David

Can't disagree with most of what you've said. It should also be remembered that Kettlewell is still only 40 years old and before coming to us he had six months of experience as the sole senior manager at any club. Last season, unless I've mathed it wrong, was his first full season in charge of a club as the manager. He's certainly improving with more experience, and while he does get a fair bit wrong, the important thing is learning from it. I'd give him a solid 7/10.

100% this. If Miller were to move down south in January he'd be right into that senior squad. Guaranteed. There's nothing Clarke loves more than that.

I'd disagree that Doak is Scotland's most talented under-21 player. I'd also be interested to know what that's based on? His ten games for Middlesbrough in the Championship? His one and a half games worth of minutes he played for Liverpool last season? Don't get me wrong, he could be very good, but we don't really know yet. If we're honest he was picked for Scotland because Liverpool signed him. That's generally the way Clarke operates.

Steve Clarke on the state of young players in our game: “At some stage, people have to sit down, a think tank or whatever, and try something a bit different that we haven’t tried before to see if we can improve it. If we keep doing what we’re doing, it’s not going to get better. They produce a lot of good young players (Croatia) and allow them to play a lot of games in their own country before they move out, which is a really good grounding and something we can maybe get better at here. And they show a pathway for the young players. There’s a lot we need to try to change if we want to get better. We can get to that level but we still have a lot of work to do.” Steve Clarke on the highly touted Lennon Miller, who's 18, has played a lot of games in his own country: "He’s another young one that everybody wants to hype and push. It’s important to let young players grow. Let’s just allow Lennon a little bit of time and space to grow up at Motherwell." Honestly man.

The international break is upon us, and we're currently three places and six points better off than we were at this stage last season, as I recall, and we've made it to a cup semi-final. Admittedly, we're not top of the possession table, but you can't have everything. The best part? We haven't even seen all of our new signings in action, and those who were long-term injured haven't yet returned to full fitness. I'm cautiously optimistic for the rest of the season and rather glad we stuck by the manager last year when things looked a bit shaky at times.

I wonder if he'd have felt the same way had he been called up to the senior squad, as he should be now.

It's absolutely wild that he's still being picked for the under-19's in my opinion. No doubt the very minute he makes a move elsewhere he'll be right into that senior international side.

100%. Both sides are as bad as each other. From the anti-poppy crowd making a song and dance about their views, being critical of people who wear one, and the pro crowd doing the same, taking to social media to question the integrity and patriotism of those who dare appear on their television screen without one on. Social media has a lot to answer for in that regard. Take the online side of things out of the equation and it suddenly isn't that big a deal.

When I got back into the house after the game, I thought I had dreamt that we'd won 2-1. With the response of some in this thread you'd think we hadn't just won again, weren't sitting in 5th with a game in hand over the team in 4th, and two games in hand over the team in 3rd, and a nice wee cushion of seven points and a game in hand over the team in 7th. All accomplished while we've been missing numerous new signings, our captain, and our co-captain. What's mental is, that we've done all of the above without playing all that well.

I wouldn't be surprised if his recent move, injuries and the travel involved have played a part in him not being called up.

Agreed. I'd like to see Watt and Stama given a run of games to see how they gel. With Watt, it could be a bit of a catch-22 situation. He's not match fit because he's not getting game time, and he's not getting game time because he's not match fit.

The fact that this discussion is even happening while we're sitting 5th with a four-point lead and a game in hand over the team in 6th spot, and fresh off a cup semi-final loss to Rangers is absolutely wild. I see that the usual suspects are moving the goalposts like crazy. They can't complain about us not challenging for top six or a decent cup run, because we're getting that at the moment. It requires some creative thinking and mental gymnastics to keep the narrative going at this stage. So, what are we getting instead? Chat like "shitebag, idiot & donkey," and vague patter about possession percentages, bravery, identity and other intangible nonsense. It all can be summed up as follows:

I'd personally rather aspire to something more tangible than an identity. Like a cup run and a top six finish. In Kettlewell's first full season, we finished 9th, reached the second round of the league cup and fifth round of the Scottish cup. So far we're sitting in fifth place, with a four-point cushion and a game in hand over the sixth-placed team, and have just played at Hampden in a cup semi-final. We sold Theo Bair for a lot of money, we have Lennon Miller captaining the side and gaining plaudits left, right & centre, and we have another decent prospect in Ewan Wilson doing well this season. We also look as though we've unearthed another very good keeper who is 26 years old and English, which isn't a bad thing. If you're not at least somewhat positive about the above, I don't know what to tell you.

That's your definition of us "going somewhere" under him? A final or a domestic trophy? Fair enough, that's your decision to make, but I think most realistic individuals wouldn't agree. To say we're going nowhere under him is a bit mental when we're sitting where we are and have just been to Hampden for a semi-final. At least wait for the inevitable downturn in results, surely?

The bigger issue for me is finding out why they choose not to go. Obviously, for some, it'll be price, and that's fair enough. Football isn't a cheap pastime anymore. But if there's other reasons, we can hopefully do something as a club to help solve those issues for some people anyway.

Apart from a cup semi-final and into the top six currently, of course.

Well, seeing as we're sitting 5th in the table and just got to a cup semi-final, I'd imagine that the manager is going nowhere for the time being.

Oh, upsets can happen. I think everyone will acknowledge that, but the likelihood is that if we play Celtic in the final, we lose. The Rangers game is priority anyway. We're not favourites for that one either. If we are to win the cup, it'll have to be done the hard way.

Who did St Johnstone beat in those finals?

The Rangers game is all that matters, although I have to admit that I'd likely have been more raging to lose tomorrow's game if I knew it was Aberdeen in the final. The idea of missing out on a competitive, non-old firm related final would be a real sickener. As it is? I'd obviously still love to beat Rangers as a final and a day out at Hampden with the extra money the club would generate isn't to be sniffed at, but I think the chances of us beating Celtic at Hampden in a cup final are pretty slim.

The first partnership announcement is always a significant milestone. There are definitely a couple of significant benefits, to be honest. The ability to adjust your monthly donation directly through the app will be a major advantage. Currently, it seems you have to either call or email to make such changes, and let’s be frank, how many people have thought about increasing their contribution but have hesitated because of that hassle? Once users can modify their donations within a minute on their phones, it will streamline the process considerably and likely result in an increase in funds for the Society. The advertising opportunities are substantial. The prospect of approaching local or national businesses to offer advertising space within the app could help generate additional revenue. Companies prefer to allocate their advertising budgets towards targeted markets, ensuring their message reaches an audience that is more aligned with their products or services. All in all, it's a real win and a great jumping off point for the Society.

Some recent news from the Well Society around the first strategic partnership: Society announces first strategic partnership with East Kilbride technology business The Well Society is excited to announce the development of our new app in partnership with Social Jungle, marking a significant milestone as we start to deliver initiatives identified in ‘Our Club, Our Future’ which was launched in July this year. The plan for growth, available here, covers a range of opportunities including ticketing initiatives, off-pitch revenue growth, local partnership investment and strategic investment. This collaboration represents our first strategic partnership, aimed at enhancing the overall experience for our members. Development of the app will commence in November with an initial five figure investment with further commitment down the line. There is a target launch by the end of the current season. This initiative is designed to provide greater value to Well Society members, ensuring that our supporters feel more connected and engaged with both the Society and Motherwell Football Club. In its initial phase, the app will offer members a comprehensive overview of their Well Society accounts. Users will be able to check their donation history, adjust donation amounts, and modify their membership levels. This functionality is intended to empower members by providing them with greater control and transparency regarding their contributions. By streamlining these processes, we aim to foster a more interactive and user-friendly experience that reflects our commitment to our members. Looking ahead, the app’s development could evolve to include features that enhance their overall Motherwell experience. The development of the app presents a multitude of opportunities for the Society and the Club, significantly enhancing our commercial prospects. By offering the app to our Society members, we can tap into a potentially broader fan base over the long term, thereby increasing our revenue streams. The app will facilitate new sponsorship opportunities, allowing us to forge valuable commercial partnerships by showcasing local businesses within the community and providing exclusive offers to our members. The app, which will be available for Android and iOS users, also delivers opportunities for supporters to make one-off donations, enabling us to support other initiatives alongside the Motherwell Academy and the women’s team, ultimately strengthening our community ties and fostering a culture of support and engagement. Established in 2019 and based in East Kilbride, Social Jungle has quickly become one of Scotland’s top digital and experiential marketing agencies. They have extensive experience in developing cutting-edge technology to provide first-class customer experiences. Philip Speedie of the Society’s Membership workstream, said: “We are really excited about our first strategic partnership. Our members have told us about a need for greater engagement and added value from their membership. Our new app will help us to create a more cohesive and rewarding experience for all Well Society members.”

Based on what?

If this is true, it means he's being misled by those working for him. It implies that the staff at the club have such little regard for the CEO that they fail to provide him with accurate information, resulting in him responding to questions with incorrect details. Are we really going to forfeit that crucial cash boost from ticket sales? We can’t be shouting about our need for investment on the one hand and then turning away six-figure sums from ticket revenue on the other. The reality is, we’re not in a position to reduce their allocation any further, no matter how much we might prefer to. As I mentioned earlier, if what you say is accurate, then Brian Caldwell is being deceived by those around him. It must be one or the other: he’s either lying or being lied to. In either scenario, it represents a significant issue that extends far beyond Celtic supporters gaining entry without tickets. Personally, I’m not inclined to make such a judgement based solely on what I could observe from the O'Donnell stand during the game. In situations like this, you either trust the individual responsible for managing the club or assume that there are various questionable activities occurring behind the scenes at Fir Park. I don’t believe that to be the case.

You're right, it does sound crazy. It’s much more likely that ticket sales were well within capacity, and that some Celtic fans who had purchased tickets for the top tier decided they were not happy with the view and chose to watch the game from the bottom tier instead, leading to overcrowding there. Which is exactly what Brian Caldwell says in his email. The migration from top tier to bottom is an issue that will need to be addressed I think.