2016/17 Ins & Outs

[Onthefringes]

Unfair to judge Blyth on his record so far...he's hardly played. Once he's had some game time under his belt we can then assess him. Certainly a very different kind of player to Fletcher. There's no point in blooding a whole raft of youngsters now and end up getting relegated. That would be catastrophic. We need a blend of experience and youth; skill and stability/soundness.

 

Unfair to judge? Correct. Game time? Mr McGhoo alluded to being injury free and just needing to get his 'head right' so I'm not expecting we'll be able to judge anytime soon if at all.

[steelboy]

 

 

 

 

Reading the Grimsby forums, the general consensus is that Clay is a good pro but him getting a 2 year deal in the premiership is indicative to them of how far Scottish football has fallen. Worth bearing in mind that Grimsby didn't offer him a contract after playing 70+ games, I hope he isn't deemed as Pearson's replacement.

 

 

The official site labelling him an 'attacking' midfielder is a classic piece of Burrows propaganda.

[weeyin]

One league game into the season is far too early to judge any new signings. Arsene Wenger says it takes 6 months for any player to settle into a different league - I'm more prone to believe him.

[GazzyB]

The official site labelling him an 'attacking' midfielder is a classic piece of Burrows propaganda.

Pure false flag isnt it

[Guest]

What I cannot understand is we got rid of Fletcher (IMO never got a chance) I presume due to being injury prone and his replacement Blyth appears not to be any better.

 

Fletcher was injured for a season.

 

Blyth has missed one league game.

 

These are the same.

[Yassin]

Obviously it's early doors, but I get the distinct impression that the majority of our new signings will turn out to be nothing more than average at best, with most of them eventually moving on without making much of an impression here. A bit like last season.

 

I've said it before, but I thought we were supposed to be concentrating on bringing through players we've developed or lads that we've signed at a young age?

 

Of the guys we've brought in I can understand the signing of a 22 year old in Ben Heneghan & Carl McHugh who seems like a good young prospect, but the likes of Tait, Clay and Blyth seem like signings who aren't really making much sense.

 

Is Blyth really that much better than Craig Moore? When we send young players away on loan we always hear about how it's to give them game time and allow them to prove themselves, don't we? Didn't Moore play something like 25 games and score 14 goals or something for Ayr? What more can the guy do to prove himself? He goes away and plays regularly whilst scoring goals and gets sent on loan again?

 

I'd rather we employed a system where rather than bringing in guys in their mid 20's and older from the lower leagues of England we instead concentrated on bringing in one or two really good prospects who the manager deems first-team ready, and also concentrate on picking up exciting young prospects in their early & mid-teens that we can put into the youth system for a few years before drafting them into the senior side.

 

This policy of signing the players we have this summer and last season isn't going to work in the long term I don't think.

What's the alternative to this? Doing a Kilmarnock and signing 7 or 8 players who've never played a first team game?

[Lobey_Dosser]

 

Unfair to judge? Correct. Game time? Mr McGhoo alluded to being injury free and just needing to get his 'head right' so I'm not expecting we'll be able to judge anytime soon if at all.

That's a comment I picked up on. Found it particularly interesting as McGhee previously stressed the club had done their due diligence into the characters of the players when Blyth, Tait and Heneghan were unveiled.

[rambunctious]

That's a comment I picked up on. Found it particularly interesting as McGhee previously stressed the club had done their due diligence into the characters of the players when Blyth, Tait and Heneghan were unveiled.

I'm not sure if people are maybe reading too much into this comment. I certainly thought it came across as a joke as if to say he's a bit daft or something.

 

https://youtu.be/iQxKiTvcRS4

 

5:47 if people want to hear it again.

[fizoxy]

Blyth is behind on fitness because his injury prevented him from getting the full pre season. The head stuff was clearly a joke.

[Haggischomper]

The head stuff clearly referred to some of our fans...

[Andy_P]

Obviously it's early doors, but I get the distinct impression that the majority of our new signings will turn out to be nothing more than average at best, with most of them eventually moving on without making much of an impression here. A bit like last season.

 

I've said it before, but I thought we were supposed to be concentrating on bringing through players we've developed or lads that we've signed at a young age?

 

Yes, but not exclusively so. You'll remember of course the great play placed upon the investment in the scouting system and employment of a head of recruitment. Indeed both the scouting network and Martin Foyle, the current incumbent, were referenced in McGhee's presser in the build up to the Celtic game.

 

I always got the impression it was a two pronged approach. Take calculated gambles on players outwith the club who may generate a transfer fee further down the line AND development of our youth. Not a case of either or.

 

Of the guys we've brought in I can understand the signing of a 22 year old in Ben Heneghan & Carl McHugh who seems like a good young prospect, but the likes of Tait, Clay and Blyth seem like signings who aren't really making much sense.

 

Is Blyth really that much better than Craig Moore? When we send young players away on loan we always hear about how it's to give them game time and allow them to prove themselves, don't we? Didn't Moore play something like 25 games and score 14 goals or something for Ayr? What more can the guy do to prove himself? He goes away and plays regularly whilst scoring goals and gets sent on loan again?

 

Time will tell whether Blyth is better Moore but what more can Moore do? Well for a start over the next six months he can prove he can replicate or better that same form he showed last season in a higher division and that he can come up with a similar return or better the return he produced did when he was with Cowdenbeath on loan. That, combined with seeing him in training, will give McGhee a better indication as to whether he's going to have a future at Motherwell. If he does he may very well be recalled and given an opportunity in the latter half of the season.

 

I'd rather we employed a system where rather than bringing in guys in their mid 20's and older from the lower leagues of England we instead concentrated on bringing in one or two really good prospects who the manager deems first-team ready, and also concentrate on picking up exciting young prospects in their early & mid-teens that we can put into the youth system for a few years before drafting them into the senior side.

This policy of signing the players we have this summer and last season isn't going to work in the long term I don't think.

I think what you are seeking is already happening to an extent.

 

I give you the midfielder who netted our second goal against Edinburgh City Tom Fry who was been identified and brought up from Bristol City. His name escapes me but there was an ex-Sheffield Wednesday full-back who I believe was signed in the summer for the U20's too.

 

Alongside that you have the local talent that is going through the Academy process and whilst the argument about compensation is one for another time, has in recent months produced players that have gone on to the English top flight and Championship.

 

But of course that development doesn't always happen in a day so what are we to do in the meantime whilst we wait for them to be first team ready? Clearly we need to identify players for the here and now. I could see your point if we had brought in the likes of John Rankin, Kallum Higginbotham or Gary Harkins who were simply marking time and benefitting from another payday but when we appear to be making a concerted effort of identifying players that will hopefully help us in the here and now and then turn up some form of return, I find it something of an eye raiser that you would find fault in such a policy.

[Coolhandluc]

I have enjoyed the taxi chat, there is nothing happening with any transfers, I can't see why anyone wouldn't have enjoyed it.

Just catching up with this. Looks as if I have caused a stir by asking about it again. Granted, it was off topic but I found it interesting. So some of you couldn't give a flying f**k about it.

Fair enough, but the whole world doesn't revolve around MFC you know

[faddythedaddy]

Josh Stachini was the full back I think

[dossertillidie]

That's a comment I picked up on. Found it particularly interesting as McGhee previously stressed the club had done their due diligence into the characters of the players when Blyth, Tait and Heneghan were unveiled.

Questionable attitude from what I believe. Would say McGhees comments echo this

[Burn_Broomfield]

Greg Stewart away to Birmingham for £500k + add ons, only a year left on his deal.

[David]

What's the alternative to this? Doing a Kilmarnock and signing 7 or 8 players who've never played a first team game?

 

Not at all. As I said, Heneghan and McHugh seem like exactly the kind of players we should be signing. Seemingly with potential, and in their early 20's which means they could do the business here for a few years before being sold at profit.

 

Tait at 26 years old seems like a journeyman to be honest, and I've not really seen anything from him since he arrived (and I know it's still early doors) to suggest he's anything other than that.

 

Craig Clay is another one. Mid 20's, and has bounced around the lower English leagues from club to club over the years.

 

Blyth doesn't look like the kind of striker who's going to push McDonald or Moult for a starting position, so why not have young Moore on the bench with limited game time rather than sign someone else and put him out on loan again?

 

Personally, I'd have been looking to shift Luke Watt into that right back position rather than sign a 26-year-old journeyman, and with the addition of McHugh to our midfield we now have Lasley, Cadden, Thomas & McHugh with the likes of Ross McLean waiting on the fringes for their shot.

 

But we go and sign Clay (on a two-year deal!), who looks like a journeyman, and offer a trial to a 24-year-old who's played a handful of first-team games in ten seasons as a pro in Lee Lucas.

 

With the cash we've spent on the wages for Tait, Clay, Blyth and possibly on Lucas we could have brought in one or two players of a slightly higher quality I'd hope, maybe guys who look to have a higher chance of being sold on at profit.

 

I'd have kept Moore, and looked to sign a younger right-back with more potential to challenge with Watt and one quality midfielder rather than put money out on Tait, Clay, Byth and Lucas.

 

Who knows though, maybe these guys will turn the corner with us and become something special? I guess time will tell.

[wellowell]

Not our concern but to lose Hemmings and Stewart is a lot of goals to replace for Dundee I think they might struggle long term trying to replace that amount of goals

['Wellfan 2k7]

 

Not at all. As I said, Heneghan and McHugh seem like exactly the kind of players we should be signing. Seemingly with potential, and in their early 20's which means they could do the business here for a few years before being sold at profit.

 

Tait at 26 years old seems like a journeyman to be honest, and I've not really seen anything from him since he arrived (and I know it's still early doors) to suggest he's anything other than that.

 

Craig Clay is another one. Mid 20's, and has bounced around the lower English leagues from club to club over the years.

 

Blyth doesn't look like the kind of striker who's going to push McDonald or Moult for a starting position, so why not have young Moore on the bench with limited game time rather than sign someone else and put him out on loan again?

 

Personally, I'd have been looking to shift Luke Watt into that right back position rather than sign a 26-year-old journeyman, and with the addition of McHugh to our midfield we now have Lasley, Cadden, Thomas & McHugh with the likes of Ross McLean waiting on the fringes for their shot.

 

But we go and sign Clay (on a two-year deal!), who looks like a journeyman, and offer a trial to a 24-year-old who's played a handful of first-team games in ten seasons as a pro in Lee Lucas.

 

With the cash we've spent on the wages for Tait, Clay, Blyth and possibly on Lucas we could have brought in one or two players of a slightly higher quality I'd hope, maybe guys who look to have a higher chance of being sold on at profit.

 

I'd have kept Moore, and looked to sign a younger right-back with more potential to challenge with Watt and one quality midfielder rather than put money out on Tait, Clay, Byth and Lucas.

 

Who knows though, maybe these guys will turn the corner with us and become something special? I guess time will tell.

 

I think Moore is completely out of the picture- loaned out so he can keep playing but isn't valuable enough to demand a fee. Probably running down his contract.

 

 

 

Richard Tait looks to have played the best part of 300 games in 7 years - more than 40 a season on average. In those games he has consistently received a decent level of praise. That's a level of consistency which is on par with Stevie Hammell. So, yeah. 4 clubs, playing nearly every game and doing a good job. (Wikipedia source, so take that as you will)

 

 

Clay on the other hand has about 120 games in 6 seasons, with 7 other clubs. Fits the bill of a journeyman. But seems OK thus far.

[Onthefringes]

Another on the Luke Watt tip I see... The best fullback (who doesn't feature at fullback much in his development) we have never had!

[Busta Nut]

What are we judging Blyth on?

[superward]

Another on the Luke Watt tip I see... The best fullback (who doesn't feature at fullback much in his development) we have never had!

Was going to say similar!

 

Also Blyth hasn't even kicked a ball yet and isn't good enough it seems.

[Steelmen]

it is probably better for Moore to be out on loan playing for a team he helped get promotion last year(?) than getting splinters from sitting on our bench and getting a few minutes here and there when we take Moult or skippy off.

 

Haven't saw blyth play but from McGhee's comments he is a different player form what we have, whereas Moore is in the same mould as Moult and skippy.

 

Is Watt a right back? Tait certainly is but needs a bit of time to fit into our side.

 

Personally i am happy with Mcghee's signings. We needed players for midfield and now we have a couple. blyth, clay, lasley and cadden will all get plenty playing time this year and it is nice to have cover in case of injury and/or suspension. I think we are a wee bit heavy at the back but in McGhee we trust.

[ONeils40yarder]

'in the same mould as Moult and Skippy'...in what mould would that be given that both those mentioned are completely different types of player?

 

As for Moore, I do find myself confused with this one, we gave him an extra years contract based on his form with Ayr, then we sign another striker and send him away for another season long loan to the same side (albeit in a higher league now), the boy is at an age where it really should have been a case of him being back up for Moult and McDonald, and being able to see whether he would sink or swim. We are now in a position where Moult and Blyth are injured, McDonald struggles to play up to on his own and the only other natural alternative is the young fella Mackin, unless we try and convert Ainsworth or Johnson to play up there in the meantime

[Wellfan1984]

Was Moore meant to sign his contract with us or were we hoping to play the compensation game? Not forgetting McDonald wasn't the quickest to re-sign was he?

[Del_Superwell]

See McGhee was saying in the press today that Blyth is on the bench tomorrow, Hammell apparently doubtful with a calf problem.