The African

Anyone championing McLean is borderline daft. A Motherwell legend but from a different era.McCall is not my favourite MFC manager but he is the man in place so we have to get behind him. He will hopefully I still the necessary fitness and organisation and get us out of the mire we are in. The other option is too much of a gamble.Let's hope, if he stays beyond the end of the season, he learns from the experience, which will be to everyone's advantage.

I think we still have a couple of games before we need to make a decision on the manager's position. After having played each of our rivals once might be the time. Whether a change is the right decision will also be tricky. Things look bleak now but we have enough talent to turn it around. Basics such as organisation, fitness and, dare I question the motivation of professionals, desire need to addressed. The fact that we are doing this mid season is a question for another day, but we are in a serious rut and need to find a route out of it, and quickly.

Do not have a problem with the manager going off on Scotland duty. The break might do him good.Seeing as very few of our squad will be involved I would give them a couple of days off to think about things. Get them back in on Thursday and do nothing but serious fitness for a week. We need to get back to basics and a fit team is just the start. If the players don't like it, tough.The next few games should be played with a view to pick up whatever we can. Simple four four two, hard to break down and fighting hard for every scrap. This season is now about retaining our premiership place. We have to earn that and only hard work and organisation are available to us in trying to achieve this end.

Good luck to Faddy. If he is fit then he will do Saints a decent turn.Looks like we may have missed the boat with this one, mind you, looking at the condition of our side, who would trust our management team to make a decision on "fitness".

Faddy was and always will be one of my all time favourite 'well players. The fact he had the skills to take it to a higher level and perform at EPL and international level put him up with the likes of St John and McAllister in terms of class. If he is not worth a contract then he is either completely crooked or McCall is an arse. He obviously loves the club and would want to play for us.The issue now is that he does seem to be fit enough to get a deal elsewhere in the SPL and we have spent our limited budget on players who are comparatively shite. Not good business if that is the way it works out.

Would love to see Faddy back but seems unlikely to say the least.Unfair to compare him with Law. A legend and a current make weight. I hope Josh can make the step up and provide something worthwhile, even if it is not this season.

He would be out of his depth in any of these jobs in England. He should look at all the people who have left for better things and fallen flat in their faces and realise that Motherwell are a good fit for him.

Should we worry about a "new manager" bounce for county?

Personally I'd have rather had Clarkson than Pearson.

Actually I do remember that, but I was over here in New Zealand when that match was played so it was on around Saturday morning our time.

Out of interest, have we ever won a Friday night fixture?

Thanks for that. My late father was at that game and never tired of telling me and my brother 9who had stayed from the family tradition and follows Hibs) all about it. We had some team coming through at that time. A shame they never won any silver-wear while at the club but we were a selling club even then.

Moving to just outside New Plymouth in Taranaki. North Island, on the west coast, about half way between Auckland and Wellington.

Thanks guys, good to know I will not be on my own in the land of the long white cloud.

Next Wednesday I leave Scotland for a stint in New Zealand. Are there any other 'well fans out in that corner of the world? I aim to be there for at least the next two years so I expect at least two cup final appearances and a win in at least one in my absence. I know it was hard being a 'well fan in Edinburgh but it is surprising how many of us are out there and I was even lucky enough to meet a few in my time out in South Africa a few years ago. Here's hoping I will not be the only bloke with a claret and amber scarf in Taranaki.

On the subject of Ross McCormack, did anyone see Steven Naismith saying that his career took a dip after he left Rangers but his move to England had worked wonders for him on the BBC last night? What a clueless twat.

Certainly gives us a chance.

I see that FC Koper from Slovenia are a possible 2nd round opponent. Was there last September and seemed a nice place. Ground looked pretty compact though.

Personally cannot see past the last one. Had everything you'd want in a goal and more.

"Unsung heroes" and "team of the year", talk about oxymoronic. The truth is we are the team of the season, again. With our resources we have no right to be where we are, and given the changes in our squad, this years' performance is even more remarkable than last. What the media wanks fail to understand is that, to be a real hero you don't need hype, you have to do something heroic.

So we are out of the running for Craig Gordon?

We need to get a better keeper in. The points we have lost because of Gunnars lapses may not cost us second place this season, but they are a luxury a club like ours canniot normally afford. Randolph and Ruddy may have spoilt us over the last few seasons, but a half decent and safe keeper is surely not beyond our means, Some sympathy with Hollis as he might have fitted that particular bill, but injuries have conspired against him having the chance to prove it.

This always had the look of a dog turd of a match for us. Time to regroup and prepare for our next match.

Our club has been fortunate to have many great players in it's long and proud history. Andy Paton undoubtedly ranks up there with the finest. My late father told me often of how current players could not lace the boots of the likes of Paton and Aitken from the great 'well sides he had seen in his youth. Who am I to argue. RIP and sincere condolences to his family.

Cup defeats are always hard to take and this is no different. I think it tells us where we are this season. There is s serious rebuilding job required and if McCall is not up for it then it will be time for him Togo, s loner rather than later.Worst result ever? Well I am gutted but nothing compared to how I felt after the semi final defeat to Rangers in 1976.Congratulations to Albion Rovers and their fans. They do not have many days like this so I hope they enjoy it.There is always next season for us.