MelvinBragg

Personally I'm waiting for the outrage about the "punching above their weight" comment in the article. The thrust of the article is right though. Other than Rangers, Celtic, Aberdeen and Hearts, we are currently in the longest unbroken run in the SPL. That means in our time in the SPL, both Dundee clubs, Hibs, St Mirren, Kilmarnock, Dunfermline and Falkirk - all clubs larger or of a comparable size to Motherwell - have seen time in the first division. We really should count our blessings sometimes. The article does, however, skirt around the issue of the fact that performance levels in the same group of players have dropped substantially this season. McCormack is a loss, this is true. But the type of player he was is a rare thing for a provincial club in Scotland. Which other SPL side has a player with that kind of creative spark this season? The key should have been for us to find a way to win games as Kilmarnock, St Mirren and Falkirk do, without relying on one individual. Again we have been lucky at Fir Park, in that in the last few years we have seen two such players in McFadden and McCormack. Perhaps rather than continue to pursue the 4-3-3 without the right type of player, the management should have been trying to mould a solid 4-4-2 team that could grind out results...

As usual, I agree with a lot of what you say, MearnsWell. However, I have to question the widespread belief that Reynolds will be off somewhere. I would suspect that the chances of that are decreasing as his form this season must surely have seen his stock fall. The only thing in his favour is that he is a centre back with pace and these are commodities in short supply. But until he learns better decision-making/positioning, that big move will elude him. I suspect that Lappin would interest McGhee if he's expressed an interest in Charlie Adam. Both players can play left side of a midfield three with Lappin providing more in terms of versatility. As I stated earlier though, this would mean Fitzpatrick being pushed further out of the picture, especially given Klimpl's arrival in the first team meaning Malcolm is now back in the midfield mix...

I see according to today's paper, Forest are in for Adam. Webster and Kennedy anyone. Why can't McGhee keep his big mouth shut til a deal is done???? EDIT Colc beat me by about 10 secs...

Looking forward to seeing Klimpl in action. If he can get match fit (and stay fit), he's got a decent pedigree and hopefully make a difference at the back. My only concern is that his English is good enough improve our communication at the back...

I don't necessarily think we need another striker. Just maybe using the ones we have in a better system would be a better idea. I think either Sutton or Porter alongside Clarkson will produce goals IF we play 4-4-2. I think the crucial thing we need to be looking at is our squad to see if we have players to play the wide roles in this formation (O'Brien? DL Smith? Murphy?) in order to create chances for our front two. If no one in the squad is up the job, a wide man or two should be on the shopping list. The inability to create chances is more of a concern than the ability of our strikers to take them, in my opinion. As regards a new right back, I know I'm asking a lot but I'd like us to sign a player like Mark Wilson or John O'Shea (budget versions obviously) who can play either full back position so as to bring a bit of pressure to both Hammell and Quinn. So, for me, the priority would be the wide areas of the team, full backs and wingers please. But I'm not holding my breath...

On a serious note, if we don't sign Charlie Adam because suddenly Burnley, Norwich or the likes are interested, you'd have to question McGhee's judgement. Yet again are we going to help one of the Old Firm flog one of their fringe players by making our interest public and alerting other teams? Webster and Kennedy all over again?? Though you have to figure that this doesn't look good for Fitzpatrick. Left sided centre midfielder is the first declared target of the transfer window...

Charlie Adam?? Well, I have heard it said we do need to start winning ugly...

I have to say that I think any moaning that would have followed the Hibs game would have been totally justified. 4-1 flattered us that day. Graeme Smith had a number of good stops one on one with some of the Hibs' strikers. We could easily have found ourselves on the wrong end of the same kind of hiding as the Accies' result that was mentioned in this thread. I know it's long established that I'm not Mark McGhee's biggest fan, but even those who have more faith in him than I do admitted that 1-1 at half time was a steal for us. Sadly, and not for the first time in my opinion, the half time team talk seemed to have the opposite of the desired effect. For whatever reason, the same players who performed so admirably last season are performing poorly this season. This is not a form slump. Even in some matches we have won this season, we have been poor. In my opinion, it may be that some of the players have become complacent due to the nature of our small squad, and McGhee's apparent reluctance to shake things up by (just as examples) bringing in Darren Smith for McGarry or changing to 4-4-2 and playing O'Brien as a winger rather than play David Clarkson out of position. McGhee himself said last season that there were only around 13 players that he had faith in to start without the level of performance dropping. Perhaps the lack of significant development of the squad in the summer means that these 13 players feel overly comfortable in the knowledge that they'll be starting pretty much irrespective of performance. There are 6 or 7 players that we all know if they're fit, they're starting. This is good for continuity when the team is playing well. Unfortunately in our current form, it leads to first teamers not sweating over their place in the team and young players becoming frustrated at the lack of opportunities. I await with interest the Kilmarnock game, just to see how three defeats on the spin and one goal in five games affects our line up. I'm afraid the answer might be not a lot...