MelvinBragg

I would actually say that Kampman was a necessary evil. At the time he took over, we had a seriously ageing squad. Guys like Falconer, Martin and Coyne might well have got another contract under a Scottish manager who was more aware of their record. Given what these guys achieved after they left Motherwell, getting rid of them was a wise move. A move that, had we gone straight from McLeish to Davies, we might not have made. OK, Kampman's signings were not great, but he performed a service...

No shots on goal according to the stats. Oh dear...

"That first game, this is how many guys you played up front"

Like or loathe him, Clarkson has scored a vast percentage of our goals this season (bettered only by someone who is currently on Derby's books) and particularly since Sutton's early season burst dried up. He has his faults but looking at our form when both he and Craigan were out of the side, it tells you all you need to know about his value to the side. At the moment, if he's injured or off form (as he was last night), we're snookered. It also means it's all too easy for opponents to close us down. The way we are set up means that Clarkson is the focal point of our attack. To get the best out of John Sutton we would need to have crosses coming in from both flanks. That would mean 4-4-2. And for all his obvious qualities, Stephen Hughes isn't cut out for playing in the centre of a midfield four in the SPL. He doesn't bring the necessary graft to the table. In the SPL, you need to win the battle before you play football. So do you sacrifice Hughes in order to give Clarkson a partner who might share goalscoring duties? I would but from all his comments, we all know how highly McGhee rates Hughes. I would say he needs to find a way to accomodate Hughes into his team without basing his team around him (the first cup game vs St Mirren as an exampleas how badly that can go wrong), Maybe 3-5-2? Oh, aye, and I tend to agree with those who wish we'd shoot from around the edge of the box now and again...

I bet you thought we'd got rid of that element in our section when the burning white crosses went too...

A couple of things strike me about the whole thing. The media seem more disgusted by the abuse of McCarthy than they ever were over the exact same abuse that McGeady got. Is it because McCarthy plays for the cuddly Accies rather than McGeady who plays for one of the Old Firm and is somehow therefore fair game?? I never booed Brannan, but then again I don't boo McCarthy. I'm not a Scotland supporter and as I've said elsewhere he's more a symptom of a widespread problem in international football of looking for a cap where you can get it. Interestingly, people are talking about stuff you can get away with football that you wouldn't get away with in the 'real world' (when has football ever been the real world). I think it's going the other way. I'm not a racist, but on Saturday at one point someone I was sitting with asked me if Sheridan was Irish or one of these Scots who plays for Ireland. The person said to me "Is Sheridan actually Irish or...?". I replied "or is he a plastic paddy? Nah, I think he's Irish". Now, I got a couple of dodgy looks for that comment. I was not making any anti-Irish comment, as I don't have a problem with them. I made the Plastic Paddy reference in the same way I would refer to Neil Sullivan as a Jockney goalkeeper. I would use these phrases to merely express my opinion of the nonsense of getting caps for other countries. But in a football stadium these days, was my comment enough to get me branded a racist? If so, football has gone mad...

Wrap the guy in cotton wool cos without him this season, where are the goals going to come from? At the centre of everything we do going forward. Is that 239 starts? It is a poor average when you look at it like that, but he had a couple of very poor seasons. At the end of the season, we'll still have a 23 year old striker who has double figures goals wise in three different SPL seasons. Not too shabby...

So because your own country doesn't think you're good enough to play international football, go and play for another country?? Many great players never got capped. What would he have done if Ireland didn't fancy him? Go looking for a granny in San Marino? I don't bother that much with international football but a cap should be an honour you get when you're good enough to play for your country. Not something to go hunting for...

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...