MelvinBragg

Well, if it's off now, Flow's totally been hung out to dry...

While I may agree with Mitch and Jay, I have to say that McGhee has struck me as generally quite an intelligent guy. And as I've stated before, he's been in football a long time. That's why I find his choice of words strange. He could have said "After the season we had, I expected the fans to have a bit more faith in me". You could still argue that given the recent run of results he had used up some of that goodwill, but it wouldn't have been as offensive as questioning people's loyalty. I can't believe that he didn't consider what he said before he said it. Which makes me think he's trying to engineer a "I've lost the fans, no point in me staying where I'm not appreciated" excuse for walking away...

I posted this in the "In the papers" section, but I think it fits better here

The loyalty comment amused me. McGhee (rightly, in my opinion) got rid of Corrigan last season. This despite the years of loyal service Corrigan had offered. Remember Corrigan was one of those who took a pay cut when we went into administration, he turned down more lucrative offers in order to stay at Fir Park, a guy that had put in a lot of years good service with us. McGhee moved him on because he simply wasn't up to doing the job. A few more weeks of defeats and you have to question whether McGhee is up to doing the job. McGhee has been in football a long time. He knows that loyalty only lasts as long as you are able to produce...

Talk is cheap. Let's judge the team by their actions. And what's "this crap about crisis". We are in crisis. If one goal in over ten hours of football is not a crisis then someone explain the rules of the game to me again...

Players always say they're right behind a manager right up til they get him sacked. And then they start winning...

I'm starting to think that's why Reynolds looked so good in the season under Malpas...

I'm assuming you mean Porter's off in January?? I just got a txt message telling me that there is a possibility Clarkson could be away in January. Anyone heard anything??

Aye, this season's perfomances probably merit about six months in the Bar-L...

Bit much having a go at Mitch for saying what others are saying in the other threads (perhaps he's saying it a bit more drunkenly). And as for needing another thread, we do miss the old Resign McGhee thread. OK, well I miss it...

Agree wholeheartedly with the full post but this section particularly caught my eye. What you've described above, is that not basically the role of any good football manager? And if McGhee is not doing this at the moment, what is he doing...???

I kind of thought that as well until the summer when I watched back some of the highlights of last season. The 5-3 Dundee United game, the cup game at Hearts, two good wins against Hibs, Paterson flying (cos the pace he acquired seemed to stay unlike McGarry's) past the opposition full backs featured heavily. Perversely (and I think this is the thing that surprises me the most), looking at last season, Paterson seemed more solid defensively than Hammell...

My main complaint regarding communication is the back four seem unable to communicate...

The team selection today was bizarre even by this season's standards for McGhee. We can safely assume that Kenny Connolly will never see the light of day in a Motherwell first team again. I'm told Fitzpatrick was sick so was only fit enough for the bench. But was the best option for the centre midfield slot a full back?? Whatever you think of Malcolm's relative strengths and weaknesses, he at least has some experience of playing centre midfield. For what it's worth, it smacked of McGhee wanting Quinn in the team (he had cited the absence of Quinn, Clarkson and Craigan as reasons for our poor performances so could hardly leave him on the bench) but not wanting to drop Saunders knowing he was the one relative bright spot from Monday night. Once again, McGhee has the eleven players he wants in the team and he'll get them in there irrespective of what it does to the shape of the team. McGarry at left wing. I stated my reasons earlier in the week why I felt this was a terrible idea. A few people seem to have the same problem with this deployment of a slow, right footed player. Unfortunately Mark McGhee doesn't seem to be one of them. Question: Is McGarry a striker or midfielder? I ask only because his good early season form last year was when he was the third man up top when McCormack was unavailable. Is he the answer to playing 4-3-3? I ask this in order to show I'm not anti-McGarry, just think he's not the man for the left wing. Neither was Clarkson when we played him there earlier in the season. Why did we sign Jim O'Brien again?? The defence. Where to start. We don't really have many options for changing things at the moment. Which is a blow because quite frankly Reynolds looks like a player in need of a rest before his confidence is totally shattered. Echoes of David Clarkson of a few years back? And look how long it took him to get back to something like the form he's capable of. Hammell's not Paterson but there's not a lot we can do about that. Perhaps Hammell should watch some videos of Paterson from the first half of last season. Yes, Steven, you are allowed to go outside as well as inside your man. I specifically have avoided a full on rant about McGhee. I've done it too often before and there's really nothing to be gained by going over old ground. I've tried to just ask questions that I think we all need answered...

With that kind of creative thinking, I only wish you were Motherwell manager...

At work, no media player. Someone sum it up for me...?

My thoughts exactly. One natural midfielder out of four (assuming it was 4-4-2). Genius...

So how's the midfield set up? Who's in the centre and who's on each wing?

What that says for Malcolm and Fitzpatrick is...??

That confirmed? or a guess?? Anyone with Setanta be able to confirm once the game starts??

<H4 class=matchstats>Motherwell</H4> 01 Smith 43 Saunders 13 Klimpl 02 Quinn 04 Reynolds 03 Hammell 15 Murphy 14 Lasley 18 McGarry 09 Porter 11 Sutton <H4 class=sub>Substitutes</H4> 19 Nielsen, 17 O'Brien, 12 Smith, 08 Malcolm, 16 Fitzpatrick, 35 McHugh, 37 Hutchinson Interesting. I make it a 3-5-2, but could be Reynolds or Hammell in midfield. Time will tell...

I tend to agree with you that the only way McGhee will get the move that he so dearly wants is if he focuses totally on the job at hand and turns things around. I suspect though (as someone else posted, sorry can't remember who) he may do a Roy Keane and walk away citing lack of funds/appreciation by the fans. Your second point is one that's rankled with me for some time. But I don't think we can blame McGhee on this one (much as I'd like to ). Since McLean left, we have lost the ability to unearth the hidden gems that he found. Who had heard of Cusack, Nijholt, McKinnon or Dykstra before they'd signed for us? I know times are tight in Scottish football, but as you point out, other clubs have managed to find quality players. We need to be signing players looking to make a name for themselves, not players living off the fact that they once played for the old Firm...

Who he??

On his case? Maybe I was one of his harsher critics. But even in a good season, when the manager makes mistakes, can the fans not discuss them? If you're suggesting I'm anti McGhee for the sake of it, you're wrong. I'd like nothing better than for his team to prove me wrong, climbing the table over the next few months. But I call it as I see it. A lot of fans (less so now, I grant you) seem to feel he can do no wrong. I don't feel he can do no right: Porter was a shrewd bit of business, initially he got the best out players that had looked useless under Malpas, he instilled confidence in the team, he had us playing attractive football (the league cup game at Easter Road will live long in the memory of the few that were there). But sadly now, a lot of the players look exactly like they did under Malpas. McGarry has lost the pace that surprised us (and a few SPL defenders) last season, Quinn and others have reverted to 2006/2007 form. That's what I see. And it makes me sad. I'm not gleeful at the prospect of the chance to slate McGhee...

Possibly unfair to judge him on a night when the whole team performed quite so poorly. if others round about him perform better, he might not have to dive in quite as much. Certainly passes the ball better than any other defender we have on our books...