ONeils40yarder

How many away fans can they accomodate?

An absolute must-win match against the jumped-up Junior Club from across the Clyde, on an artificial pitch at a ground where none of us have many good memories, it has to be said. The freak start to the season that Accies enjoyed, has seen them all but safe, but the fact that they are utter pish should see us going here with a shouting chance of all 3 points and a good start to life in the Bottom 6. Can see Motherwell travelling in massive numbers...likely to be all ticket for our end???

Got to win the 1st 3 matches, to put pressure on the teams above. Killie have St Mirren and Accies as their 1st two games, which could see them get the points they need for safety

In a team struggling to make chances and devoid of ideas? I'd far prefer a mobile, hard-working striker who will work the channels, bring others into play and harass opposition defenders, than one who stands in the middle of the pitch 25-30 yards out trying (usually failing) to win headers. Alan Archibald would have been delighted when he realised young Erwin was being played as a left-winger on Saturday, and knowing his lumps of centre-halves wouldnt have to deal with his mobility, just Fast Johns imobility.

Oh aye, forgetting all about the Cups for some reason

I'd have left it at that YB...no further justification required

When do they get announced, considering we have no idea who we face at the weekend?

Spot on Jay....this is what is getting me about the doom and gloom merchants (Im not a particularly happy-clapper myself to be honest), they are making up wee fairytales of how it may pan out years from now, based on absolutely fuck all...pretty much in the same way that they have managed to ascertain that if we do finish 11th we'd be as well allowing the Championship Club a free passage and not turn up as we'll get scudded. There's being negative, there's being realistic and then there is being a monger of doom and its incredibly boring reading that pish on a consistent basis.

The basic fact for me is that football is a team game, and as team, we play worse when Sutton is starting. Look at Saturday for instance, or the whole of the 1st half of the season under McCall. Its not just that he is slow. His 1st touch is poor, he doesnt hold the ball in particularly well, doesnt run the channels, he spends much of the game on his arse and he doesnt do much in the way of harassing defenders (which is probably the single-most attribute that I think we missed from Erwins removal from up front on Saturday). Unless the ball is inside the 18yard box, he doesnt contribute. I do understand that he is a goalscorer, of course I do, and his record speaks for itself, but if we are not creating chances then he is a waste of a jersey, completely, totally and utterly.

'Mock outrage' I understand that there are plenty of people who reckon we are done. There are 15 points still to play for against teams that we can drag back into the mix and potentially a 2-legged play-off against QoS, Hibs or Rangers. To be honest, I've taken more exception with Milo's belief that we'll be relegated via the play-off rather than his belief that we'll be in the play-off, as its just an opinion based on absolutely hee-haw other than his general 'prophet of doom' characteristics.

Damning indeed. I'd add Ainsworth to your list of possiblies though

Sutton??? Please

Livingston? Come on tae fuck, the day I group Motherwell with a kid on Club like Livingston is the day I take my weans to Ibrox or Parkhead with my season ticket money. Take your point in general though, although I'd argue that we are in a better position financially than those other two Clubs mentioned when they went down, have the benefit of a virtual blank canvas to work with, have a more consistent history as a top-level Club rather than the yo-yo-like existence that Falkirk and Dunfermline enjoyed prior to their final relegation and will probably have the consistency of keeping our current manager for a tilt at the Championship title. If we do get relegated, and I'm far from convinced that we will, unlike drama queens such as Milo, I will be utterly gutted at the prospect but our Club will continue and I'd expect us to go all-out to regain our status in 1 season in the same manner that Hearts have done this season and Hibs and Dundee United have previously.

You're really starting to get on my tits. We are in a shite situation, but there are still ways we can get out of this play-off scenario, and after that even if we do end up in the play-offs what makes The Rangers so insurmountable to Motherwell when The Rangers have managed to drop points in 14 of their 32 matches so far this season, dropping points against the likes of Alloa and Cowdenbeath in the process. They are far from unbeatable.

I cant see us winning 5 games out of 5, unless we can keep Lasley, Pearson, Johnson, Ainsworth, Erwin and McDonald as our 'front 6', and fully fit. Over and above that our defence and goalkeeper, really need to stop conceding pathetic goals. Even then, I think 5 out of 5 is probably well outwith our reach, given that they will be playing under a huge amount of pressure each week against teams who will be happy to take a draw off us. To be honest, we only have two chances of staying up....Killie, Ross County or Partick Thistle absolutely imploding in the Bottom 6 ie taking 0-3 points, with us picking up enough to go above them ie winning 3 or 4 matches. At the moment, Killie look like the only team of the 3 who are on a downward spiral. Other than that, I'm praying that QoS somehow manage to negotiate a 2 legged play-off against Rangers and Hibs (or vice versa), as I'd fancy our chances against them to be better than playing Hibs or Rangers over 2 legs in the play-off final. In saying that though, we'd still be in with a fighting chance against either particularly with the 2nd leg being at Fir Park.

The (permanent) signing of Twardzik was the laziest signing I've ever known in all my time watching Motherwell....but there were another few that McCall signed during his tenure that could run it close. This pre-season coming is going to be one of almighty upheaval on the playing squad, regardless of the division we are in and who is in charge. Some of the fringe guys could be released if we stay up, but kept on if we go down and vice versa with the higher earners due to differing budgets in whatever division we end up in.

Lies.....dont you remember he headered past the post against Celtic when my 5 year old daughter would have finished it?

And another thing, I know we're covering old ground but Straker is an abomination of a football player. Alan Archibald was at Fir Park on Tuesday night and he had obviously spotted that this clown was a weak link, as time and time again Thistle played the ball down their right hand side. The amount of times McManus drifted out to the left to cover for him was shocking

By the time Thomas got on, we were fucked, he was fired out on the right and we had totally lost our shape altogether.

No one, each and every player was pish

I hope Baraclough is big enough to accept the blame for this defeat, the inclusion of Sutton from the start was bizarre, baffling and fucking stupid. On the way to the game we were discussing who he was going to replace Johnston with, each one of us said, anyone but Sutton...we then heard the team and were instantly deflated. Erwin is a forward, he isn't a left-mid...he and Skippy have been working great together and Sutton has been having an impact from the bench. We reverted back to the team we were before Sutton was dropped in favour of Erwin, and Baracloughs decision to re-instate him today has well and truly cost us. The team, were shite and I couldn't give any one of them (subs included), pass marks. Absolutely brutal to watch and we deserved everything we got.

I seen half the Accies squad in Nandos on Friday....fat bastards the lot of them. Wish I had took some photies

Firmly believe that more than 1 side should be in danger of being relegated and more than with the potential to be promoted. Without them, bothe the championship and premier would be virtually decided already. I suppose an argument could be 2 straight up/down, but the play-offs themselves will be hugely exciting and as a product they are great entertainment

Is anyone still stalking the players on Twitter to see what food they are eating or do we only do that when the team are getting pumped rotten?

Been watching us make a Harry Hunt of winning situations for years as well Orinoco, but Tuesday nights game even after 20minutes was as clear as day that we were going to be eventual winners....St Mirren were absolutely diabolical.