MelvinBragg

Horrible feeling of deja vu here. I seem to remember in the run up to the Nancy game, there was a lot of "I'm more of a fan because...". Can we please not go there again, people...

Nijholt. Hard as nails and skillful. What more can one ask for in a footballer...? Although, it's interesting that it's not always the "best" players who become our particular favourites. I still have a soft spot for Gahagan, Valakari and McFadden and only one of the three is likely to be mentioned in terms of greatest Motherwell players when it comes to ability...

Aye, but none of them are Vadocz, are they...?

I'm afraid that his considering the Hearts job used to irk me but that's no longer the main issue for me. It's been far overtaken by poor team selections, baffling tactics and substitutions and substandard performances as reasons to be pissed off at him. Now, he knows football, if he expects the fans to be happy after 10 hours of football and only one goal to show for it, he's a fool. And I don't think he's a fool...

I shall be there, but sadly not for the festivities afterwards. As of 7:30pm, I'll be patching up Old Firms fans at WGH. No anasthetic left as far as I'm aware...

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??