Next Gaffer?

[Mitch]

Some fans look for an excuse not to go back. They will find the next excuse soon enough!

 

Pantie wetters

[dosser1886]

Good points. Presumably we'll lose fans as a result of Mark McGhee's appointment but don't forget we'll have fans returning as some indicated they would no longer attend until such time as Ian Baraclough left - he's now departed. We also had fans returning once john Boyle departed. No doubt some will not return until Les Hutchison leaves the scene. Our fan base is constantly shifting and changing although a consistent core tends to remain.

Or people are just talking shite on a football forum and have been going all along.

[grizzlyg]

Have spent last few days reading all the posts it's obvious there is a huge split on McGhee's appointment. I wasn't exactly pleased but I think he will steady the ship and give the players a kick up the backside. In his previous spell the way he touted himself for other jobs was embarrassing but I still can't forget the way he handled the Phil O'Donnell tragedy, he deserves credit for that (and not the embarrassing chants at Pittodrie that day). At end of day if he is still looking for a top job (Which he has no chance of getting) he has to be doing well with us. He will only be linked with jobs if the Well are going great.

 

Been a lot of folk wanting Valakari but that would have been a gamble IMHO, Yes doing well in Finland but Bara had great record in Ireland and look what happened.

 

The main thing is that the Well are succesful and we all need to get behind the manager and players, you don't need to like him but the world would be dull if we liked everyone

 

Grizzlyg......NEWS aT TEN

[Spiderpig]

 

Been a lot of folk wanting Valakari but that would have been a gamble IMHO, Yes doing well in Finland but Bara had great record in Ireland and look what happened.

 

 

Grizzlyg......NEWS aT TEN

 

 

I know opinion is split on McGhee but he was what th club needed. If Valkari, VDG, Maaskant etc had never played for the club would anybody have mentioned them as potential managers based soley on their records as managers i think not.

The club have had their fingers burnt twice now by left field appointments in Gannon and Barraclough so a tried and tested safe pair of hands was required.

[steelboy]

I know opinion is split on McGhee but he was what th club needed. If Valkari, VDG, Maaskant etc had never played for the club would anybody have mentioned them as potential managers based soley on their records as managers i think not.

The club have had their fingers burnt twice now by left field appointments in Gannon and Barraclough so a tried and tested safe pair of hands was required.

 

I would argue that the benefit of bringing in Valakari or Van Der Gaag is getting someone who has experience in several different countries at a decent level during their career but also have some knowledge of dealing with Scottish players, living here and despite being here a while ago will have an idea of the circumstances at Fir Park.

[Shaka]

people making remarks about Simo and the Finnish league only have to look at the Europa League results to know its a lot higher standard than the Irish League. Its also not true SJK have a bigger budget than the rest.

 

The Finnish league is not far from a par with the SPL (minus Celtic). HJK last year beat Rapid Vienna to qualify then FC Copenhagen + Torino in the group stage. This year they were pumped by Krasnodar. SJK `s budget is £1.5m pa approx, so is ours. And they are prob 3rd or 4th biggest in the league. So while Simo would be viewed as left field it would have been as left field as a Derek McInness or Tommy Wright style appointment

[superwell87]

McGhee was far from my first choice, but a safer bet than some of the names in the hat. I'm still annoyed at the way he left the club last time, but am prepared to put that as water under the bridge and give him I'm another chance.

[Ya Bezzer!]

It was actually your messiah himself that said we were left with nothing..

 

McGhee said: "Gannon deserves a lot of credit. I felt he had the hardest job out of all of the managers because this summer and last season Motherwell lost Paul Quinn, David Clarkson, Stephen Hughes, Maros Klimpl, Graeme Smith, Ross McCormack and Chris Porter.

 

"That's the best of my team that finished third. So he had to pick it up with all that talent gone and with young lads who had never been proven."

 

Better have another look at your history book, mind appears to be a bit foggy.

 

McGhee isn't my messiah. I already said that he wouldn't have been my pick and listed the reasons why. However I will support him as a new manager coming in with an important job to do. Also if you are going to quote someone better put a reference cos I can write McGhee said "[insert anything you like]" if its not actually based on a verifiable quote.

 

Thirdly if McGhee said that he was wrong. If you take, say, the side that famously drew 6-6 with Hibernian on the second last match of the season 7 of the starting 11 were at the club when McGhee left (Hammell, Craigan, Reynolds, Sutton, Murphy, O'Brien, Saunders). Lasley would have made it 8 if not for injury.

 

So getting back to the original point - that McGhee left us with "nothing", your word, I think you will find you are plainly wrong.

[mio]

 

I would argue that the benefit of bringing in Valakari or Van Der Gaag is getting someone who has experience in several different countries at a decent level during their career but also have some knowledge of dealing with Scottish players, living here and despite being here a while ago will have an idea of the circumstances at Fir Park.

You've just described McGhee

[jk2205]

 

McGhee isn't my messiah. I already said that he wouldn't have been my pick and listed the reasons why. However I will support him as a new manager coming in with an important job to do. Also if you are going to quote someone better put a reference cos I can write McGhee said "[insert anything you like]" if its not actually based on a verifiable quote.

 

Thirdly if McGhee said that he was wrong. If you take, say, the side that famously drew 6-6 with Hibernian on the second last match of the season 7 of the starting 11 were at the club when McGhee left (Hammell, Craigan, Reynolds, Sutton, Murphy, O'Brien, Saunders). Lasley would have made it 8 if not for injury.

 

So getting back to the original point - that McGhee left us with "nothing", your word, I think you will find you are plainly wrong.

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/2610909/McGhee-Jim-Gannon-is-doing-great-job-at-Motherwell.html

 

Just for you precious.

 

And secondly, since you like your numbers you'll realise that you can't sustain a season with seven/eight players. McGhee was right, Gannon was "lumbered with the toughest task in the SPL." The endless speculation about him trying to take O'Brien to Pittodrie was also helpful.

[Ya Bezzer!]

http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/2610909/McGhee-Jim-Gannon-is-doing-great-job-at-Motherwell.html

 

Just for you precious.

 

And secondly, since you like your numbers you'll realise that you can't sustain a season with seven/eight players. McGhee was right, Gannon was "lumbered with the toughest task in the SPL." The endless speculation about him trying to take O'Brien to Pittodrie was also helpful.

 

There were more than 7 or 8 players in the squad left by McGhee as already stated, the 7 or 8 mentioned were simply first choice players more or less a year down the line from McGhee's departure.

 

I never said anything about sustaining a season with the pool of players left. All I've done is direct you to the fact, yes, fact, that McGhee did not leave us with "nothing". What he left us with was about 70%-75% of a successful first team and a bunch of talented young players on the sidelines.

 

The quality of player lost after McGhee's stint as manager was perhaps higher than normal but the actual rebuilding job that was required afterwards wasn't especially notable in terms of numbers. For instance it pales into insignificance compared with last summer.

 

But this is all getting a bit tedious now, so let's leave it here. The facts speak for themselves.

[jk2205]

They do.

 

A large section of our fan base travelled to Aberdeen to direct abuse at McGhee (rightly or wrongly, although the content was certainly questionable) because his commitment to the club was lacking in his second season and he left the club in a pretty poor state and to put it bluntly..f*ked off up to aberdeen. The abuse he copped that day was testament to the feelings that developed over the previous eight weeks.

 

I agree, the rebuild was no where near what we went through last summer, however we had the same manager with direction and a plan (albeit not a very good one). The summer of 09 we were left short in several key areas with no manager and a European campaign only weeks away.

 

But he has the well tie on so he will get my backing along with the majority of fans, however wounds remain deep for some.

[Goggles & Flippers]

I'll start off y saying I'm not fussed either way he has returned, certainly without seeing who the other 79 CV's belonged to.

 

However I have read a lot of "the way he conducted himself" concerning the circumstances surrounding O'Donnell's collapse. Does anyone think that whoever we had standing on our touchline wouldn't have dealt with things with a degree of reverence and respect that would have got universal acclaim? Would have been a bit of a callous, self absorbed, arsehole with no social intelligence that would have.

[weeyin]

I'll start off y saying I'm not fussed either way he has returned, certainly without seeing who the other 79 CV's belonged to.

 

However I have read a lot of "the way he conducted himself" concerning the circumstances surrounding O'Donnell's collapse. Does anyone think that whoever we had standing on our touchline wouldn't have dealt with things with a degree of reverence and respect that would have got universal acclaim? Would have been a bit of a callous, self absorbed, arsehole with no social intelligence that would have.

So, Colin Calderwood then?

[Brazilian]

Some more positive spin on us not knowing what we were not told, and having to judge on actual events that we did know about; look forward to waiting many more years in the hope we find out what really happens at the club we are all meant to be part of,
- Herald Scotland

Fans don't know full story about Mark McGhee's Motherwell exit, he deserves his chance to impress again, says Alan Burrows

13/10/15 . FIR PARK - MOTHERWELL . Mark McGhee is unveiled as Motherwell manager at Fir Park.. (42318401)

Scott Mullen, Group Sports Writer / 2 hours ago / Sport

0 comments

STAND outside Fir Park on Saturday morning and ask the Motherwell support what they remember most about Mark McGhee’s first spell in charge, and you are guaranteed to get a pretty broad-ranging set of responses. It is perhaps testament to him and a bit of a back-handed compliment that not all of the answers, particularly those relating to his departure, may be positive.

McGhee had more to contend with in his two years at Fir Park than some managers do throughout their entire career, and tomorrow he will find him back in the home dugout ready for some more of it. Originally brought in by John Boyle during the summer of 2007, the former Brighton and Hove Albion manager was charged with resurrecting a team that had finished second bottom the previous season and inject some belief and purpose into a squad that was struggling to find itself. Sound familiar?

This he did in style as Motherwell were catapulted up the table and beyond with them making their first foray over to the continent since the Euro became was the currency of choice for those peely wally souls in Lanarkshire who were starting to consider a pre-season jolly to Stenhousemuir as a tropical destination. With success came interest and McGhee was no different, with the infamous tale about how he was ready to board a flight to Lithuania to meet Hearts owner Vladimir Romanov before a sudden change of heart still talked about to this day. He returned to Fir Park but it was not a relationship that was to last too long, with his former club Aberdeen taking him north in the summer of 2009.

It was an exit, and perceived desire to leave, that still rankles a small element of the Motherwell support, which at the time included an even smaller minority who verbally abused him during a match at Pittodrie between the two clubs soon after his switch.

“I’ve only read small bits and bobs on social media and I’ve also spoken to a couple of fans. I think the problem, as far as I can see, is that there is an incorrect perception about how Mark left Motherwell,” Alan Burrows, the Motherwell general manager told Herald Sport. “That’s not the fault of the fans. It’s like an iceberg. Supporters see the tip of it, and that’s just the way it is. I understand the supporters’ perceptions and I can see why it has been built up, but it is different to what happened.

“It’s Mark’s right to keep it private and I understand and respect him for it. It’s a shame because, particularly in the first season, he did a tremendous job with the team. A bit like now, he inherited a group of players that finished second bottom, they were low on confidence and the fans had no faith in them but Mark transformed them into a spectacular winning team.

“I hope the fans give him a chance. Paraphrasing Mark, he said that all he wants is an opportunity to prove his worth. He doesn’t feel that what he did before should grant him that, he hopes it proves to people he can do it and he wants the chance to do it again. I would back 100 per cent on that and I hope the supporters do.”

Ironically, the familiar face of Burrows was only one of a few that greeted McGhee as he returned to Fir Park last week to try and earn himself a contract. In the six years that have elapsed, wholesale changes have taken place at the Ladbrokes Premiership club with only three players remaining from his team of 2009, while at board level Boyle has departed and Les Hutchison and the influence of the Well Society have swept in.

It is a fresh look at an old landscape that Burrows believes will offer McGhee the best of both worlds.

“The thing I would say is the people who picked him, interviewed him and hired him have never worked with him,” he said. “That’s the three members of the football committee, the chairman and the owner. I was here, but I wasn’t involved in it. It’s the board and the owner that pick the manager.

“Most of the players apart from a small handful haven’t worked with him and the club itself has changed a lot since Mark was last here. In lots of ways he is walking into a club that will be brand new to him.

“There’s plenty there for Mark to get his teeth into in terms of taking things forward and hopefully being successful with us.”

McGhee’s return was a poignant one for Burrows on both a personal and professional level. In the summer of 2007 it was the new Motherwell manager’s influence and warmth that welcomed a then fan blogger into the fold during a pre-season trip to Austria, a move that would eventually open up a path for the life-long supporter to build a career at Fir Park that would see him rise to the role of general manager last year.

On a personal level, Burrows can, sadly, recall only too well the way McGhee united a club in mourning and guided them through a sea of grief following the death of captain Phil O’Donnell on December 29, 2007.

“One of the things I remember was that Mark and Scott [Leitch] were very good with me in Austria,” he recollected. “They welcomed me in, they helped me, they even invited me in to eat with the players and the club rather than leave me on my own to find somewhere. It was things like that which made me feel part of the whole thing.

“The way Mark handled Phil’s passing was exemplary. There’s not a manual for it, nobody, including myself, knew what to do. I’d only been in the job three months and I was shocked by it all. He was very strong, decisive and calm and that helped everyone at the club. In a different situation if Mark hadn’t been in charge, I think for the club to get back on its feet and repaired itself could have been a lot more difficult.”

PS. McGhee might have done well for the club in the aftermath of Phils death, as a manager, I find it tough reading the praise over and over having heard the other side from some of the family

[Spiderpig]

All of this angst, soul searching and mock outrage about McGhees appointment is becoming feckin tiresome, its an open forum and people are entitled to their opinions but in all reality apart from a few precious souls on here, do the vast majority of Well fans really give a Feck what he allegedly done or said years ago, i know i don't. All i am interested in is how he sets up the team, gets their confidence back up and gets the winning mentality back, i will judge him on his actions and results from now, not on what did or did not happen 8 years ago.

[Tonicg]

I've heard from a direct member of the family and they have not a bad word to say about McGhee.

 

Someone said it should be obvious for a manager how to handle a situation like that but like Burrows says, there is no manual and i for one will always remember how well Mark McGhee conducted himself and represented my club in such difficult times.

[Onthefringes]

Enough of the chat with regards the family. It's crass.

[Kmcalpin]

All of this angst, soul searching and mock outrage about McGhees appointment is becoming feckin tiresome, its an open forum and people are entitled to their opinions but in all reality apart from a few precious souls on here, do the vast majority of Well fans really give a Feck what he allegedly done or said years ago, i know i don't. All i am interested in is how he sets up the team, gets their confidence back up and gets the winning mentality back, i will judge him on his actions and results from now, not on what did or did not happen 8 years ago.

Won't disagree with that Allan. He's here to do a job and if he does it well then fine. Our main task this season is to finish above 11th position in the league and, if possible have a decent cup run.

[MelvinBragg]

Enough of the chat with regards the family. It's crass.

I agree. It's crass and also irrelevant. But that should also apply to those within and outwith the club using it as evidence of how great a guy he is/was. Should all be about his football management ability.

 

Was never his biggest fan first time around but he starts with a clean slate and I'll judge him on how he does this time. I'll admit there were some fantastic performances under him last time (away to Hibs in the league cup was my particular favourite) but there were also some stinkers (St Mirren in the Scottish cup a particular low). But those were different times and a different team so let's see what he can do with this one. As others have said, with the plethora of strikers, I'll be interested if he can create the same sort of attacking team that he did last time round. Moult reminds me of Chris Porter so you never know. Defence? Well, he wanted a big dominant centre back and we have Kennedy who looks like he fits the bill. Luke Watt? Can McGhee straighten out his alleged attitude problems?

 

Midfield will be the interesting area. Will he see something in Jake Taylor or will he stick with Lasley and Pearson? Where will the likes of Leitch, Grimshaw, McLean and Cadden feature in his thinking?

 

While he wouldn't have been my first pick for the job, I await with interest to see what decisions he makes...

[star sail]

I have just had the chance to catch up on all the chat since McGhee's appointment and can't quite believe what I am reading. For me the biggest disgrace in the whole McGhee story the first time round was having to endure 90 mins of filth at Pittodrie when there was the paedo chants from the Well fans. It was a total embarrassment that day, not to mention totally distasteful on any level you care to think of but that's it with football fans, first to offend, easily offended. McGhee has more to forgive us for than we have to forgive him for.

 

I think it takes someone with great emotional intelligence and leadership to be the face and voice of a group or organisation in mourning and McGhee performed those duties with genuine dignity. For that alone, McGhee deserves our support.

 

I happen to think that this is a great appointment. There can be few, if any managers in football, willing to consider the Motherwell job, that has the managerial experience that McGhee has. He has a presence that, much as I liked Baraclough, has been lacking and in the prime of life regarding football management.

 

Yes he has made his mistakes, but he will be a better manager for it and he was pretty decent the first time round. Was reading Jim Paterson, Stephen Craigan and Keith Lasley wax lyrical about the impact he had on the team the first time around and about how he knocked them into shape. Anything like the same reaction from the players again and we could easily be top 6.

 

The best football I have every watched was under McGhee. I remember a game against Aberdeen at FP in late November (I think) of that first season and in the first half hour Aberdeen hardly touched the ball. It was superb to watch. Stephen Hughes ran the show from memory that day,Were we 3-0 up after half an hour in that game?

 

Welcome back Mark McGhee. All the very best!!!

[Shire Greats]

They do.

 

A large section of our fan base travelled to Aberdeen to direct abuse at McGhee (rightly or wrongly, although the content was certainly questionable) because his commitment to the club was lacking in his second season and he left the club in a pretty poor state and to put it bluntly..f*ked off up to aberdeen. The abuse he copped that day was testament to the feelings that developed over the previous eight weeks.

 

I agree, the rebuild was no where near what we went through last summer, however we had the same manager with direction and a plan (albeit not a very good one). The summer of 09 we were left short in several key areas with no manager and a European campaign only weeks away.

 

But he has the well tie on so he will get my backing along with the majority of fans, however wounds remain deep for some.

"Rightly or wrongly" ......there's no debate , if that's their default position to chant what they did, then they were totally out of order.

I was there that day and was cringing at being a well fan

Surprised the guy wants to come back , credit to him

[underboyleheating]

if possible have a decent cup run.

What drugs are you on, and can I get some?

[Kmcalpin]

What drugs are you on, and can I get some?

Optimism

[underboyleheating]

Optimism

In order to visualise a Motherwell cup run, it would require Opium not Optimism.