Steve Diggle

We hit the transfer window in six / seven weeks and the club will have the opportunity to adjust and add more balance to the squad. They, and us, will have to make decisions (as if they're not already in the process of) on how that will go, with consequences short and long term dependent on how that goes. Do we want to take some blows to the chin and move forward from here promoting some of the youngsters? I That's not something that our support - even though some of them say they want it - will stomach for any more than 3 consecutive bad results. It's something yesterday's visitors can give us a lesson on. Not only does their youth programme yield more, their protégés get way more game time, experience far more patience from the managers office and the stands and overall receive much more all round protection / support. In this window we could, if the mood took him, see McCall move Ainsworth, Anier and Hutchinson. Potentially move one or two 'different' players on loan while recalling Erwin. There's not a lot of scope, but there is scope. More immediately there's an international break coming up, providing (between Scotland duties) an opportunity to scribble down some alternative approaches to games / formations etc. The future's awright, the future's claret and amber. It's just no gonny be orgasmic 'every' week of the year.

And Carswell Yet the level of criticism of the match is initially laid at one man's door

That's just about the bones of it. Great point.

Everybody's entitled to their opinion, I get that. But your statement on Vigurs is untrue and unjustified. Unless in the few times that Anier and Sutton got balls to run on to, particularly in the first half, they just appeared there through divine intervention.

Now folk are just making shit up

Ok I will

Excellent point, well made

Had a similar discussion with siebsbarmyarmy at half time. Bottom line the formation needs to change to suit the personnel to hand. Also I think given that he's had horrific stick, some below par performances and in turn a dent to his confidence. To expose young Zaine today as our solitary left sided player against their firepower was an incredible decision.

Completely agree.

Fraser Kerr for us by some way

Very very true,

I would also like to add that I would include every single person that booed the announcement of Vigurs being sponsors man of the match. That proves to me they're a vindictive bunch that form a skewed opinion and stick to it. Fraser Kerr was my MOTM today followed by Vigurs who at least attempted to find a way through a tremendous Utd side. There was absolutely no need for that today. he was by no way the worst on show.

Success or failure for us isn't over a run of 5 or 6 results or anything approaching that for motherwell FC We have had transfer windows that looked like failure that in reality were inspired, more often than not we've had just plain old successful ones. And very rarely we have one that doesn't really work out the way that we hoped. success for failure for us shouldn't be judged over one or two transfer windows either though we've got to have a wee bit more patience than that surely. Right now we're low on options and low on pace and teams like Utd and Aberdeen have brought in better players to strengthen slowly improving core squads nothing to get all that despondent about when you look at the big picture. We need to get through to January and attempt to bring in some creativity. Probably funded by Hutch's departure, Try to play more on the deck. try to give more of the kids a chance bust most importantly focus more on t he long term future than losing the plot over a bad run. We've had it great for ages. a wee reality check is good for us all. And as Eddie said earlier hopefully we can weed out some of the folk that don't have the stomach for the fight.

Still valid

I know it's incredible innit?

Is airdrie out the area??

I think it'll switch to the dangleberry excelsior

I liked the look of Murray pre season, wouldn't be too fussed if he got the nod ahead of Cummins. Seems to be more of an on the deck type of player than big Adam, bearing in mind the way Utd play. Not too fussed either way.

Faddy's pre-season was impacted due to hamstring injury sustained at Cowdenbeath, it would appear that he's struggled to shake it until now. He showed flashes today although clearly off the pace. Although, according to McCall on Radio Scotland lasted a fair bit longer than expected. They thought he would manage 45 mins as he recovers. I don't have any problems in believing any of this. Let's hope he continues to recover and give the guys that support the team something to shout about.

That's very true I apologise

I'm actually still laughing. Responding to post after post of extremely heavy criticism of the team is 'stifling healthy debate' Brilliant. I've heard it all now. Here's a hint. I'm not stifling debate stipers, you just don't like or agree with what I say which is something completely different. (and all very well and good) Debate: a discussion, as of a public question in an assembly, involving opposing viewpoints:

That's complete bollocks. I find it very telling that in all the responses to the match thread you find mine the most extreme given the pages of vitriol directed at the team preceding it. I'm not responding to 'any negative response' and I'm not in any way against 'healthy' debate far from it. If we had healthy debate on here it would die of loneliness. I try to remain positive as for a start there are far more important things in life than football and if we were all being completely honest things aren't that bad in a historical MFC context. I post to remind folk of this with an an added deliberate pinch of antagonism to folk who are over the top in slating the team with over the top criticism and venom. If you find that extreme and to the detriment of steelmenonline then that quite frankly is brilliant. Keep it coming

Still sounds a wee bit infantile and petulant "I spend money I want a win" Here's a tip if you want to watch team winning every time they turn out and save a shitload of money buy a Barcelona DVD The players and staff owe you and us fuck all Our efforts might not have been good enough on Wednesday but you can't say they didn't give it their best. On crowds of 4K we're doing good enough I think But when you part with your cash at the turnstile remember you're paying to watch a game of football which can unfold any which way. There's no guarantees. Sometimes it all works out sometimes it doesn't

Canny be Chris McCunt?

Steelboy's rubber stats are legendary he can bend them to suit any negative point he is making