MelvinBragg

As soon as Accies went down to ten men, I feared the worst...

Lasley is the one I'd keep as well. Not that it would come as any surprise to any on here, I've always been a fan of his. I think during some of the recent sub par performances of Coke and Forbes he could certainly have come on and added a bit of industry. He certainly looks more mobile than Jennings and while he doesn't have the same range of passing, he could certainly patrol in front of the back four in any enforced absences that Hately might have. Question is, is he too expensive to be a substitute? He certainly doesn't seem as far out of the picture as some given the fact he was brought on against Hearts, albeit only for a short spell. Craigan is a funny one. The defence certainly has been playing better in his absence. But a guy who is a first pick for Northern Ireland and has years more experience than any other centre back we have on the books, would you want to be letting him go? You have to figure that on some cold rainy nights in December when (if you'll pardon the expression) hairy arses are required to grind out a result, he'd come into his own. Whether he'll get that chance is another matter...

Agree pretty much with most of this post perhaps with the exception of the part where you refer to how many of our team would definitely start for St Mirren. I'd probably say Reynolds and that's about it. Some of our players on their best form would walk into their team but I don't think that's been shown often enough. Hammell is possibly another you could argue would get in their team. I'd have their goalie over ours every day of the week. Jack Ross or Mouatouakil? Easy answer there. Given their midfield has apparently bossed ours over the last two games, why would they want any of our players? And up front they have far more strength in depth. I cannot fathom how anyone was surprised by last night's result. We didn't help ourselves by how the team was set up (and by the sounds of it with our performances), but it was always going to be a big ask...

I share others's concerns about the comments after Saturday's match about a player distracting the rest of the squad. And don't really know what to make of it. How does one player "distract" the rest of the squad? Team spirit not being great is not what we need given the lack of experience in the side...

What's he saying?

No, but I'm a realist. Away to St Mirren was among the worst draws that Motherwell could have got. Given our record against them, there are few teams in the draw I wanted less...

Can any of us say we are surprised by the result? I have to say that I'm not sure where this belief that Gannon would automatically improve his team following Saturday more than McPherson would comes from. Not criticising Gannon, just think that he's not the all knowing messiah... Away to another SPL side in the cup was always going to be tricky. Particularly when it's a side like St Mirren where we always seem to struggle. I expected to go out of the cup tonight...

Can't say I'm really surprised by tonight's game so far. Going three at the back for the first time in ages in an important game is something I and others slated McGhee for last season so should Gannon also escape criticism? Seemed like a puzzling team selection when I saw it. Coke was subbed on Saturday and things improved, yet he starts tonight. Humphrey made a difference when he came on at half time on Saturday yet he's on the bench. As they used to say on Question of Sport, there are more questions than answers...

If you don't react, he'll go away...

Maybe not...

Sounds like we're not creating much from open play again this week...

Oh dear...

Hutchison on??

Anyone know how the penalty was won? Dodgy or stonewall?

Were I a betting man, I'd say 4-4-2... Humphrey Hately Forbes O'Brien Jutkiewicz Murphy I figure it gives Jutkiewicz a chance to play with a partner up front. Sutton might get thrown on for him later on...

From what I've seen from the games I've been at, this is a fair assessment. He may be more mobile than Sutton, but Jutkiewicz doesn't have same experience enabling him to bring others into the game as Sutton did when he was playing up top. I notice somewhere that Forbes was getting slated on the radio. When did he last have a great game...?

Myself and a couple of others had the good fortune to have James McFadden in our quiz team for the Association quiz a couple of years in a row. Quiet guy but knew his stuff football wise (even managed to point out when the quizmaster had got an answer wrong). Met him at a POTY do a bit later and he'd come out of his shell a bit. Could obviously remember what I drank from the Quiz night and bought me a drink without even asking. Met a couple of others (Clarkson, Quinn, Fagan, Fitzpatrick) at similar association events and they've all been sound enough guys. Thing is, playing for Motherwell is unlikely to (or shouldn't) give you a massive ego...

It was the single incident where he lost possession and got a slight pat on the coupon. Fair enough, go down if you think you deserve a foul. But the rolling around like he'd been shot was embarrassing. We've had our fair share of divers over the years, some of whom I've loved despite this. But invariably when they didn't get the foul, most of them got up and got on with it. Apparently (I didn't notice, someone else at the game said they spotted it) Gannon was, like me, going off his head at Mouatouakil at the same incident...

As one of the loudmouths in the second end section, I feel no need to apologise. It's not church, you know, and if you can't talk pish loudly at the football then where? I very rarely berate individuals in the Motherwell team (I was disgusted at Mouatouakil on Saturday more for his rolling around on the deck than anything else). I'm not expecting free flowing football all the time, far from it. But when we're not getting said free flowing football, we need to learn to pressure the opposition a bit better. Sorry if expressing that opinion offends anyone round about me. And as for the non football pish we spout in that section, well, you have to do something to get through games like Saturday...

Humphrey for me.

I think the general point that Fox getting picked for Scotland on the basis of 4-5 decent games is pretty ridiculous still holds. Particularly given the fact he is English...

Bizarrely, there's an auld-fashioned sweetie shop right next to sports shop in question which would meet your bonbon needs...

As I said in the Humphrey thread we need to get back to the shape that served us well earlier in the campaign Ruddy Moutaouakil Craigan Reynolds Hammell Hately Jennings Humphrey Coke O'Brien Sutton Could even play Murphy wide right if Humphrey is not match fit. Having Forbes on the bench could keep Coke on his toes. If Coke's not having a great game, we have Forbes to come on directly in his place. It's a bit harsh on Saunders getting dropped, but I feel we need a wee bit more organisation at the back as slackness is creeping in...

Not so much changing the system, it means reverting to the system we were using until Slane and Humphrey became unavailable. For me the ideal line up would be GK RB CB CB LB DM DM RW CM LW ST It's the system we were using pretty effectively at the start of the season and only stopped doing so when Jutkiewicz arrived. Even against Kilmarnock, we played a similar system with Jamie Murphy playing as a right winger. Sadly it seems that that doesn't really suit Murphy. With Humphrey and Slane unavailable we've been playing more of a GK RB CB CB LB DM CM CM LW ST ST No real balance to the side in my opinion. And maybe part of the reason that Moutaouakil is bombing up the field quite as much is simply to offer width on the right side. I know that one up front with three playing off him will not work against every opponent, but I reckon we'll create more goalscoring opportunities playing this way. And while not being a fan of one up front, at the moment I can't really see an obvious partnership from any two of the four strikers. For me, as soon as Slane or Humphrey look anything like match fitness, one of them should be in the team...

Went for Humphrey. In 10 minutes or so, he showed more enthusiasm and threat than most others on the park...