Welldaft Mk1

Clarkson may be an option if Murphy was sold this month. Our squad is thin compared to others, but that is because we a) have a stronger 1st 11 and b) appear to not have much spare cash despite a successful season last year. McCall has talked about a couple of loan players, so I would hope and expect to see them in b4 the transfer window closes. Even if we keep Jamie we need another striker, although he appears to be searching for a wide player in the mould of Steve Jones. An impact player off the bench. Anyway patience is the watchword as it is better we get the right players like Jukebox or Porter, than a Molloy or Danny Murphy!!

"The deal looks likely to be concluded within the next 24 hours, with United receiving £2m in cash up front, plus add-ons of £800,000". From the BBC website. Bottom line is that is very decent money for Goodwillie. I would say he is marginally better than Murphy. But the word is marginally. Goodwillie is stronger and has a stronger shot as a result, but I still think Murphy is as skillful and in fact goes past players more easily than Goodwillie. Murphy is worth what teams are prepared to pay for him. I hope he stays at least until January, but if he continues to score and play well over the next week or two, the vultures will be circling. I hope MFC to a DDee Utd. If you want Murphy stump up £1.5m, any less don't bother phoning. If they accepted less than £1m one would not be at all happy...........

Ditto from me. Good to see all the positives posts for a change, but like I did not believe all negative posts I do not believe we are as good as people believe. We hit the post it went in of the goalies head, they hit the post it comes back out - twice. Yes we played well, especially in the 1st half and deserved to win, but it was closer than the scoreline suggests. As for Killie. Last seasons strategy of re-building an entire team paid off thanks to Mixu astute signings. Whilst I do not think they have the same quality I still believe this tactic could yet again pay off for them this season. An away draw at Tannadice is a good start. We need to reach the heights we did 1st half last Saturday. If we do we may well get a narrow win. If we do not then Killie will take advantage and get a draw at least. Hopefully Murphy will still be there. Q is do we want him to play well

Their was a Q the length of the Cooper for the East stand just b4 KO. both Cooper and East V full. I would put at 5500+ easy. The old creative accounting ploy! Great game. thoroughly enjoyed that. Lasley goal was a PEACH!

Money talks - Murphy walks........ Not quite feeling how I was when McFadden was with us, but the thought of losing Murphy before the transfer deadline fills me with fear. Higdon has shown glimpses in the friendlies, but so far that is all. And with McHugh and Smith waiting in the wings we are HEAVILY reliant on Murphy. I still feel we need another striker to compete against Higdon or Murphy. If the money is not there then we have no choice but to tough it out. But if Murphy leaves and we fail to replace him with decent quality we will struggle for goals this season.

I guess the most important question - is how much will this initiative raise in terms of money for the club. What they are effectively saying is that John Boyle has gone and we can no longer rely on him giving us loans to cover poor seasons where we have not got the money in that we have budgeted for. So they are looking for the fans to pick up the slack and contribute and why not. 3-3500 season ticket holders is the amount mentioned. I would like to know if in fact that many have taken up season tickets this year. They talk about a sum of £600-750k being raised. For that to happen you would need at least 2000 paying the lower tier of £300. That is a lot to ask at this time or any time for that matter. There will of course be wealthier individuals that will put in more £5000+ which should help balance those who do not take out the minimum £300. I will do my bit when the time comes, but I suspect the figure raised would be nearer half the amount being sought. But that is just my humble opinion.

I would go with the OP team and the one that started v Leeds yesterday. I am not sure whether it is a good thing that we 95% agree with the 1st 11. It means we either have a great team of 1st 11 players or our squad is wafer thin with not a great deal of quality back up. Probably a bit of both. Interesting to note that Billy Dodds has us down to finish 4th in the Sunday Herald. A bit optimistic truth be told. Sure if we added a few more faces on loan then maybe. But 1 or 2 injuries to key players and we may well struggle. We also need to hold onto Murphy. If he goes that will knock us down a couple of league placings.

Glad the game went well. Just over 2000 is not great but considering it was a) midweek b) during holiday season and c) against a 1st Div team - probably as much as were expected. Could not make the game because of work comittments but looking very much forward to the Leeds game. Despite Jay mentioning for Nth time it is meaningless etc etc never seen leeds play and they are reasonably high profile. On a Saturday with hopefully a good away crowd. The atmosphere and the Scottish v English backdrop always make these games a bit tasty.

Well are you??

Perhaps you have a point Ya bezzer. However I would be happy to wager that Higdon scores more goals for us that Sutton does for Hearts. Also I suspect Law will be a little like Coke. Best midfielder on his game, but NOT always on his game. But then what do you expect at Motherwell....not going to get a prolific scorer from a championship club or above. If we bring in another couple of players + a striker then I think it is a better squad than last season

DITTO on the above. I suspect we have increased deals for certain players inc Jennings, so that will have eaten up a plyer or two when compared to those that left. Plus late on in the season we knew we had extra money coming our way, so could pick up Jeffers etc. I suspect most of the money made from the Cup would have gone on bonuses and to pay back John Boyle as I am sure whilst we have/had NO bank debt we relied on him to provide cash flow. It makes you wonder what would happen had we NOT been in the top 6 or semi's and final last year. Still going with ONLY 2 recognisable/reliable strikers is a gamble. I would be more comfortable if we sacrificed a defender for a Striker. As mentioned if either Murphy or Higdon get injured I am far from convinced McHugh will provide adequate cover. Maybe we could get a player on loan should such a scenario occur?

I don't know what some people are expecting. .....Arsenal? Man City? They have got better and more financially beneficial offers than little old Motherwell. Fact is Leeds Utd are a big side in English football and a lot bigger than some EPL sides such as Norwich, Wigan, Fulham et al. A few people dissing the game and that is their opinion. Mine and a lot of others is that this will be the 1st opportunity to see Motherwell FC and their new signings before the new campaign kick in. Assuming the pricing is reasonable then I would hope for a decent turn out form both sets of fans... I am looking forward to the game and a few beers

Here's a thought, maybe not an original one however......... Why not have a bickering section, where 2 posters are FORCED (by the mods) to go when they get heated and start taking over a post with post after post of.............well yeah bickering. I like most am on here hoping we have signed someone.....

Whats the script with Jenno..... I though he was off for a fortnight and then coming back (and hopefully) signing at least another years contract. Was that not about 3 weeks ago? The wages for Jeffers, Ross, Casagolda, Sutton, Jones, Gunning plus a few others must add up to a few bob. I would expect at least another 4 players signing, especially as our wage budget was NOT to be reduced from last year that and the fact we have only brought in Higdon so far..... We are reasonably well served in defence, but I would like to see a creative midfielder and one more decent (ish) quality striker.

Each to their own Jay. But I will try and big up a friendly v one of the better known and more historic teams from down sarf. Would rather watch Leeds than most of the botton half of the premiership. May have something to do with the fact I had a silk Leeds Utd scarf when I was a bairn. That and the SAD fact there are no Europa cup ties to watch in July = I will definitely be there. Add into the mix the prospect of a very decent away support and I reckon there could be a decent crowd. Yes it is a friendly and ordinarily they are cack, but it will be the first glimpse of Motherwell FC 2011/12. Bring it ON.

Well that all depends on what the alternatives are. I am quite sure McCall knows what is available and if HE feels it is better having Craigan around for another year, I am all for that. We have 3 very young central defenders and hopefully 2 0f the 3 will be mainstays for the next season or 2. But they need guidance and I would MUCH rather have Craigan than some other older Central defender who has not got a fraction of the passion for Motherwell. It p1sses me off how dismissive some fans can be of Craigan. He deserves better. No-one disputes his best days are probably behind him, but he is still a good few years younger that Davie Weir

TBH - it is all bout the timing. And in this case it backfired and bit us on the backside. Paw Broon leaving and McCall coming in had a lot to do with it. McCall would not have been in a position to offer a new contract without understanding what our budget would be or whether he even rated Sutton. As it happens McCall played him up front and he started banging in the goals, after that he was in play. Sutton said he would have signed a contract earlier. Of course he would - he was not in demand before Xmas. In fact I always thought he could have done a lot more for us and had he left around Xmas I would not have lost any sleep. In short if he was banging in goals all along - he WOULD have waited to see what was on the table before committing to Motherwell. So Motherwell are not entirely to blame at all. Just one of these things. Like all of us I wish he had gone down south as he IS bound to score against us next year. That said better players than him have left the mighty Well - only to come unstuck. Seemed a decent chap and has trebled his wages - so understand what he has done and why.

Despite the last para, the purpose of the original post was to engage in a discussion on how much money we have taken in this year over what we probably budgeted for. I certainly do not want us to deviate from our policy of living within our means and putting extra money aside for a rainy day. That said we will not see a reduction in the wage bill thanks to this season and perhaps give us an edge if we are competing for a player against say Aberdeen, Kilmarnock or Dundee Utd. No need to pay a transfer fee this days other than say £30 or £40k for a rising star from the lower divisions.

Did we make this season? Talk on other threads about who would should keep and who we should try to get. Bottom line is we must have made a hell of a lot more than we budgeted for this season. I will have a go 1st. At the very least we would have budgeted for a round in Europe and say 8th in the SPL. We got 2 extra rounds worth say £200k. On top of that we finished 6th, worth an extra £150k. Plus extra old firm game v Gers. The onto the cups a semi in the CIS. Even if we exclude previous rounds that would have netted us £200k. The Scottish cup semi was worth £250k to us and the final £600k - if you also add a couple of Sky televised games v Dundee and Dundee Utd at £150k. Even if you exclude gates receipts from an aggregate 15,000 crowd during the 1/4 final I make it we would have made an estimated minimum £1.5m once win bonuses are taken into account. £1.5m is serious dosh. However our home crowds have been poorish and we have probably made less on crowds this season. So taking into account the many costs that I have not anticipated that would still NET us no less than £1.2m. Outside the City clubs that should give us a decent edge in the transfer stakes, assuming we do not sell any players, which we most definitely will.

In almost all the posts Hutchison is missing as a potential leaver. He was about to get a under 21 cap for England before his injuries. I think he will be on the radar of a few clubs down south. I reckon Sutton and Jennings will leave, especially as there is no European football to look forward to. Any of the following could be bought over the summer: Randolph, Hutchison, Humphrey and Murphy. Gunning back to Blackburn and Casagolda, Ross, Jeffers all to leave? I would be happy to give Ross and possibly Jeffers a 1 year extension. All in all you could be looking at 2/3rds of the current 1st team away. Perhaps we could pay Gannon a consultancy fee........

Going on the article below around £185k for the year. Considering our last deal was around £100k that would be a great deal if true......tbh I had never even heard of cash convertors Scottish Cup finalists receive cash boost 18 May 2011 | Posted in Sponsorship, Soccer, Europe | By Chris Dickens Scottish Cup finalists Motherwell have unveiled Cash Converters as their new principal sponsors for the 2011/12 season. Cash Converters, a worldwide company that exchanges second-hand goods for money, become Motherwell’s main shirt sponsors with the firm’s logo being placed across the front of the Scottish Premier League club’s home and away kits next season. The one-year deal is believed to be worth US$300,000. Additionally, the company’s logo will feature on the back of the team’s shirts in the Scottish Cup Final, which Motherwell contest against Celtic at Hampden Park on Saturday 21st May.

Ticket SOLD to a solid WELL fan......a well travelled one at that

STILL have the spare ticket mentioned in the post above. Still many posters who have not heard from the club re ballot. PM me if interested........

Claret and Amber - have sent you a PM re my post on previous page.

Quite. Probably easier to access the Pentagon. I am trying to sell a ticket and have given no personal details, phone nunber, address etc. If it needs to be done in the Fort Knox section then I will happily do so. That said who would want to try and sell a product in a section with less buyers........