MelvinBragg

I find it quite hard to believe as well. Would not be impressed by this at all...

Totally uninspired by that news. Seriously, is that the best we can come up with? I hope we're not looking for a quick appointment rather than taking our time and making the right appointment... Chisholm and Dodds. Jesus wept...

We'll need to agree to disagree on this one. Gordon Young may be "Motherwell-minded" but so are a lot of us who sit in the East Stand and I wouldn't want to see any of us manage the team. Youth football is entirely different to the senior game. For one thing, there is no real pressure for results. It's all about developing players. And like it or not, a manager has to attract new players. Our previous three managers (like them or loathe them) all attracted players to the club because of who they were rather than on the strength of Motherwell's reputation, either through contacts in the game or because players had an idea that they would develop under that manager (thinking Gannon here). At a time when we need to be clever in the transfer market, Young would be too much of a gamble...

Having thought about it for a wee bit longer, I reckon it's safe to assume we won't be going for a foreigner in the post. I think the perceived failure of Harri Kampman puts paid to that idea. Even if it's someone with previous links to the club like Nijholt or Van Der Gaag. I'd be reluctant to promote Gordon Young as it smacks a bit of the Billy Davies appointment. Maybe one day, but not yet. I think it's possible that if we bring in someone from down south that you may see Scott Leitch return as assistant to add a Scottish perspective. The impression I get is that a lot of the problems that people had with Gannon was a dismissive attitude to those who had plied their trade in Scotland their entire career. So I reckon you'll get short odds on Leitch (or Craigan) as assistant manager. I know he was mentioned in early talk about the Aberdeen job, did Steve Clarke rule himself out? Worth asking the question...? Run the risk of Celtic or the like coming and poaching him if he does a good job and we have this discussion again in a year's time, but maybe worth it if he does a job that attracts such offers..?

2013. Nothing less than £1million please..

I've no doubt that they were promised more to spend than they would have got at Motherwell (might not come to pass, I recall McGhee being promised the same) but that doesn't mean they'll have the £1million minimum that we'd be asking for Murphy. And even if their budget was £1million, they've a few areas needing strengthening...

Reynolds - Possibly though he might get a better offer. Gow - Every chance. Blackman - Aye, probably. Sutton - Don't think so. Not the type of player they need right now. Murphy - Aye, where are they getting the truckload of cash...?

Not reading any names that get my pulse racing but then again, Brown's appointment didn't get me over excited and he did alright. When Gannon arrived, I knew it could go either of two ways. Turned out it went both ways(good results with young players, abrasive nature alienated a lot of people). McGhee, I lost faith in very early. Last Motherwell manager I remember with real fondness is Terry Butcher, and as someone (orinoco?) said on another thread he was the right man at the right time, maybe not so now. And he kind of fell into the job. I half expect as someone else said, an appointment from leftfield, a totally unexpected name. That's who I think we'll get. Who do I want? I haven't the foggiest. I set up this poll and still haven't voted in it...

As the old adage goes, the king is dead, long live the king. Whoever he may be... As Jay points out, new manager time is always pretty interesting. Exciting times. Could maybe do without it being every season, mind you. And I don't know who at the club worded that statement but they did a bang up job...

Aye, but would still expect to see Blackman and Gow (and probably McNamee but we don't really need a right back) in Aberdeen shirts come January. Shame for them as the player they really need is Stephen Craigan. They really need a leader up there. Despite his Che Guevara attempt at a beard, Hartley ain't it... Certainly seems like we might have a more interesting January transfer window than we expected...

At least we know what to do when we get a manager we really want shot of. Arrange a fans forum...

McGhee had no plan B and I wasn't a fan of his for a long time before he left. Perhaps it's only fair that since Aberdeen took a shite manager off our hands for a large wedge, they took a good one for free...

Being honest with you, Neil, likewise. I just rustled up a list of names that will no doubt be linked with it, either on here on people's wishlists or in the press. And threw in Tommy McLean given that our last appointment was of a cunning old guy and I couldn't think of anyone else who fit the bill. Should probably have added Derek Adams but forgot..

As it says on the tin. Who do we want as our next gaffer...?

I know what fatcalf and others have said about the fans being the club and we'll outlast every manager, player and chairman but if McGhee returns I'd consider handing my season ticket back. Probably the only guy I'd have below the likes of Gus McPherson on my wish list...

I demand a new thread!!! We could make it an annual thing. Or pin it at the top of the forum... Seriously, how about a new thread as some of the names on the actual poll part are no longer viable (McAllister, Jeffries, Craig Brown...) and it would be nice to have a better idea of which way the wind is blowing just now... Sod it, might do it myself, any names people want added to the list..?

You sound like many a young blonde. Allegedly...

They can take Casagolda if they want...

Mo Johnston...

Not much to say on this except three points, most of which have been said elsewhere... Firstly, anyone who wishes to portray Craig Brown as some kindly old gentleman is having a laugh. I mean this is as no disrespect to Craig Brown but you don't survive as long in a business as cutthroat as football without being, frankly, a bit ruthless. Anyone with an eye on the world of football over the last 20 years will tell you this. Secondly, it does strike me that maybe we jumped the gun a bit in releasing a statement. If there were only early overtures from Aberdeen, maybe we should have waitied to ensure they didn't want a second dance. I know the club would then have been slated for its silence on the matter. Perhaps a simple "We're doing everything we can to get Brown and Knox to stay" could have been issued? Thirdly, if he leaves, he leaves. We have a decent squad in place, no mad owner wanting to run the team, no major debt that will require selling off the full first team squad. If the last three or four years has shown anything, it's that the Motherwell job is an attractive one, you never know who might show an interest...

Chris Humphrey. The guy is a weapon. We'll struggle to hold on to him beyond June at this rate...

It is a list of personal favourites. And while Arnott is considered by most a legend, I don't really see him as one of my favourites. Both of his regular partners, Coyne and Cusack would be higher up my list of personal favourites than Arnott. By some distance...

Funny how many different top fives I've read. Everyone has their own favourites for their own reasons. For me (and I have to say, I found it very easy until I realised I had missed out Bobby Russell) it's.. Nijholt Dykstra McFadden Clarkson Valakari with The Shimmy King being the only guy even coming close...

100% agree...

100% agree on both counts. I thought last year that Humphrey had the tools to be a great player. This season he has come on in leaps and bounds. Like others, I wasn't convinced by Murphy at first. But the second half of last season and the start of this season, he's looked to be really maturing. Close to McFadden status, only in that it's getting to the point where we should be wrapping him in cotton wool between games becuase he's that crucial to us...