Former Motherwell Fc Players Thread

[underboyleheating]

Hearing reports that a fight broke out between McFadden and McGregor in the changing rooms after the Kazakhstan debacle. I wouldn’t be surprised to see McFadden and Mcleish being sacked after another embarrassing result. 

[weeyin]

31 minutes ago, underboyleheating said:

Hearing reports that a fight broke out between McFadden and McGregor in the changing rooms after the Kazakhstan debacle. I wouldn’t be surprised to see McFadden and Mcleish being sacked after another embarrassing result. 

Not going to happen until after we lose the Europa Nations Runners Up Celebrity Subbuteo Play-off semi-final.

[underboyleheating]

2 minutes ago, weeyin said:

Not going to happen until after we lose the Europa Nations Runners Up Celebrity Subbuteo Play-off semi-final.

Our final opportunity to get in via the triple locked Euro back door.  Even Brexit has a better chance of success than the Scottish National Team.  

[Lobey_Dosser]

McLeish and McFadden must both be sacked this weekend. One has clearly been unwell for some time while the other is not sufficiently qualified as a coach. 

[steelboy]

Henri Anier and Ojaama are both starting for Estonia against Northern Ireland.

[GazzyB]

43 minutes ago, Lobey_Dosser said:

McLeish and McFadden must both be sacked this weekend. One has clearly been unwell for some time while the other is not sufficiently qualified as a coach. 

Unwell? You mean drink related?

[numpty]

45 minutes ago, Lobey_Dosser said:

McLeish and McFadden must both be sacked this weekend. One has clearly been unwell for some time while the other is not sufficiently qualified as a coach. 

No chance they'll be sacked one game into a campaign, sadly.

[Lobey_Dosser]

9 minutes ago, GazzyB said:

Unwell? You mean drink related?

Not in my opinion. His memory has been all over the place for some time sadly. 

[smiddy]

2 hours ago, underboyleheating said:

Hearing reports that a fight broke out between McFadden and McGregor in the changing rooms after the Kazakhstan debacle. I wouldn’t be surprised to see McFadden and Mcleish being sacked after another embarrassing result. 

i wonder after that shite today, that faddy will be back sitting in the nice warm studio giving his opinion and criticising players and team selection when our own league starts back ?

[Clackscat]

Henri Anier and Ojaama are both starting for Estonia against Northern Ireland.

Indeed, both subbed and Anier missed a 1 on 1 just before NI scored their second.

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[Al B]

2 hours ago, GazzyB said:

Unwell? You mean drink related?

Early on-set dementia. Sadly been fairly obvious there's been something wrong with him for a couple of years, but have heard from more than one usually reliable source that it was diagnosed shortly before he was given the job.

Regardless of opinion, objectively Alex Mcleish is a bona-fide legend of Scottish football, and the powers that be should be doing everything they can to look after him....instead they are absolutely chucking him under the bus with this job. It really doesn't sit well with me at all, although I'm not hugely surprised.

[The African]

6 hours ago, Al B said:

Early on-set dementia. Sadly been fairly obvious there's been something wrong with him for a couple of years, but have heard from more than one usually reliable source that it was diagnosed shortly before he was given the job.

Regardless of opinion, objectively Alex Mcleish is a bona-fide legend of Scottish football, and the powers that be should be doing everything they can to look after him....instead they are absolutely chucking him under the bus with this job. It really doesn't sit well with me at all, although I'm not hugely surprised.

If true, and not in a position to say one way or another, this would be completely unacceptable. It has looked for some time like Scottish football is an utter clusterf*ck. This would surely put the tin hat on it.

[twistandshout1983]

Was a bad move bringing back McLeish in the first place and have a feeling it will all end in disaster.

Never really rated the guy tbh 

[Guest]

Asking him to step aside after the Nations League would've made sense to me.

Getting someone in as they were punting their chief exec was difficult, so McLeish doing what was required for 6 months gives you 6 months to hunt someone longer term, and in turn would've given them a few months to prepare for the qualifying campaign. 

[Kmcalpin]

12 hours ago, Al B said:

Early on-set dementia. Sadly been fairly obvious there's been something wrong with him for a couple of years, but have heard from more than one usually reliable source that it was diagnosed shortly before he was given the job.

Regardless of opinion, objectively Alex Mcleish is a bona-fide legend of Scottish football, and the powers that be should be doing everything they can to look after him....instead they are absolutely chucking him under the bus with this job. It really doesn't sit well with me at all, although I'm not hugely surprised.

I don't have much time for Alex McLeish.  His time in charge at Fir Park was the only time I've ever considered stopping going to Fir Park.  He couldn't leave us quick enough to go to Hibs and annoyed our directors big time in the process.  He did the same at Hibs (what went around came around) to join Rangers.  It left a bad taste in the mouth.  When he was sacked from Ibrox  he was slotted in by the SFA as national manager.  When an offer came in from Birmingham he was offski double quick again.  In his managerial career he's shown no loyalty or class at all. I've always been of the view he should never have been re-appointed last year.  Part of the Old Boys network.  That was before I read your post Al. 

Like many, I've suspected that he's had health problems but didn't know any specifics.  I'm genuinely sorry to hear that it might be early onset dementia - a horrible condition and if that is indeed the case I wish him and his family well. 

However, if he knew that, before being offered the Scotland job once again he should not have accepted it.  He will be very well off financially and is 60 after all.  Whats more if he told the SFA about it at the time and they were still keen to appoint him then they too must accept a fair share of responsibility.  In short a totally unsatisfactory situation all round. 

Lets not forget that he's human though and if he does have a serious illness then I wish him well.  It could happen to any of us. 

To finish on a lighter note, after this extremely depressing subject, Theresa May could have done with Alex McLeish's asssistance  in getting us out of Europe quickly. 

[weeyin]

22 hours ago, Al B said:

Early on-set dementia. Sadly been fairly obvious there's been something wrong with him for a couple of years, but have heard from more than one usually reliable source that it was diagnosed shortly before he was given the job.

Regardless of opinion, objectively Alex Mcleish is a bona-fide legend of Scottish football, and the powers that be should be doing everything they can to look after him....instead they are absolutely chucking him under the bus with this job. It really doesn't sit well with me at all, although I'm not hugely surprised.

I wouldn't for one second attempt a diagnosis, but it was obvious from his media appearances prior to the Scotland job that he had some kind of illness. Primarily from the mild slurring in his speech. 

Of course, that doesn't mean dementia - for all I know it could be a dental issue. Or even a mild stroke from which he's made an otherwise full recovery. Unfortunately, as a prominent centre-half in his day that spent many years heading heavy footballs, it is more likely to be some kind of head-trauma related condition.

Regardless, I agree with Al B. Putting his history as Motherwell gaffer aside, he is worthy of the legend status playing in a team that broke the OF stranglehold on the SPL title, winning a European trophy and being half of a defnesive partnership with Willie Miller that was truly world class. He just shouldn't have been anywhere near the Scotland job.

[Busta Nut]

16 minutes ago, weeyin said:

I wouldn't for one second attempt a diagnosis, but it was obvious from his media appearances prior to the Scotland job that he had some kind of illness. Primarily from the mild slurring in his speech. 

Of course, that doesn't mean dementia - for all I know it could be a dental issue. Or even a mild stroke from which he's made an otherwise full recovery. Unfortunately, as a prominent centre-half in his day that spent many years heading heavy footballs, it is more likely to be some kind of head-trauma related condition.

Regardless, I agree with Al B. Putting his history as Motherwell gaffer aside, he is worthy of the legend status playing in a team that broke the OF stranglehold on the SPL title, winning a European trophy and being half of a defnesive partnership with Willie Miller that was truly world class. He just shouldn't have been anywhere near the Scotland job.

Aberdeen fans would be beeiling. It was 2 european trophies!

[weeyin]

Haha! Very true. Although that other one was a bit more like England winning the Ashes or Cambridge winning the boat race.

[sinjy]

I loath McLeish. His time at Fir Park was terrible and what  annoyed  me was that he was never criticised in the press. His spending  and signings were a joke. Shaun  McSkimming a journey  man  we paid a fortune  for,  two attackers  Kirk  and McGrillan and money for Eddie  May a full back. Andy  Roddie and John Hendrie still give me the shivers considering we paid money  for them.  Hendrie  went  to Stirling Albion  and two years later  was playing  for Pollok Juniors. He left  us in a terrible state and Harry Kampman had to bring in loads of players.  But enough  about  him.  However I  once heard an experienced manager  saying that  a good judge  of a managers  ability was the state he left  a club in. McLeish failed  on that front too. 

[Andy_P]

1 hour ago, sinjy said:

I loath McLeish. His time at Fir Park was terrible and what  annoyed  me was that he was never criticised in the press. His spending  and signings were a joke. Shaun  McSkimming a journey  man  we paid a fortune  for,  two attackers  Kirk  and McGrillan and money for Eddie  May a full back. Andy  Roddie and John Hendrie still give me the shivers considering we paid money  for them.  Hendrie  went  to Stirling Albion  and two years later  was playing  for Pollok Juniors. He left  us in a terrible state and Harry Kampman had to bring in loads of players.  But enough  about  him.  However I  once heard an experienced manager  saying that  a good judge  of a managers  ability was the state he left  a club in. McLeish failed  on that front too. 

Some of that I agree with. Some less so.

I can't say I loathe him.  Even though things didn't work as well as they might I always thought McLeish was a really good bloke.  Any dealings I had with him he was friendly, happy to give of his time and pretty open and honest.

You're absolutely right though in that I can barely recall a Motherwell manager getting the same "protection" in the media.  The further down the table we went the more he seemed to be talked up as this terrific promising young manager. I remember him being linked with a move away around the time we to Parkhead and got smashed 5-0.  You might have thought some questions might have been asked but no the line was that Motherwell fans should be doing everything they could to encourage this great young manager in the making to stay.

He was sensible enough to continue to let McLean's team do its stuff but when that twenty odd game domestic run came to a halt the slide was never really halted.  We did enough to finish second of course but the second half of that saw saw a 6-1 loss to Dundee Utd who were relegated and 3-0 to Falkirk who were fighting relegation and that was as good as it would ever be.

The most curious thing of his reign was the amount of money he had to spend. And to this day it remains baffling that Tommy McLean moved on supposedly because Motherwell wouldn't match his ambitions yet the club were seemingly happy  gave a managerial novice free reign to spend something like £1m - £1.5m. There's no question in my mind though that clubs knew we had the Phil O'Donnell money and we literally paid the price.

I tend to think when set in the context of the time most of his signings made some sense even if many were overpriced and plenty didn't work out.  Scott Howie for example was a former Scotland U21 goalkeeper tipped for big things but he never fulfilled his potential.  Hendry had scored goals in the English top flight and was reasonably highly related.  McSkimming and May were both arguably performing at the peak of their careers when he signed them.

It wasn't all bad.  He brought  Valakari to the club, spotted something in Craigan and brought him over from NI, the likes of Coyle and Falconer were decent signings and gave us something when needed and he played a fair part in the development of the likes of McCulloch and McMillan who would latterly earn the club a fair bit.

I think the likes of Hibs and Rangers certainly benefited from him cutting his teeth at Motherwell and you're right when his time at Fir Park was up he went away better for the experience whilst we were some way back from where we'd been when he first walked in the door.

 

[weeyin]

I think,  basically, McLeish is a better coach than he is manager. He showed with us that, given the right players, he was able to get the best from them. When he needed to be a manager and sign new players and build a new system, he failed on a grand scale. 

If he was coaching the Scotland squad from the 70s or 80s he'd probably do just fine. However, the last manager to get the best out of a limited Scotland squad was probably Craig Brown. 

 

[siebsbarmyarmy]

Ryan Bowman sent off after 24 mins for Exeter today. 4 ex Well players on show in the game.

Jim O’Brien for Notts County, Law, Taylor & Bowman for Exeter. 

Noticed today that Euan Murray is (c) of Raith Rovers and Ross Forbes (c) of their opponents Dumbarton today. Good to see. 

[Spiderpig]

Dylan Mackin scored the winner for Stirling Albion, an 80th mins pen

[GazzyB]

I honestly thought Ross Forbes was going to go on to great things.

[Clackscat]

Dylan Mackin scored the winner for Stirling Albion, an 80th mins pen

Was at the game and it was absolutely brutal. Dylan came on as second half sub and looked even bigger and less mobile than I remember. Tucked away his pen nicely though. Darren Smith complete with beard had a decent game, but overall it was rotten.

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