MelvinBragg

As poor as he was, there was zero movement in the team tonight with the exception of Woolery. He was also the third worst midfielder we had tonight. On a general point, ignoring the scoreline, that performance was as bad as a few that have seen Motherwell managers being sacked...

That would only make sense if it was the same players every year....

I'd be reluctant to dismiss him on that basis. Not getting a game because of Trevor Carson, Mark Gillespie and Liam Kelly doesn't make you a bad goalkeeper. I think during the car crash Aaron Chapman era, he was out on loan. Not saying he is good enough but he's been stuck behind some decent keepers...

Last team that had any real success playing it was Leicester when they won the league. And they had Kante doing the work of three men. To me there's a reason that very few teams play a traditional 442 with a flat midfield four now...

So they'll get the same number as usual then...

I don't rate Ferguson at all. Really don't see it with him. The only thing that Malpas ever said while manager that I agreed with is that players win and lose you games, formations don't. Having said that. Those crying out for 442 because 433 is leaving us short in midfield seem to be missing the point. With 442, you only have two central midfielders so are probably more at risk of being outnumbered than a 433. Unless you don't play wingers, you play wide midfielders like we did under Butcher when we had Pearson and Lasley out wide. But you lose from an attacking point of view with that. My own view is that any formation that has you playing only two centre midfielders is lunacy...

Sun is out in Cleland. Circle that one on the calendar...

Given it feels like for the last 30 years, either Stevie Hammell or Keith Lasley have been in the Motherwell team, I reckon it's a long shot...

Game and season over. Barring a late relegation battle...

Indeed, but they look like occasionally scoring a goal...

Not a great deal. Unless Celtic played the same eleven in every one of their away games and they played equally well in each. I know the argument would be that we allowed them to play that well today, but you have to factor in the opponent's form when you compare results. Right now was the wrong time to play them.. On a more general point, is our form against the Old Firm appalling? Yes...

Ten minutes into the game it was obvious that Rogic was the main one causing us problems. Glaringly obvious. Didn't appear to try anything to address it...

Never said he was good. Said he came in and did a job...

I have frankly lost count of the number of players who have come in and did a job for us having struggled elsewhere or who have had no real pedigree. Strikers alone you have McDonald, Ojaama, Arnott, Shivute and Lehmann. And the list of those with better pedigree who have underwhelmed, well it doesn't end with John Hendry...

I expect us to be linked with Brandon Barker given he's been released by Rangers. We won't sign him but we'll be linked. Not seeing many players signing for our rivals that I've thought 'wish we'd got him'....

You are correct. Only issue is that rule isn't enforced every day of the week...

Not sure I agree 100% with this but he had a very poor game today and I think he's been slightly overpraised. Nowhere near the quality of Ojala (albeit Ojala is made of meringue) or even Mugabi. Lamie has come on to a game under Alexander, I would say he and Sol are of a similar level, not that Lamie is significantly more competent...

Felt at the game like we were doing ok up to a point in the first half., moving the ball better than we had done but sometimes just overplayed it or final ball was lacking. Van Veen missed the two chances we really created in the first half, has to hit the target from both. Defensive calamities at both goals, the most frustrating thing is that Hearts didn't have to work hard for their goals. Individual wise, thought Shaw looked OK if not a massive upgrade on what we have. Tierney will be a player once he gets used to the league. Sol, I thought had his poorest game for us, perhaps suffering from being the only fit proper centre back we have, having to do too much. Van Veen 8s erratic and Roberts needs to learn to take fewer touches. Don't start me on Goss... Oh, and McGinlay had a decent game... Tynecastle is never easy. We played reasonably well but lost to a Hearts team with a budget that dwarfs ours. People need to calm down a bit. We need to create more chances and cut out silly mistakes. Try and remember what the team was like this time last year...

My first thought on hearing we have signed a 6ft4 right sided defender was: have we received a bid for Mugabi?

Interesting that there are two goalies on the bench. Not sure why that would be the case...

I'm one of those saying no to Shankland. He's just not very good. You make the Watt companion. There was never really a question of Watt's ability, just application and attitude. For me, there are huge question marks over all three with Shankland...

A 34 year old who scores 8 goals a season with questionable fitness levels and workrate? I know we won't have inexhaustible options but we should have better options than that...

Anyone suggesting Lafferty as a viable option needs their head looked at...

Aye, we know. As someone earlier pointed out, it would seem ironic if we ended up with Shankland on loan from whichever Belgian club he's ended up at while they have Watt. Frankly I'd rather play with ten men than give Shankland a wage...

I don't care. I'd still rather have Clark than Shankland. I don't want either but if I was forced to pick one, it wouldn't be the fraud that is Shankland...