MelvinBragg

From the bank with armfuls of cash???

Wouldn't object to any of the names you mentioned there arriving at Fir Park (Gow is the one I'd be least enthusiastic about). On the subject of wages/loans though, I read somewhere that Fotheringham had been let go and I'm sure Kennedy's contract at Celtic is up this summer so surely they'd be free agents. Bring in Fotheringham for Hughes and sell Reynolds, replacing him with Kennedy? I'm sure the wages saved by Porter, Malcolm, Kilmpl and Hughes not being here would cover these guys. And any signing on fees would be covered by any fee we could get for Reynolds. I make it sound so simple...

Not a popular view round these parts, Neil, but one I agree with (kind of). Lasley is certainly a bit more disciplined than Klimpl, both in terms of not picking up silly bookings and not drifting all over the park to chase the ball. However, the loss of Klimpl along with Hughes leaves us with two recognised centre midfielders at the club. Anyone want to count McGarry or Paul Quinn? Didn't think so...

Just realised after I posted that it sounded like I had something against Lasley and/or Fitzpatrick. Not at all, it's just that other than one is right footed and the other is left-footed, they're pretty similar types of player. I know what you're saying about McGhee's track record on signings, and I appreciate the budget constraints he'll be working under. However, as you point out, it must have been fairly clear since we didn't make the top 6 (if not before) that Hughes, Malcolm, Smith and probably Klimpl would be on their way. That must leave a fair chunk of what was this season's wage budget to play with. Even if the wage budget is reduced somewhat for next season, there must be more cash to play with salary-wise than there was last summer. Like you say, rabbit out of hat time. Time for Mr McGhee to earn that wage rise he got last summer...

Well, should we qualify for Europe, we'll be going into the first round of games with a central midfield partnership of Fitzpatrick and Lasley. With no cover on the bench. if he's not going to be able to sign anyone in time for these games, he should just send out the players to get sent off on Saturday...

I see that in the Lee Beevers thread that Well-Made has pointed out that it's being reported that Klimpl is likely to end up at Plymouth. I reckon we'll need to see some serious transfer activity this summer now. The fact that Keith Lasley had a relatively impressive start to the season in the Klimpl role will mean not a lot to McGhee, I reckon. Given our potentially very early start to the season, we'd better get a move on...

Game of the season: Accies in the League Cup. Good old fashioned in about them cup tie. By far the most enjoyable game of this season. Goal of the season: Porter's against Dundee United at Tannadice. Not as spectacular as Sutton at Ibrox but for me watching it, I thought "that's how a striker should finish". Composed. Businesslike. Thanks Chris. Player of the season: David Clarkson. Hard to think of anyone else who comes close. Best moment: Seeing Clarkson wearing the number 10 first day of the season was hard to top no matter what followed. Worst Moment: Not a moment as such, but the last two games against St Mirren at Fir Park were real lows. The way we dismantled them a few weeks later just threw into sharp focus the fact that we should ha ve been in the top six and hosting Celtic in the cup. Surprise of the year: The dropping of Fitzpatrick when all our best results of the season came with him in the team. Worst player of the year: Worst Value For Money? Bob Malcolm. He must have been poor not to get in that team on occasions. In terms of those who have played regularly, Reynolds has made more costly errors than the rest of the back four put together. Young player of the year: Again no one. I fully expected this to be Darren Smith's season after his goal against Aberdeen last season. He has scored some important goals but doesn't seem to have made the step forward. Overall: I wasn't expecting a top three finish this season, but too often the application of the team and the team selections have left me frustrated. Very few memorable moments. Given my choice of best moment of the season (and the fact that most people have chosen the atmosphere in the Nancy games as their highlight), for me it sums up that there were very few highlights on the field...

Good player. Couldn't take to him though. Always seemed to think he was better than he was. Least that was how he came across on the field...

True, but I was actually thinking more of physical strength and ruthlessness in order to win. His will to win tends to lead to some bad decision making (red cards acquired chasing back lost causes) but it's an attribute that several of our more "gifted" players could do with...

My recollection is that Eric Black preferred Dubourdeaux to Brown. Mind you, Black always seemed to think French was best. Whereas the only French player I really took to was Yann Soloy...

I am resigned to that as well as, to my mind, he has a couple of qualities that Reynolds doesn't possess (yet) which could see him go further in the game...

I'd love him back, but I just couldn't see it happening. Like a few others, I reckon Boruc will be on his way this summer. And three goalies isn't that many for a club like Celtic...

Certainly would seem to suggest that at least one of our back four is moving on. McLean is the only player who would be "let go". Craigan is contracted til 2042, so you're looking at our "sellable" assets. I reckon you can discount Hammell on the basis that he supplies most of our assists and due to the fact that he wanted to move back to the area. So you're left with Quinn or Reynolds. Have to say, I'd rather it was Reynolds who was sold. The only two players I'd hate to see sold are Clarkson and Quinn...

Whenever the 1991 cup run comes up in discussion these days, the thing I always remember is us going to Tannadice the week before the Aberdeen game and an abject 3-0 defeat. I always remember because I heard someone after the game muttering that Aberdeen were going to need a cricket scoreboard. Just shows how much of an achievement it was for that team to win the cup...

I refer the Right Honourable Member to a thread entitled 'Team For The Next 5 Games'. At the time, I was mocked. Now the suggestion seems a bit more sensible. but don't expect to see any in the next couple of games either. I see that McGhee has (rightly) stated that he now can't bring in the young guys as he has to be seen to be playing fair by all the other teams involved in a relegation battle. Which is why I advocated playing the younger guys for all five games...

On the issue of the split, it does create a bit of false excitement in the run up to it. The problem is that it also highlights the fact that your team might have meaningless games. There have been many seasons when Motherwell haven't had much to play for in the last few weeks. But I don't recall people saying in as great a number "Ach, we're playing for nothing, I'll not bother going..." before this season...

While I think Mackay would have been nothing better than a decent signing in a position that we're not too badly off in, is it just me that thinks that it doesn't bode well that St Johnstone might appeal to these players more? Nothing to do with the manager, before anyone thinks I'm going to use it as a stick to beat him with. Just a general observation about how we might find it difficult to attract our first choice signing targets. Unless, of course, the Livingston guys were guaranteed first team football at Perth but not with ourselves. In which case, no problem...

Thing is, Inverness had to play someone this midweek, home or away. Not much the SPl can do when they've allowed games to be shown live on both nights. Obviously if ICT and Aberdeen end up in the same half of the league, it makes it easier but I don't think much could have been done about Wednesday's attendance. Short of us really being in the relegation struggle, the crowd was alwasy going to be poor...

If I have to give it to someone, I'll give it to Tattie for sheer entertainment value when he stated than Jon Daly of Dundee United was a better striker than Clarkson and that we could replace Clarkson's goals should he leave with Fillipe Morais. Comedy gold, big man... Or Quinn, for still driving on when others didn't look that interested...

Liam Miller. I don't know, sounds like a good signing, but has the potential to be another Brian Kerr. Looks a great signing on paper but never really lives up to the billing. And you know how forgiving Motherwell fans are of underachieving big names...

I think what you meant to type was that Butcher would get a warm reception, and Malpas and Kerr would get a hot reception. Strange how those two phrases mean totally opposite things...

Surely as a St Mirren fan, the correct answer is "He's Black and White through and through"...

No one tell you, big man?? Our season finished about three weeks ago....

I'm of the same mind, kind of. The only thing I would say, and someone else mentioned it somewhere else on this thread, if it were to happen you could use these games as your pre-season build up and consider entry into the UEFA cup proper a bonus if you make it...

Having looked at the Fair Play tables that some people have posted links to, it's not exactly a country mile we lead by. And we have Maros Klimpl. To quote the old maxim, it's not the despair that kills you, it's the hope...