MelvinBragg

Clarkson - at the centre of everything going forward. God knows what we'll do if he has to miss any games...

And they would be...??

Ah, godammit, Grew. I forgot Bobby Russell. I'd have him instead of Billy Davies...

Dykstra Burley Nijholt Martin McKinnon Lambert O'Donnell Davies Clarkson Coyne McFadden Rather than try and think of the best eleven, I tried to think of players that would play well together. Hence Clarkson instead of Porter. And frankly Arnott wasn't that good...

And that makes you like many professional footballers. And that, I'm sorry to say, saddens me. It's an honour, not a right...

I think you know what I was getting at. Were he the same player he is, but for having 100% Italian heritage. He'd need to settle for not playing international football. And he's a more gifted footballer than McCarthy. Or Ged Brannan. Or Nacho Novo. Or Matt Elliot. Or any number of jokers who have played for (or tried to in Novo's case) countries not their own simply because they weren't good enough for their own country...

Eh, because playing international football is an honour you should have to fight hard for? If you're not good enough to play for the country of your (or your parents) birth, hard lines. Is James McFadden lucky he wasn't born in Italy because he wouldn't get in their team but is a key player because Scotland have fewer players to choose from? Undoubtedly. But that would have been his bad luck. This is why I have very little interest in international football. Sullivan, Elliot, Commons, these guys all devalue the whole thing. Will I boo McCarthy on Saturday? Not unless he does something on the field that merits it. His choice of international team, while it saddens me, it only does so as a symptom of the greater malaise running through international football...

Can only imagine you mean in the second half. First half was horrendous from Hughes...

Careful, that kind of talk would have got you dog's abuse in the East Stand today. Because we've had a good year and a half under McGhee, you're not allowed to suggest he might have got something wrong...

The big man just beat me to it. A couple of miles up the road from FP in Cleland here, and there's a fair old snow blizzard. And two words popped into my head. Pitch inspection. Suppose it depends how long the snow stays on for. Is this to be our snowy cup run...?

Given that it's now 7 o'clock, I'm assuming any attempt at a third signing has fallen by the wayside. S'ppose it must have been the guy Webster...

I like to think I'm Mr Negative but jeezo, some folk. We've actually signed a guy who has scored SPL goals before. I'm no fan of McGhee but as signings go, this close to the deadline, very decent...

Think I beat you to it in the January Transfer Thread...

If he's just become available today then we don't have a chance as the menagement are on their way to Inverurie...

As the resident negative bastard on here, I'd have to say I actually think Sheridan will do alright. Could see him combining well with Clarkson. I guess he won't be eligible against Celtic, but I'm wondering about the Scottish Cup assuming we get through tonight? Available or not? Not bad signing. Would have preferred someone who would be available against all other SPL sides but he'll do... EDIT German winger is called Semih Aydilek. I'll go first, will I? First time McLeish has given Motherwell supporters anything resembling a semi...

Listen, mibbe I'm wrong and we don't need another striker. I mean, Liverpool seem to only need one...

Still an hour and a half to go. Maybe we're being very discrete. But, I reckon you're probably right. Dismal...

I'm not a scout. I'm not looking for us to replace Clarkson or Sutton. But we do need someone who can step in should either of them get injured. Look at our form when Clarkson was out injured. Our goalscoring record at that time was horrendous. If we were to lose Clarkson for the season, and not have someone to partner Sutton, it would be very easy for us to slip into a relegation battle. Anyone who laughs this off, obviously can't remember as far back as November...

I think it's reasonable that if you've known for about 4-5 days (and it's been on the cards for a couple of weeks) your top scorer (and one of only three centre forwards at your club) was leaving, you should be able to come up with a couple of alternatives...

Is that why the arse fell out of our form as soon as we had to do without Clarkson and Craigan? And a seriously understrength Killie did us over at Fir Park during that run?

No, but as I said he could have made these phone calls on Friday and heard "Fuck, no" then and moved on to other targets. If he's in discussions right now, we're cutting it fine. I know (rightly) I have a reputation as a McGhee basher on here. But he's giving me plenty of material right now. If we don't sign anyone today, questions have to be asked...

Fact is, McGhee did state that he had 2 or 3 clubs he could phone should Porter leave. it's been clear from Friday that Porter was leaving. And nothing appears to have been done. We might now go into the second half of the season with a weakened squad. A squad that even with Porter, struggled with a couple of key injuries. And who's to say it won't happen again...

In our dreams...

While, I might agree with you, right now I'd settle for a third centre forward on our books by 5pm...

Correct...