superward

I think they suspended the market a while ago while nothing was really happening. Bet Victor and Sky Bet are the only sites offering it. Butcher is still favourite but odds are drifting out, VanDerGaag into 5/1 (from 10/1) and Solano is back into 3rd at 8/1. Maaskant out at 14/1.

Fitness question marks over Hammy, O'brien, Cummins, Reid, Lawson, McHugh and Moore so it's hard to pick a team really. Assuming none make it back: Dan Law Ferguson McManus ZFA Carswell Lasley Ainsworth Vigurs Ojamma Erwin If the injured players recover I would have Hammy, Reid and Lawson on for ZFA, Law and Lasley. I would also like to see Highins, Mackin, Thomas and Cadden get 20 mins or so each for a few games to see what they have about them at a full pace SPFL game before starting them.

It was Derek Weir mate I really hope Van der Gaag or Maaskant have interviewed well and have good ideas for youth and taking the team forward.

If the final takeover bid does not depend on a change in model then no I wouldn't expect to get a say. Once in if it is brought up as a better way forward then yeah, maybe.

I think by that interview, reading between the lines, it's the well society we are heading for.

Confirmed at the press conf that although Kenny Black did not specifically apply for the job he will be considered.

Butcher, Adams not Shiels will satisfy me. I don't know who will but not one of them.

As I read it, the 'no significant price increases' refers to the early 2000's onwards. So, how much was that same ticket 5 and 10 years ago to compare it?

I am pretty confident we will not go with Terry Butcher and its purely a story based on the moving of odds. However, I could see us going with Kenny Shiels. I am not a fan but, when he is not riled up in a press conference or interview, he does talk a good game and a good philosophy. I could imagine him interviewing well and ticking a few boxes. Not for me though.

Would he be though? Was Black not already in place for McCall arriving or put in place by the club rather than by the manager? EDIT: Turns out I was wrong. Black came in after wee Stu.

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/543330/Terry-Butcher-Motherwell-Return Not much in this story other than it looking like it is based on odds rather than any sort of inside info. Worth posting anyway as Scott Burns is usually pretty good.

So would I. If it is true then it is an angry, disrespectful bullet dodged in my eyes anyway.

Aye, it's a hard one but a risk we have to take I think. With the Society pot to back us up in recent years it was probably the right thing to do as well.

That's the one...only saved by a dodgy SPL rule. Then took us to 6th, 6th and 8th. We need to aim better than that I think. I think people have rose tinted specs with Terry Butchers time here because he worked with very little and in that first season we had some good results against the bigger teams (Rangers, Celtic, Hearts I think?). Luckily he had Hammel, Pearson and McFadden all in the team and no real choice but to play him. Don't get me wrong I liked him and respect his place in our history but we can't go back to him.

A bit of movement of the manager odds, probably given the brief announcement from the club....take from this what you will. Bet Victor (more or less the same odds across Sky Bet and Paddy Power): Derek Adams 3/1 Terry Butcher 4/1 **JUST APPEARED ON THE MARKET TODAY AND DROPPED FROM 10/1** Kenny Black 8/1 Nolberton Solano 8/1 Graeme Souness, Billy Davies 16/1 Danny Lennnon, Malky MacKay (?!) 16/1 (Paddy power)

I do share the fears recently posted on here but lets remember that there WILL be other board members not associated to the society still on the board making up approx 30% of ownership. Now, while, if the society does get in, they will have a controlling interest and majority share of the vote, clearly, the other board members views will be taken into account. Remember, this isn't a hostile takeover where everybody will be cleared out and it will just be a couple of part time society members trying to run the club. I am sure there will be a lot of assistance, guidance given and pragmatic discussions with the current board members (below) + well society elected board members when they get in place. For example, Derek Weir, is a director on the board of the Co-Op bank. We are not just going to ignore his advice. The same goes for the likes of James McMahon and Andrew Wilson who are directors of other companies too. Also what's to say that the likes of Derek Weir and Andrew Wilson dont stay as board members but become the Well Society board members...they are Well Society members according to the website so I am assuming they could be elected in a roundabout way? Current board: Andrew Wilson Derek Weir Graham Keys James McMahon John Swinburne Stewart Robertson + Well Society (2) members

Yes that is how I understand it. It's not about every society member getting a vote on every decision. If we raise enough cash to buy the majority shareholding from Boyle then...from the Well Society Q&A: The Well Society will become majority shareholders of the club and will have a majority of directors on the Motherwell FC board. Thus the fans and community will oversee the running of the club. Following that, it would be down to the board as a whole (made up of majority society but also other members with a stake) to run the club as they see fit whether that is a break even community club taking no financial risk. Or, a club that would still seek outside investment from time to time. Society members would have a say and influence in that direction I would think but not in every small detail. We have to put our trust in the society board members we elect to make those decisions. If the society get in then nothing really major changes in my eyes between how we run now and then how we would run in the future. By that, I mean, our majority shareholder (Boyle) does not put anything in to the club now and that could well be the same once the Well Society gain the majority shareholding. The only question for me, like I highlighted above is if the society does get in then what are our plans for the future in regards finances for when we have a blip and how do we progress as a club and not stagnate.

Good podcast guys and nice to listen to some reasoned debate and som very good points made.

Taking the 'Well Society' terminology out of this....as its a rather emotive, poisoned couple of words to some folks... The other way to look at this could be that the people potentially buying the club are actually a consortium of well fans based in the UK and a major well fan millionaire from abroad. If they can convince us their future plans for funding in situations of financial stress and how we can continue to compete at a decent level then everything is good no? Looking at it that way it seems no different to the break even model we have (should have) been running since Boyle stepped away?

I am not 100% keen on the WS model as I just can't see how we can work it long term and stay competitive given the problem we have had to get this far. However I would rather we went that way than a South American consortium.

Just to be a pedantic dick...he is joint top scorer with Ainsworth and has only scored 1 more than Sutton. I do think he was pretty poor to start, greedy and not really contributing but past few games has added a lot more. I would try and keep him.

We have been unfortunate with Carswell and his injury otherwise he would have been pairing Lasley. Also, Leitch hasn't kicked on as much as we all thought he might. I would agree with sending OB back. Not much between him and Kerr in my eyes. However it would leave us light on cover in the centre of defence. If we did reinvest the cash it could be used in my eyes on a left winger or a centre mid or a left back...plenty choices in how to spend it!

Seriously? A player who has even admitted he has been shit this season...http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/partick-thistle-goal-hero-ryan-4726282 We hardly needed a slow, unfit central midfielder when we have Vigurs, Lasley, Lawson, Carswell and Leitch all in to play in that area Gie us peace

Jeezo - exactly this. I can understand not going due to money etc but 'because I thought we'd lose' that's piss poor.

I was buoyed by the way we played in the first half on Saturday. We fought for balls, worked hard and knocked it about well. If we can take that into the game on Saturday (minus the Lasley, Vigurs bookings as they then couldn't really tackle) and take our chances we can give it a go. Dan Ramsden-OB-McManus-Angol --------------Carswell---------------- ----------Lasley------Vigurs-------- Ainsworth-----------------Ojamma -----------------Sutton---------------- Mon the 'Well