dalglish and but for injury would have gone onto play at the very highest level. He was a fantastically skilful footballer and a genuinely nice down to earth person. One of the few players I've seen that it was worth the entrance money alone to go and watch playing. My thoughts and prayers are with Brian's family at a truly sad occasion.

Having been relegated from the old First Division in 1968 we bounced right back at the first time of asking. Our opening game was against Kilmarnock. We won 1-0 courtesy of a Dixie Deans goal. It was a brilliant sunny day. The highlights were on BBC that night. What better way to start a season. We had a great first season back - reached the semi-final of the League Cup and finished only 6 points off 4th spot.

1969 League Cup 1/4 Final 1st Leg - Morton 3 V Motherwell 2nd Leg - Motherwell 3 V Morton 0 (won 3rd game 1-0 at Ibrox courtesy of big Jumbo Muir) 1970 Texaco Cup 1/4 Final 1st Leg - Spurs 3 V Motherwell 2 2nd Leg - Motherwell 3 Spurs 1 (after being 0-1 down after 5 minutes) 1976 Scottish Cup 4th Round Motherwell 3 V Celtic 0 (after being 0-2 down at half-time) I seem to also recall us being 0-2 down to Dunfermline at half-time in an SPL game at FP which would have put us in the relegation shit when Stevie Cowan popped up and bagged a hat-trick to win us the game. He's fat, he's round, he's worth a million pounds, Stevie Cowan. Repeat. Repeat.

Whatever else Mark Reynolds is, he is most certainly not central defender material. He lacks the height, build and strength to play there and his passing is woeful. He is useless in the air and is too easily bullied around by powerful strikers. Mind you he did begin his career with us as a left back and landed the left central defender role by accident through injuries. I think he is perhaps another example of a young Scottish footballer, to use horse racing parlance, who has not trained on. I think it has been a breath of fresh air to hear Jim Gannon stating the truth that British players lack the techncial skills, tactical awareness, fitness and athleticism of their continental counterparts. So questions should be asked of Reynolds (and those who were previously at the club) as to what he has been doing to improve himself as a player. Because I see no physical improvements in him never mind playing improvements. Its simply not good enough to do training, play a game then slouch around the rest of the time. Maybe if he listens to Gannon and puts some work in then he might improve.