David

The issue I have is that the manager is the one candidate who takes the brunt of failings elsewhere in the club. I was unsure about Kettlewell when he came in, but having had the second half of last season and all of this season to see what he's all about, I think I'd have to say that he's one of the best football coaches in the division. He came in last season and helped Van Veen become a goal machine. Van Veen had 13 goals in 29 games before Kettlewell came in. He got 16 goals in 15 games post-Kettlewell. This is a guy who managed 24 goals in 139 games in League One in England. That works out roughly at a goal every ten games or so. I give the player himself a lot of credit for that, but when you see an uptick in form like that when a new coach comes in with new ideas and a new coaching style, it's usually connected as well. Theo Bair, I don't need to get into. I'm still absolutely astounded at the turnaround in that guy. Before he came here, everything about him suggested he was not a professional-level footballer. His stats, and not just his goalscoring numbers, at other clubs, were laughable in many cases. His xG and so on was abysmal. Throw in the fact that his failure was taking place at levels like the bottom of MLS at a Canadian side who were terrible during that time and the Norwegian second division. At St Johnstone, he looked like a tall, rangy basketball player who was trying to become a footballer. What he's doing now is down to three things - Athletic ability, work ethic, and a very high level of coaching. Blair Spittal has quietly become something of a revelation this season. Again, it's not just down to the coaching, but that's a huge part of it. Paul McGinn has looked better this season than last, and even the likes of Stephen O'Donnell and Harry Paton look like improved players, to some degree, this season. The only blot in the copybook is Liam Kelly, and I'm not sure what can really be done when a keeper hits a bad run of form and makes individual mistakes. That's not all coincidence. It's the kind of team spirit that the manager has created at the club and some really good coaching. Which is why I think we'd be mental to let him go. Yes, there's issues at the club. But for me, the manager and level of coaching are the only thing that's saved us from tail spinning entirely. Sort out the recruitment team and get things in order at the very top, and I think we'd be in good shape.

Although I wouldn't classify them as trolls like the few posters I meant, I do question the sense and logic of those wanting the manager removed at this point in the season. We're sitting 8th, and it's February. The current manager has actually exceeded all expectations as far as I'm concerned. He's done very well with what is one of the worst squads I've seen at Motherwell in years. He's also turned the analytics on their head with Theo Bair, which is no mean feat. I shudder to think if we did get rid of Kettlewell, who we'd bring in next on our increasingly shrinking budget.

St Mirren look as though they'll need a keeper next season.

We all know the people she's referring to. If you'd read the rest of my post before hitting the reply button, you'd know that.

it really depends. The job at Motherwell will likely appeal more to a younger, less experienced candidate looking to make his or her name in the industry. The job is far from a negative. All I'm saying is that it'll be tough to attract someone who is both highly capable and experienced. With experience tends to come more money. As for the financial repercussions of paying off management teams, let's wait and see how we get on over the next few months. I wouldn't be surprised if fans are clamouring for a sacking before the season is out, thus repeating the cycle.

You also need to remember that the leadership team we have is more than happy to step aside if a more qualified candidate is willing to come in and do the job. I guess it depends if any highly capable and experienced CEOs fancy coming into a job where they have a very tight budget, and are tasked with enticing someone with a lot of money to part with their cash for little to no return.

I think it's more than loyalty at play. The one thing Kettlewell has had in our bad run of winless games is the full support of the squad. We've seen what can happen to managers when they piss off the majority of the squad or even just the influential dressing room leaders. He's had that support because he's played it very smart regarding squad harmony. Like him or not, Liam Kelly is a huge presence in that dressing room. He's the captain for a reason. From what I've heard, the players rate him very highly, and to remove him from the team would basically be Kettlewell signing his own P45 at this stage. We've seen at Ross County how far some man-management skills can take you. Absolutely nothing Derek Adams said about his squad was incorrect. But because of how he handled it, the players pretty much downed tools from day one. He was never getting that squad back onside. Kettlewell has retained the squad behind him partly because of how vocal he's been in support of a very influential player who's having a tough time. He's been incredibly smart in that regard, and it's why we're sitting where we are in the league instead of lower down the table. Look at the managers who work with Kelly regularly. Kettlewell and Clarke. Now, on form alone, Kelly should be nowhere near the Scotland squad. But he is. Why? Because Clarke knows that a third-choice keeper is likely never going to get game time, but again, in that dressing room, Kelly is well-liked and respected by the other players in the Scotland squad. He adds a ton in squad harmony, and we've seen how far that has gotten Scotland. There's a method to the madness, basically. In my opinion.

Well, no. We do know what's been going on behind closed doors to an extent. For example, we know the club have been talking to potential investors, and we know they have been engaged with a marketing company to try to help drive interest and brand awareness. So, by that very fact alone, the sleepwalking into disaster phrase isn't applicable. You may not like or rate what the leadership team have done, but that's a different story. Nope, not content. Just saying that if it was a choice of spending money we don't really have in order to try to keep up with the likes of Killie and St Mirren, then I'd rather not. Big difference.

Yeah, but its a turn of phrase that doesn't really apply. It suggests the club is being run by people sitting idly by while we hurtle towards disaster, which isn't the case at all. I'm not sure it's been a managed decay, either. I think, and most fans won't like this, that we're basically "finding our level" as a fan-owned club. And we may find that our level isn't top-flight in Scottish football. Our average attendance, for example, is 8th in the top flight this season, above Ross County and Livingston. That would be third in the Championship. I have been saying for years that when we were finishing top six and qualifying for Europe, we were punching above our weight, and many disagreed, but the statistics tell a different story. As a fan-owned club, we rank as a bottom-half Premiership/top-half Championship club. If we don't have the money to compete at the very top of the Scottish game, we will eventually be found out. It happens. The law of averages catches everyone at some point, and there's only so long we can pull a rabbit out of the hat every season. Basically, we are where we're supposed to be. Near the bottom of the top flight. Success is avoiding relegation and staying financially viable as a football club. And that last point is crucial, by the way. I know that I'd rather still have a club to support in the Championship than spend money we don't have to try and finish 7th in the Premiership.

It's that time again, and as we head towards the end of the season, we have the following player's loans ending or out of contract unless I'm mistaken (please let me know if any of these have changed): Out of contract (1st team squad) Aston Oxborough Bevis Mugabi Ricki Lamie Stephen O'Donnell Callum Slattery Signed new deals: Aston Oxborough (under contract until May 2025) Sam Nicholson (under contract until May 2026) Paul McGinn (under contract until May 2025 with a years option) Mark Ferrie (under contract until May 2025) The players who we'd still have under contract are as follows: Dan Casey (under contract until May 2025) Shane Blaney (under contract until May 2025) Davor Zdravkovski (under contract until May 2025) Lennon Miller (under contract until May 2025) Harry Paton (under contract until May 2025) Andy Halliday (under contract until May 2025) Theo Bair (under contract until May 2025) Ross Tierney (under contract until May 2025) Moses Ebiye (under contract until May 2025) There's a whole load of youth players who's contracts are up as well, and who have been out on loan. I'm not going to add them to this discussion. Wider squad discussions Goalkeeper - Unless we re-sign one of the current goalkeepers, we'll be going into next season with a brand new goalkeeper and backup. Both of our first-team keepers are out of contract, and so are Matthew Connelly and Josh Bogan. I don't think we'll re-sign Liam Kelly. I reckon it's reached the stage now where it's probably best for all parties if we move on. He could do with a fresh environment, and we could probably do with someone else. Will be interesting to see what happens here. Defence - With Mugabi, O'Donnell, McGinn and Butcher all out of contract, there could be a relatively new-look defence for next season. As tempting as it may be for the club, the only player I'd retain from our out-of-contract list is McGinn. I think we need a change. Gent is out of contract at the end of this season, I think, but I doubt we'll see him again. We'd also be losing Lamie, although he's been out of the picture for a while. Casey and Blaney will be retained unless we decide to move them on. Midfield - Priority here has to be Spittal. I'd be looking to match whatever St Mirren or anyone else is offering unless it gets daft. He's a quality operator and is probably at the ceiling of the kind of quality a club like us can hope to attract. We retain Miller for another season, although I think we'll look to sell this season unless he signs for another year. That might not be as crazy as it sounds, as he's not featured much this season. A full season with us next year and a move next summer might be for the best, but I guess we'll see. I'd let Maguire move on, but have a feeling the club will offer Slattery a deal. I'm not fussed either way really. Davor I'm happy to keep, Paton likely won't be going anywhere if Kettlewell is retained. Forwards - Obika has to be let go. I'm not sure Nicholson warrants being kept around, so we likely head into the summer with one recognised striker in Bair. We need to make some proper moves in this department. So, that's the squad for next season as things stand. I'll be honest, going into the summer with all of the above and having Nick Daws in charge of recruitment gives me the fear.

Here's my question to those talking about us "sleepwalking our way to disaster." The consensus is that this term means someone or an organisation "proceeding towards a negative outcome or catastrophe without being fully aware of the consequences or taking appropriate action to prevent it. It suggests a state of being unaware, passive, or complacent in the face of impending danger or trouble, much like someone who is sleepwalking is unaware of their surroundings or actions." Yet we see the same people using this term on this forum openly admitting that the club has been "seeking a beneficiary that can provide shortfall funding when we are not self-sustainable/propped up by the society for approximately 18 months now." This would suggest that we're not "sleepwalking our way to disaster." The club is making plans and moves to bring in external funding. We need to realise, though, that it's not easy to do that. Companies that can claim to offer a solid business plan and a good chance of a decent return on investment find it difficult to bring in funding. A small Scottish football club that can offer a slim opportunity to make a profit on investment will find it incredibly hard.

It's worth remembering that when you say "people" what you're talking about are a handful of trolls, basically. The same "people" who are nowhere to be seen when we win, yet are logged in the minute the final whistle is blown on a defeat. They're given the opportunity to post their nonsense on this forum because it's a place for opinions, and unless they're being way over the top (as one was and has since been put on post-approval) or outright nasty, they're allowed their views. But don't mistake that for them or their views being taken seriously.

Honestly, if you " have the fear" after we just scudded a rival 5-0 and played some really good football, and are playing against a team that is 4th in the Championship, then when exactly would you ever be confident?

I'm not sure what kind of player is going to be sold on coming in as a third-choice striker at Motherwell. Our options are limited there.

Thing is, if they only show up to wind people up when we lose, that could be classified as trolling. And trolling is worthy of a ban, some might say. Maybe a three-day ban after we next lose a game? Would be a shame, eh?

I guess it depends on what you mean by "stick." For example, whenever I was in the stadium watching the team, I never booed the guy. Or anyone on our team actually, as it's never productive. I always showed him support when the team were playing. I guess all I did was question his signing and what he'd shown to that point to warrant being signed. But I always said that I'd love nothing more than him coming in and being one of the few who take his stats and turn them on their head. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it really is a beautiful thing.

Exactly. If Shaw managed to turn the corner and start scoring as well? Happy days for sure.

As harsh as it might sound, you must be able to deal with stick when you're a footballer at any reasonable level. It's going to be coming at you at some point. Messi, Maradona, and Ronaldo have been criticised over the years. It happens to the best of them. How they deal with it will determine how successful they go on to be. Bair has taken the stick and the doubts about his ability and worked hard regardless, rising above it.

Well, he had spent an entire season previously in our league, playing over thirty games and accomplishing pretty much the same as he had previously in his career, save for a stint in the lower leagues of Norway. Absolutely nothing of note. So, the stick was entirely warranted. I'm sure he'd admit that. But just as much as the stick was warranted on his numbers before signing for us, so is the praise he's getting now. It works both ways.

Do you know what kind of striker scores all of those chances, though? Erling Haaland. The thing is, he is putting away almost 1 in 3, but the most important stat is his goals-per-game ratio. 0.3 goals per game, so almost a 1 in 3 ratio. That's almost the exact same as Kyogo, Luis Palma, and Cyriel Dessers this season, and is better than Maeda. That's a remarkable stat considering his previous season at St Johnstone was laughable in terms of goals per game. If you're looking for a striker who has a ratio of scoring 1 in 3 chances, then you're really looking at elite level strikers. I don't agree. I think the fact he's getting chances and scoring them of late is really all we can ask. Anyone who's saying, "Yeah, well, he scored five in his last four or whatever is fine, but he should be scoring three goals per game", is mental.

100%. Bair should see a fair amount of success against Morton. Let's hope he can convert some of the chances.

That was the main criticism of him when he arrived, and it was my primary concern. Up until this season, he didn't look like a striker. His xG and so on suggested that he simply did not get into the positions that strikers need to get into. All credit goes to Kettlewell and the coaching team, who have given him simple instructions to follow, which are proving effective. You'll notice that his chances all kind of look similar, which is why he's scoring. He's still incredibly limited but has the sheer athleticism and size to allow him to take advantage of those limited abilities. Basically, focus on what you can do, make sure you do it very well, and forget what you can't because at the age he's at now, he's likely not going to develop those skills anyway. An example would be his running in behind the defence. We saw him do that multiple times last night. It's a simple enough instruction, but it takes someone with size and speed to carry it out. It also requires a level of defensive intelligence and physical ability to stop, and we don't see that much in the Scottish league. I'm sure Bair would run into issues at a higher level, but that doesn't matter to us.

It also means that if Obika can stay fit (a huge if), then we're well served in that area. Plus, Kettlewell's plan at the start of the season of getting goals from midfield is working just fine. 9 goals from Spittal, 3 from Slattery, 2 from Miller and 1 from Paton. Slattery is gone, but we've now got Halliday and Nicholson, plus Davor is getting a run in the team. Add in the fact that the likes of Mugabi are always good for a goal or three, and we're okay in that area, I think. Most teams that run into proper relegation problems are the sides that find it difficult to score goals. With that said, the statistics show that we've scored double the number of goals that Livingston and St Johnstone have, and scored more goals than Aberdeen, Ross County, Hibs, Dundee, St Mirren, and Killie. On goals conceded, it's a different matter, but as I said, you generally find that the teams who run into relegation issues are the ones who can't score.

At this stage it's clear that Bair is the first choice (and rightfully so), with Vale pushing for that position as well. Having Shaw back as an extra body? I wouldn't be against it. He'd be the third choice for sure unless he proved us wrong.

Not quite.