Jamwell Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 Would love Stephen Hughes to join the team He's a very clever player, could work well with our strike force Although I do agree that our midfield has been first class so far Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 All these 4-5-1 formations or variants of them with Stephen Hughes in the midfield are all very well but who would put the ball into the net? They would simply perpetuate our current deficiency up front. IF there is any spare cash going we need to invest in a striker. The last thing we need is another midfielder. Maybe he is just training with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 Our squad size is our vulnerability this season. Can't believe so many are resistant Says it all for me. Our squad is too small and our great season so far could all come tumbling down with a few suspensions and injuries. Suddenly there's talk of us adding a very decent midfielder to the squad, and folk start greeting about who he'll replace. Football is a squad game and ours is tiny - Stephen Hughes would be a great addition whether he'd go straight into the starting line-up or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bogsideloyal Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 From what I've seen this season I'd have humphrey ahead of murphy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzer Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 Randolph Hateley ----- Clancy/Hutch ----- Craigan ----- Hammell Jennings Murphy ----- Lasley ----- Hughes ----- Law Higdon I'd take that right now. To defensive all round! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liquid_football Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 Says it all for me. Our squad is too small and our great season so far could all come tumbling down with a few suspensions and injuries. Suddenly there's talk of us adding a very decent midfielder to the squad, and folk start greeting about who he'll replace. Football is a squad game and ours is tiny - Stephen Hughes would be a great addition whether he'd go straight into the starting line-up or not. Our squad is small, but so is the club's budget. If we were rolling in it, I'd welcome back Hughes in a heartbeat. But we're not. Midfield is about the one area we do have strength in depth, so why spend a sizeable amount on a players wages for cover we don't need? If Jennings and Lasley get injured, Law can drop into the middle and Forbes can come in. If Murphy and Higdon get injured, McHugh's leading the line himself, and while I rate him highly, he's no superman. Come january, I think that cash will be needed for a bit of cover up front and at the back. Because we have a small squad the club needs to be very careful about getting the right balance of players in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 Because we have a small squad the club needs to be very careful about getting the right balance of players in. Oh aye, I agree - but who knows exactly how much Hughes will be wanting in wages? McCall doesn't appear to rate Forbes and if he decides we need another midfielder then that's his call. My point is more about the complete irrelevance of whether or not he'll go straight into the line-up and in place of who, as though football teams are only allowed to play the same 11 every week. However, admittedly I do like the look of Al B's proposed line-up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onthefringes Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 Motherwell supporters/forum sycophants/strokers in not wanting genuine ability added to our thin squad shocker! Fully paid up from Norwich, he gave me the impression he won't be hard to deal with given it settles his home life... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottW1886 Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 If he is not going to be hard to deal with I'd have him back in a heartbeat.... As Jay said, it's not as if we are forced to play the same 11 or the same formation week in week out. He signs as a member of the squad, and if he then gets into the starting 11 and plays well he has the chance to stay in there. Genuinely believe that he could be a player to benefit from Higdon's lay-offs - very intelligent footballer is Stephen Hughes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC'd Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 Did we really require Gow about this same time last season, when the budget was certainly used to its maximum? We still signed him on a short-term deal, in order for him to put himself in the shop window and to boost our numbers until the Transfer Window re-opened. A similar deal could be struck here, perhaps. Calderwood/Hibs would be out of their minds to not have a look at Hughes. As the game at ER last week, it was abundantly clear they had no link in order to get the ball to O'Connor/Agogo (or Griffiths, had he have played). There was no killer ball, there was no incisiveness, there was no drive from that midfield that is sorely missing Liam Miller/Zemmama. Hibs have the budget to pay what Hughes would probably like and would be vital to there push up the table. Good job Calderwood is a complete fud, and cant recognise this. As for Aberdeen, they seem over-joyed in the past month of the performances of Arnason and Osbourne. So, probably for one wont be too interested in SH. As CB appears to have used his budget on them and on the Kiwi Messi. Its been abundantly clear that SH family would like to stay in Lanarkshire/Scotland and therefore he may again be reluctant to take up a League 1 clubs offer. All speculation anyway, but it would be a nice option to have at least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobey_Dosser Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 Genuinely believe that he could be a player to benefit from Higdon's lay-offs - very intelligent footballer is Stephen Hughes. Murphy & Humphrey would also benefit from playing alongside Hughes while I imagine Hughes and Law would be on the same wavelength. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joeboy Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 To defensive all round! I.e. doesn't contain Humphrey? 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
'Wellfan 2k7 Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 To defensive all round! I agree. That line up would take Higdon out of the equation in terms of flick ons and such. We really need Humph down the wing. He's the player that causes trouble and opens space for murphy, law and lasley to get through on goal this season. Without him,, we'd score very few from Midfield and probably less from Murphy and Higdon. Hughes would sit on the bench and come on once every couple of weeks. but ofcourse, that would signal the end of the season for at least one of our players on the bench, most likely Mchugh. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuwell Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 I'd love to see him and Law play next to each other - could rip defences apart. If his demands are not great I'd take him back until the end of the season so that if we loose any of the midfield we'd have 1st dids on signing him on a longer deal - and apart from that if he's even only on the bench what a great potential game changing option to have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
well-army Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 Genuinely believe that he could be a player to benefit from Higdon's lay-offs - very intelligent footballer is Stephen Hughes. Murphy & Humphrey would also benefit from playing alongside Hughes while I imagine Hughes and Law would be on the same wavelength. I'd love to see him and Law play next to each other - could rip defences apart. apart from that if he's even only on the bench what a great potential game changing option to have. totally agree with all of the above. Would be a fantastic signing on a short term deal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 Our squad is small, but so is the club's budget. If we were rolling in it, I'd welcome back Hughes in a heartbeat. But we're not. Midfield is about the one area we do have strength in depth, so why spend a sizeable amount on a players wages for cover we don't need? If Jennings and Lasley get injured, Law can drop into the middle and Forbes can come in. If Murphy and Higdon get injured, McHugh's leading the line himself, and while I rate him highly, he's no superman. Come january, I think that cash will be needed for a bit of cover up front and at the back. Because we have a small squad the club needs to be very careful about getting the right balance of players in. This post hits the nail on the head for me. Hughes won't come cheap, and I don't think we should be paying first team regular wages to someone who really wouldn't improve our starting eleven at present. We have other areas to strengthen before midfield. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 This post hits the nail on the head for me. Hughes won't come cheap, and I don't think we should be paying first team regular wages to someone who really wouldn't improve our starting eleven at present. Al B's lineup shows how he could improve the starting eleven at present. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 Al B's lineup shows how he could improve the starting eleven at present. In theory, yes. The bottom line though is that our current midfield has got us to 2nd in the league table. We don't need to change anything. If someone like Jennings were to leave in January, then fair enough, but as things stand I don't see McCall changing the midfield and I don't think we should be looking to pay the kind of wage that Hughes would possibly want for a player to sit on the bench. There are better areas for that money to be spent at present. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dazzer Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 I.e. doesn't contain Humphrey? Your right there actually, Humphrey is playing much better than Murphy at present, but with Humphrey in the team it creates space for Law and Jennings, adding another player much the same as Jennings and Lasley is not a prefered option, and will make us even more defensive, when at present we are an attacking team which just lacks that final touch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 adding another player much the same as Jennings and Lasley is not a prefered option, and will make us even more defensive, when at present we are an attacking team which just lacks that final touch. Who is this 'another player much the same as Jennings and Lasley' you speak of? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 In theory, yes. The bottom line though is that our current midfield has got us to 2nd in the league table. We don't need to change anything. If someone like Jennings were to leave in January, then fair enough, but as things stand I don't see McCall changing the midfield and I don't think we should be looking to pay the kind of wage that Hughes would possibly want for a player to sit on the bench. There are better areas for that money to be spent at present. Maybe in the Jan transfer window, but Hughes is a free agent. I'm not saying I expect him to sign, but if no immediate offers transpire, he'd be as well picking up a 'lowly' wage and putting himself in the shop window than training for nowt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 In theory, yes. The bottom line though is that our current midfield has got us to 2nd in the league table. We don't need to change anything. It's not about change, anyway, it's about options. We have the option now of bringing on Daley for Humphrey. That's all well and good, but if a team has set up to defend against Humphrey, we aren't changing tactics with that swap. Hughes would give us another creative weapon and might even free up Murphy a bit more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 Hughes would give us another creative weapon and might even free up Murphy a bit more. If he were willing to come in on a squad players wage then I'd agree 100%. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 If he were willing to come in on a squad players wage then I'd agree 100%. Absolutely - it would have to be on those terms. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 25, 2011 Report Share Posted October 25, 2011 The chat about being weak up top is an obvious issue, but we're hardly inundated with offers from players willing to pitch up and get us goals. If there is a striker who can do the business out there without a club, I'd be amazed. Every club in the world needs a goalscorer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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