Welldaft Mk1

How often does it happen that players come onto a game towards the end of their contract. It really would be annoying yet again to lose a player like Erwin for next to nothing. He is starting to show his promise a few months before he is out of contract. I get why he would want to earn more than we can afford, why he would what to play for a bigger team and why he would not want to head into the championship should we end up there. Does not make it any less frustrating and annoying! As for Cars well and Moore. If they are not playing then they are better off heading elsewhere. In saying that should we go down they will more than likely get a chance .

I said after the game today we will win this one by 2 goals at least. The problem is it is probably too late. Still Killie may do a Hibs. Unlikely but you never know....

How anyone can criticise the team or individual players for lack of effort is beyond me. Bunch of moaning faced gits on here. The players were up for it and that was clear. What was also self evident was that our lack of quality in the final 3rd cost us. Erwin, Pearson and Skippy were wasteful on number of occasions. Would like to see the Pearson penalty claim again. It might not have been one, but it sure looked like one. We have a slim chance if we can beat Kill ie which we will. It is probably too late and we probably merit 11th over the season. Missing Hamell for most of it has been a blow and today showed why. Keep the faith

Whatever it will be it will not be a win to Nil. We do not look as if we can keep a clean sheet. Hopefully Hammell is fit enough for a start. I would still start Erwin over Sutton, although it is a close one. Sutton a more clinical goalscorer, but Erwin a bit more mobile. Need the defense and goalie to keep the heid and not to concede from set plays. If we score 1st it should give us a boost. If they do it could be a long day.

THIS. We did stand by him and it would be nice and probably very naive if he did stay. Let's be honest if he is good enough he will get his move soon enough.

Barring a miracle we are in the play offs. We need to play County or Thistle at home and beat them in the 1st game post split to bring it back to 3 or 4 points and hope either slip up We do literally have to win all 5 games to have a chance. County - 25 from 27 points - unbelievable and no thanks to us for helping start their impressive run

I would like to think so, but I don't share your optimism. After our defeat yesterday Ross C know a win and they are almost safe. They have (imho) had some luck in this run of wins. A lot of the games have been 50-50, but they keep coming away with 3 points. I expect tomorrow evening to be similar. As well as St Mirren may play - it will probably not happen nor be good enough. Stranger things happen, so you just never know.

TBH there was not a lot in it in the 1st half. A draw was about right. It was not a great game and of course just got worse. Our defending at set pieces is woeful and came back to bite us yet again. The amount of space the Thistle player had to nod on to Taylor was comical. Once the 1st goal went in, they sensed blood and deservedly got a second. Disappointing thing is that we had no answer and were unable to create any real chances. However unlikely we need St Mirren to front up tomorrow evening and try to make a game of it in front of their own fans. Should Ross C win, then we are heavily odds on for the play off spot. We could yet escape but would need to win 1st couple of games as a starter and hope one of them is v Ross County.

Really chuffed with that news. Also stated in advanced talks with other members of the squad. A statement of intent from the Club and BOD. Bit strange however that they are not waiting to see what division we are in next season, unless our wealthy benefactor is calling the odds

I cannot see how we will finish anything better than 11th. A win tomorrow for either Ross County or Partick puts them pretty much out of sight, given I do not expect to win 2 more games than either b4 the end of the season. It is not that we dont have the will or the players, but sadly defensively we are a complete shambles. We have managed to replace inept players with pretty much the same again in this area. I hope I am wrong but losing from a winning position at half time has finally convinced me we will be in the Championship next season

Trying to stay positive, but one wonders if we could afford all this extra resource and financial outlay if we do not avoid relegation ! Also interested to see McManus quoted as saying that the new assistant manager has made a BIG difference since coming in. Now that could either mean a big difference on Kenny Black as outgoing assistant or that he does not rate Barraclough.....interesting

Do you give the credit to IB or to Skippy and the return of Pearson ?? It has been clear to see that the manager has not had a great initial impact and if we had played yesterday like we did last week, then I would have been wanting him punted and I am more patient than most on here. The truth is somewhere in-between. The players need to time to bed in and he was working with an assistant that was not his choice. Now he appears to have a very capable Assistant Manager, a few players back from injury and the upturn thanks to Skippy. Yesterday was like night and day from last week. You could tell from the 1st minute we were up for the fight and that is against a side that are as good as many outside of Celtic. We need to push on now against Killie, especially as it is our game in hand v St Mirren and with Ross C and Partick playing one another.

Doogie Doogie - still my fav Motherwell player.

Leanne is like the Stig. In so far as no-one knows who the feck she is. Maybe one day when she is asking us to thank Ian for leading us to the world club championship she will reveal herself. Jihadi John proved less of a conundrum. As usual I find myself agreeing with YB. Let us wait and see what the performance is like on Saturday. We now have a big enough squad. Hopefully Pearson will be back...

I am bemused too. I was expecting a greasy spoon breakfast but a steak and chips The other picture looks good too. Makes me feel quite hungry. Nothing wrong with either IMHO

What a bloody mess. I read Lasley coming out saying there was no split in the changing room, but clearly some more established players are a bit miffed at the new players brought in and the apparent standards of the new players. Now I get that to an extent. But we ALL know that if these more established players were giving 100% and fighting tooth and nail we may not have needed to bring in 7 players to the squad. We did and do need a striker, so that was baffling to bring in as many players and not one out and out striker. I think it will be proved that a few will do OK and a few will prove to be no better than what we have and possibly in one or two actually worse. It is IB job to get that changing room bonding together come what may and put aside personal grievances to keep this club in the top flight. I am not sure he has what it takes hence my other posts on having a plan B - because I feel we will soon need one in a week or two. Nobody wants Barraclough to fail. But the evidence suggests he is out his depth, Hope I am wrong.

Ya Bezzer and Gazzy B are on the money. If there is no noticeable improvement v ICT and I am not expecting one then how on earth does it pay to stick with IB ? Talk of another few weeks to find a Manager and a few weeks for them to settle in are not relevant. If the status quo is taking us down to the Championship, then we have ONE last throw of the dice and that would involve getting in an experienced Manager who is out of work (and there are plenty) that have nothing to lose but rebuild their reputation and try to turn things around. It may no work and may make no difference, but we HAVE to try something or we are doomed to the Championship for at least one season probably more...

I would like a change now. Bottom line is that he is at the very least supposed to lift the team, make them harder to beat. This is NOT happening in any way shape or form and that includes being allowed to bring in 7 players. I would love him to prove me wrong and we win (v unlikely) v ICT and then escape relegation. Then I would happily eat humble pie. But should we lose v ICT - we need to act. We cannot just let him take us meekly into the champioship which is what is looking like happening. The club and Board need a Plan B and I suspect they will be working on it - they should B.

Anyone care to give us a clue Or are we going to talk riddles all the time. Symptomatic of the fact that everything seems to be falling apart!!

In fairness to Starsail they are good points. The problem we have is that we do not and never had 5 months to turn this around. I have nothing against Baraclough personally and we ALL hoped we would prove an astute and successful appointment. He seems like a nice guy BUT we are under real threat of going down and he has showed NO evidence that he is capable of turning our form and results around. So should we just accept that and watch our relentless downward spiral into the Championship or should we admit his appointment was a mistake and try to find an alternative short term solution that may - just may give us an outside chance of staying up. If there was ANY evidence to suggest that Barra has been unlucky and that the team have been playing better, then I would say it is a gamble worth taking. But week after week there is NO evidence. Sure the goal yesterday was unlucky, but we had another 80 odd minutes to rectify and never looked like doing so. I would be very surprised if the Board of Motherwell FC were not also having second thoughts....

There is no doubt the players are in the main responsible for this mess + the injury situation has been horrendous and worse than at any time I can recall of me supporting the team = 40+years. But I desperately care who the Manager is. The truth is a good appointment would have us performing much better after the turn of the year and possibly steer us clear of relegation. I am patient and actually more of a happy clapper than a glass half empty type guy, BUT 1 point from 24 is not a run any Manager would generally survive. Should it make a difference if he is just in the door ? The point being made above and ALL that truly matters is: ARE we playing better than before - NO Do the players look motivated - NO Are players being played out of position - YES Are we playing an immobile striker up front on his own game after game - YES (no offence John) Are the new signings looking like helping us - NOT REALLY I think the club will give him the ICT game, but make no mistake if we lose again (as is likely) with no sign of improvement then he HAS to go. I would act now, but again it ALL depends on what his contract situation is. Barring a minor miracle - keeping Baraclough in place looks like it will 90% relegate us. I am not sure what the solution is and it may not work either. Call it a last throw of the dice, but right now we ARE odds on to go down.

OK - so barring a major turnaround it is looking like the appointment of Barraclough is not going to work out. Without knowing his contract situation - it is difficult to say what the club will do or realistically can do. I hope they gave him a contract to the end of the season with a guarantee that if he kept us up he would get a 2 year deal. My fear is that we have already given him a 1 or 2 year deal in which case we are almost in an Ally McCoist scenario, hoping he walks before he is pushed. Again I hop it is the former. If I was the Board I would have a plan B for this week or at the very latest after the Caley game should we lose, which right now seems inevitable. What is plan B though. Dare I say Paw Broon. Unlikely given the history, but as the saying goes beggars cannot be choosers. He may not want the job till the summer, but we NEED someone who can make the players into a semblance of a football team and set up to be harder to beat and with at least an outside chance of getting a point or 3. If not Paw Broon then who else could we turn too????

One thing is for sure Flow was trying to do the club a favour and taking on two or maybe 1.5 roles so that extra money could be made available to bring in player such as Ojamma. He is a passionate Well fan as well as being generally quite a clever chap. No one will be hurting more if this appointment turns outas it is look like to be a disaster. As a Manager of large teams I know 1st hand how people can interview extremely well and then when it comes down to it are found wanting. I am sure Barraclough gave a great interview. I know I was impressed with his 1st interviews. Sadly it lokks like Barra talks a better game than he can deliver. I would not give him more time but if he gets it - it has to be ICT ONLY.

Absolutely this. If this is the level that Barra is happy with then we were rookedfrom rhe get go. It is looking like a Gannonesgue appointment with the key differencebeing that at least Gannon brought is some decent players. Sadly it is probably too late to save us. Ah well Championship he we come.

What is his contract situation. Does anyone know? There is no disputing the fact he has actually made us worse than before. The team line up is bizarre. Erwin out on the wing and Moore in midfield and sutton on his own again. We have had littleluck with injury and the goal today sums up how things are going against us. But today was the day I realised that we will likely finish in the bottom 2 and at this rate bottom.