David

From my own perspective, I’d say the situation is a lot more complex than many people tend to assume. Back in the summer, I was regularly asked by people who have experience in investing, “what sort of ROI can you expect from putting money into a club like Motherwell?” It’s a fair question, and one I’d be keen to put to the forum here to see what others make of it. I’ve got my own thoughts, of course, but I’d genuinely like to hear what others think.

The reason we've never seen it happen in our lifetime is that, as a footballing nation—Celtic aside—we’re still playing catch-up to some extent. If an 18-year-old midfielder from Norway, playing for Rosenborg, has been highlighted for scoring eight goals and providing seven assists in the top tier over there, and he's being valued at £10 million upfront with substantial add-ons, then there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be using that as a benchmark. Factor in that there are no work permit issues when clubs in England sign players from Scotland, and the language and culture are the same—it only strengthens the argument. On one hand, you're saying we’ve sold our players "on the cheap", yet on the other, you seem content for Lennon to be sold at what would also be considered "on the cheap" in today’s market, especially given his ability and potential.

It isn't really. Clubs in Norway and other Scandinavian countries are catching on, and we're a little behind in Scotland, but we'll get there.

I wouldn't say it's that crazy an amount for some like him. Others are being touted for similar prices.

Hopefully we aren't looking for a new manager any time soon, but if and when the time comes, I think the title of the thread should be "Our New Manager, who should he look like?"

Oh, it's definitely a minority of fans. And to be fair, I equate those who moan on social media as being the same as me moaning about a game in the pub. Which is fine. Anyone who gets bent out of shape about a social media post that is critical of you as a manager or player within the confines of common decency is probably a little bit precious. I just don't get the end game of the abuse being dished out from the stands. I've yet to hear a post-game interview which goes along the lines of: Reporter: "Well Player A, you were trailing 2-0 at half time and playing terribly. How did you manage to come out in the second half and turn it around for a 4-2 win?" Player: "Well, I have to give a ton of credit to the group of fans sitting in the stand who absolutely lost the rag and proceeded to call me and the other lads absolute f*%&#%g c*$^s while spraying spittle and venom all over anyone sitting close to them. Without them acting like total t*ts every time we misplaced a pass or getting on our backs whenever we had the sheer audacity to play the ball sideways or backwards, it wouldn't have been possible to come back. It's what football is all about, really. I just wish my dad and my son had seen our fourth goal, but they left after my son burst into tears hearing a bunch of grown men who should know better hurling abuse at his old man, but hey, that's the beauty of football!" Anyway, the new man is in place. Let's leave Kettlewell to his interviews, media appearances and possibly the Thistle job. Good luck to the guy.

Absolutely. One thing I’d point out is that it’s often an older crowd who get involved in this sort of thing. Funnily enough, it's not the younger element that gets such a bad rap most times, and is generally looked down upon. There's always the hope that the vitriol and high levels of abuse die out with the generation that seems to be most involved. Hopefully the younger generation aren't quite so stupid.

If there’s one positive to take from this, it’s the attention drawn to the abuse that was handed out. Whatever the reasons for him leaving, his attitude, or what anyone thinks of him, maybe it’s time for that small group of fans to reflect and ask themselves why they believe behaving like that at football matches is acceptable. I’ve seen plenty of people online saying, “That’s just football.” And while it’s true that this kind of thing happens elsewhere and is often brushed aside, it doesn’t make it right. There were plenty of things that happened at football 15–20 years ago that people shrugged off as “just how it is” — and we now look back on those moments with embarrassment. Hopefully, one day, we’ll feel the same about this sort of behaviour. As for Kettlewell, I wish him well. Listening to him speak, I’m not convinced management is the right fit, and I reckon a lot of clubs will feel the same. As a coach, he’s clearly capable. I hope he finds something that makes him happy and that his family are doing well. But we move on.

I know the subject was done to death in the summer, so I won't go back over it, but trust me, it could and likely would have been much worse.

There’s plenty fans may want to critique about Kettlewell – his tactics, his signings, his approach to matches – and that’s entirely fair. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. However, to claim he has no respect for the supporters feels quite off the mark. He’s done, and continues to do, a great deal for the fanbase. Whether it’s engaging with the Society, collaborating with various supporters’ group, or taking the time to accommodate requests that most would understandably pass on, especially given the pressures of his role, his commitment is evident. To be clear, I’m not suggesting that people shouldn’t challenge his decisions as a manager. But when it comes to his regard for the fans, I don’t believe that’s something we can fairly call into question.

Absolutely, he’s the one responsible for securing the wins we need to get things back on track. No debate about that. At the moment, I’m relatively calm about the situation. If we were at full strength, with our best XI on the pitch, and still performing poorly, then I’d be seriously concerned. But I think things will balance out as players begin to return to the squad. What I will say is that before Miller, Oxborough, Stama, and McGinn (yet again) picked up injuries, I genuinely thought we had a chance of pushing for a top-six finish. Given the extent of the injuries we’ve sustained and the time these players are expected to be sidelined, I reckon we’re more likely to finish around 7th or 8th. Not ideal, but it’s far from disastrous.

To be fair, I’m not convinced St Johnstone or Hearts supporters would be staging those protests if their team were sitting fifth in the table with a cup semi-final under their belts. I fully appreciate the frustrations about performances—truth be told, we’ve not been anywhere near good enough. Most fans are being reasonable in their criticism, but there are a few speaking as if we’re rock bottom of the league and nine points adrift.

If it really is as simple as you make it sound, I wonder why the club don't just sack him and hire someone from this forum to do the job 😂

What would we say are the KPIs set for the manager at the start of the season?