MelvinBragg

Not sure whether this should be in former players thread or in here but I notice Gavin Gunning and Josh Law have been released this summer...

Aware of the situations with Scougall and Henderson. Would hope we would at least ask the question...

You would have to think that Scougall will get better offers than ours, maybe from the Edinburgh clubs but we would offer more of a chance of regular first team football. Another name that has come up in the past and I'd love us to ask the question is Liam Henderson. May be time for him to move on permanently from Parkhead...

Couple of rumours I heard today. Steven McManus to be assistant manager. Keith Lasley apparently had a clause in his contract that if we stayed up, he automatically would get another year. Might be absolute garbage but it's the season for it...

Apparently (don't listen to it myself) the 'experts' on Clyde Suoerscoreboard were saying last night it was 99.9% certain that Moult would be joining Rangers for £500k plus O'Halloran on loan. Assuming that's where Rangers fans are getting the idea it's a done deal...

I expect to see some movement from us well before the window officially opens as it's mainly the free agent market we operate in. Most clubs will have their released lists up already or soon...

Funny enough we were talking during the Killie game about who would win, this season's team or the Malpas team and the subject got on to the first Butcher season. There were some dreadful performances, much like this season. But unlike this season, as you pointed out, there were some real highs (coincidentally or not, most of them under floodlights at Fir Park in the winter). That together with the particular set of circumstances you mention regards still having a team to watch means that there will be fond memories of that season long after this one has been forgotten...

As long as we stick to that. No point in selling him for £200k at the risk of getting relegated...

Hibs, I heard...

Noticed an ad on the BBC stating that Liam Boyce is up for sale. In a wee favour to a former employee, they let Billy Dodds wax lyrical about Boyce and how they wouldn't stand in his way and how he has a year left on his contract. Interestingly, if we're looking to sell Moult, the BBC reporter kindly asked Dodds if it would take more than £1m to get Boyce to be told it would need to be there or thereabouts. Obviously free advertising aside, they probably won't get £1m but we should be making the same noises...

No mention of McFadden, I note with interest. Obviously the fact that he is assistant manager may complicate the issue. Not much discussion of the fact that we are apparently discussing a contract with Lasley. A player/coach role possibly with possibly more emphasis on the coach role? I reckon I'm not the only one who thought he would be leaving this summer...

Question is whether he will get a better offer...

That's the impression I had got as well. Maybe he hasn't shown any signs of progression and perhaps has gone backwards...

Interestingly no Hanley or Greer. Only three centre backs in Martin, Berry and Reynolds. Assuming that despite his possible regression that he's only been selected due to lack of other options. Could have been worse. They could have promoted Zak Jules from the U21s...

Another aspect of last season's spending which strikes me is that we signed three midfielders. One clearly targeted, McHugh, looks like a good player. The other two, Clay and Lucas, came on trial and we're offered contracts. I know that you can find decent players by taking some on trial (thinking McDonald and Ojaama) but when two of your three signings in a key area of the team are brought in this way, it seems like poor preparation or a squad cobbled together. Obviously we may have had other targets that we missed out on but it smacks of desperation. The Belic signing strikes me as a similar case. Reading between the lines, Frear was our intended target (and had we got him, our season might have worked out better) but the Belic signing seemed symptomatic of our business last summer. Rushed and taking whoever was readily available. We can't repeat that this summer...

I tend to agree. Bowman was signed as a backup 'number 9'. Thing is, when he played, he often ended up playing with Moult which meant one of them playing out of position. The bizarre thing about the Bowman signing was signing both him and Blyth. If you listen to both Blyth and Bowman giving their interviews upon signing, they both describe themselves in exactly the same way. Can play as a target man but also like to run in behind are phrases I distinctly remember from both. I remember thinking when Bowman signed that it was a very early admission that the Blyth signing was a mistake...

Like others, not surprised by many names in that article. Bowman is maybe the only one. Not particularly because I rate him as a player but because Robinson has used him both as a starter and as a substitute ahead of Ainsworth and Gordon among others. The article does say others may follow and the three names that leap to mind are Ainsworth, Clay and McFadden. The Ainsworth situation has a thread all of its own, but I suspect that it may come down to whether he'll accept terms that we would offer a squad player as Robinson probably sees him and whether he'll get better offers elsewhere. Clay, like Bowman has featured a lot. Does this mean Robinson rates him or is it just the fact he's been fit and available unlike Pearson and Lucas? McFadden, sad to say, I can see no reason to offer a contract to. If he's not been considered good enough to play ahead of Blyth and Bowman, does he have anything to offer now? Only thing I would say is, if Blyth, Bowman, McDonald and Moult all leave, we are left with a situation of having no strikers at the club (I'm assuming Moore will also be released). Do we offer McFadden a vastly reduced deal in order to have at least an option should we struggle to get our targets in promptly? Not saying I would, but given McFadden won't be inundated with offers, it's something the club may consider. Certainly shows the scale of job Robinson has this summer. To lose nine players (with possibly Heneghan and Moult to follow) leaves a massive hole in the squad. Having said that, how much did the eight listed contribute? Might we see Harri Kampman's lawnmower again..?

I don't think you can take too much from a meaningless game on Saturday. McFadden coming on underlines that for me...

Leaving aside Bowman for a moment, looking at Craig Clay, would I want him as first choice in our midfield? Possibly not. Could he do a job as a backup midfielder or someone to bring on in a game when we're trying to shore up the midfield? Could we find someone better quality happy to do that job on similar money? He's no world beaters but certainly not the worst midfielder that I've seen playing for Motherwell...

The talk of wheeling and dealing does suggest some will be moved on, just not sure if both Bowman and Clay will be among those being wheeled and dealt. Only basing this on the fact that Robinson used them both extensively. It may be that he simply felt that he had no better options rather than a show of faith in them...

I've seen a few people saying that they think that we'll try and move Clay and Bowman on but I'm not so sure. Albeit we've had limited options but Robinson has used the two of them a lot, even if only as his first players to come off the bench. Not saying that I would keep both of them but wouldn't be surprised if the club decides to even if only as squad players...

Only 4?? By my reckoning, you could guess that McManus, McDonald, Pearson, Samson, Lasley and Hammell would all be at the higher end of our wage scale. Unless Hammell and Lasley took a fair sized pay cut the last time they were offered "reduced terms". Who of those gave value for money? Certainly not Samson or Pearson. McDonald probably did. The other three you can debate...

That's Accies two up. Unless something dramatic happens, we're 9th at worst. A win for us and County coming back to win at Killie would see us eighth...

Shea Gordon. Has played a couple of times recently..