MelvinBragg

Just heard a wee rumour that the front runner is Gary McAllister and that he wants Craig Brown as his number two. Just a rumour, mind you...

Undoubtedly be seen as quite sneaky, but to tell you the truth, he's welcome to Klimpl and Hughes. As light as we are in midfield, we need someone with more workrate than Hughes. And Aberdeen won't win the fair play league next year if they have a whole season of Klimpl...

I'm just wondering what sort of time frame John Boyle is working on. With talk of interim managers, is it going to be weeks? Given the work needing done on the squad, I was hoping it would be sooner. Or is the new guy going to be here but simply have a watching brief for the first couple of games...?

I know that there will be those who groan when they see my name on this thread. But now McGhee's away, I can look a bit more dispassionately at his time with us. It really was an era of two halves (Archie). In his first season, I was really impressed. The attacking football on display at times was fantastic to watch at times (the Hibs league cup game will live with me for a long time). His handling of the media was good both after defeats and when we were winning. No more needs to be said about his handling of the aftermath of the Phil O'Donnell tragedy. He deserves our thanks there. On the pitch, he got the best out of guys like Clarkson and Quinn (this season Fitzpatrick) and made McGarry look like a footballer for four months. Even last season though, some of his decisions were baffling. The dropping of Porter for our league cup game against Rangers springs to mind. Paul Quinn at right midfield against Celtic. Last summer was where I started to lose faith. The Hearts carry on was sorted out quickly (though it clearly looked like he was telling porkies when he claimed there had been no contact from Hearts as late as five days before the end of the season). His signing targets, though ambition should always be applauded, were too rich for our blood and the taking of Kennedy on tour only to see him sign for another club struck me as bizarre (that seat on the plane could have been taken by someone else). His dallying in the transfer market while looking for those "better than what we have" was the main reason our squad was so thin in November and December, his favourite excuse for last season. The bizarre team selections this season (Nancy, St Mirren x2 and others) have ben mentioned by others. He leaves pretty much the same first team as when he arrived. Fringe players like Kinniburgh, Corrigan and Connolly have moved on and haven't really been replaced. When he arrived we had Clarkson and McCormack, now we have Clarkson and Sutton. Players of McCormack's type are rare so I'd say he's left us as well off as could be expected up front. The midfield (with the exception of Jim O'Brien) is where it was when he came in except Fitzpatrick is a vastly improved player. The defence is pretty much as it was, Hammell in-Paterson out) being the only change. My only concern would be, should McLean leave, he has left us with only four recognised first team defenders. And the question will hang over our goalkeeping situation now. Will Fraser come? Will he have the option not to? And will he be the new Simon Mensing? He's left the new guy (whoever he may be) a confident if very thin squad. If we can keep a hold of Quinn, Clarkson, O'Brien and Hammell, there is a decent frame to build a team into. Midfield is light and that's where the new guy will have to direct his attention first. McGhee gave us two years, one fantastic, one decent, and has left us pretty much where we were when he came in (some improvements - confidence of some players, fitness; some areas worse off - lack of reliable back up players). When you look at it like that, he's done all that was asked of him. Just wish he'd been a bit more subtle about his desire to leave while he was here...

While I reckon folk might object, you have a point. There are probably a few Nijholt voters who have switched allegiances to McAllister given he's expressed an interest (how many of the A.N. Other votes are actually Gary Mac votes?). It would also be interesting to see where the Scott Leitch and John Hughes votes would now go. I hve a feeling it might not be quite so cut and dreid for Nijholt now. As I've said to others, I reckon all it will tell us is how the web-enabled Well fans are feeling. I reckon we'll probably find ourselves with a manager whose name hasn't even featured on this thread, a figure right out of leftfield...

My understanding is that Gannon might be out of the running. As soon as the takeover at Stockport happens, he can have his job back is what I've heard...

Beat me by about 2 seconds on that one. I don't reckon Nijholt would come to be assistant but if he were willing the Gary Mac/Nijholt combo touted by Orinoco would be very tempting. Not much recent experience of Scottish football would be my only concern...

Didn't make any pretence that there was logic behind my choices . I just don't trust/like Calderwood, and don't particularly like the way Jefferies' teams play. From what I hear of Gannon and know of the other three, I would imagine their teams would play good football. I think another reason many are pushing Nijholt is his track record with young players. Because that's where a lot of our squad is going to have to come from. And anyway, how can it be nonsense to state a preference? I'm not saying John Boyle has to take on board what I say. It's just an opinion, mind...

Reading that article on Nijholt, he makes a strong case for himself. Although as I said when I read that Feyenoord had apparently been interested in January, I think he may get better offers than Fir Park. With his son playing for Utrecht, one of the two jobs in Holland may appeal more. Like I say a decent pedigree, is fond of the club and wants the job. Goes some way to explain why he's a popular choice...

I wouldn't have objected to Scott Leitch staying as a number two. It's not unheard of for clubs to keep the same assistant manager over the period of several managers at the club. I'm sure Don Howe at Arsenal was one, Steve Clarke at Chelsea and Alex Miller at Liverpool are other examples so I don't think it would have been that detrimental to the search for a manager. But he chose to move on so, so we do the same. If we are to appoint Gannon or another manager with no prior connection to the club, I would like to see someone as number two who has been at Fir Park before. Obviously this person would have to have coaching experience but the knowledge of how things work at Fir Park, the way the fans think, the history of the club would, for me, be an advantage. Anything that helped a new manager adapt to Motherwll and the SPL quicker would surely be a good thing...

Of the names mentioned I could live with Nijholt, Gannon, McAllister or McCart. Don't want Calderwood or Jeffries. There may be other candidates out there who could do a job that we know nothing about. I have a funny feeling it will be an 'unknown' out of leftfield that gets it. Interesting times...

Is it true that one of the papers is running a story this morning that Craigan will be interim manager for the moment...?

Unlike McGhee of course who hadn't worked in Scotland for about 17 years...

I know it's a long thread you could try and make your way through it. D'you really think he'd have got 80-odd votes without someone posting his coaching CV...

As I think Al B said in another thread, people move on but there's two ways of doing it. The McFadden way and the Pearson McDonald McGhee way...

Without wishing to be seen to be over-reacting, should we sell Clarkson to that big shovel-faced prick, I will personally firebomb Fir Park...

Fixed that for you, Malky...

You see, I've heard the arguments that he's still better than what's out there and he'd still be trying to impress for a move so we'd benefit. None of this really flies for me. Part of the manager's job is to motivate players. How on earth could any player playing for Motherwell listen to McGhee asking them to give it their all without bursting out laughing??

Bit early in the morning for sarcasm, is it no'?

I'm actually surprised it's not a more resounding no given some of the posts I've read on here. Although some of the reasons for voting yes betray the fact that he's really not liked. I know we can't afford to sack him, just talking in the hypothetical...

He's had a few injuries as I recall, but I would definitely take him, possibly ahead of Brian McLean...

I suspect you beat him to that response by about a minute...

You throwing your hat into the ring...?

I posted the question because I wasn't entirely sure how he was seen by the support. Have to say, I'm surprised by the split thus far...

Took me a few reads of that to understand what you were getting at there. He's not welcome but you wouldn't be hounding him for fear of giving him an excuse to walk away for nowt...?