Del_Superwell Posted July 29, 2018 Report Share Posted July 29, 2018 1 hour ago, steelboy said: The improving 12-16 is one of the daftest things i've heard considering how poorly we played for long spells last season. Robinson hasn't adressed our lack of creativity in the final third and we don't look any better off on the left hand side. With the young players Robinson will no doubt say they're not ready than admit he's wasted the club's money padding out the squad unneccesarily. The 12-16 is down to how badly we coped after the betfred cup final during December/January when injuries virtually killed us. Robinsons mindset was we need the strength in depth if we the same problems this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelboy Posted July 29, 2018 Report Share Posted July 29, 2018 Here's the line ups from the week we lost three on the trot Tynecastle - Griffiths - Kipre McHugh Dunne - Tait Campbell Cadden Rose Frear - Fisher Bowman Firhill - Griifiths - Tait Kipre McHugh Dunne - Petravicius Grimshaw Campbell Rose Frear - Bowman (With Tanner and Bigi on the bench) Rugby Park - Griffiths - Tait Hammell Kipre Dunne - Grimshaw Bigi McHugh Tanner - Bowman Fisher The problem wasn't injuries it was that ,Fisher, Rose, Grimshaw, Bowman and Frear weren't good enough so how have we strengthened when they are all going to start on Sunday (other than Fisher). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Del_Superwell Posted July 29, 2018 Report Share Posted July 29, 2018 Rose has always been seen as a main player by Robinson that wont change, Bowman we don't even know yet if he's going to be fit for sunday either. I like Frear think he's great player when attacking and during our successful period in the early part of last season was vital to our success with his crosses into the box for the likes of Moult etc. We know virtually what most of the team is for Sunday bar one or two, Cadden is supposedly doubtful now and if Bowman makes it I'd start him over Main whos been horrifically bad during pre season and the group games so far. My midfield 3 during the season would be Bigi, Gorrin and Turnbull, total football with them, there isn't a hope in hell we will ever see those 3 play together sadly. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted July 29, 2018 Report Share Posted July 29, 2018 5 hours ago, Lobey_Dosser said: Not one of our youngsters has made the bench in the last 3 cup games. Our transfer policy this summer surely can’t sit well with all at the club. We do have MacLean, Hastie and Gordon out on loan to get regular starts. However, as much as I want youngsters to get game time, the format and timing of the League Cup means we have to balance winning games with fit players, getting new signings up to speed, getting unfit players fit etc. as well as trying to fit in the youngsters. As is obvious from the other groups, it's a difficult balancing act that most of the Premiership teams struggle with. It's one more reason I'm not a huge fan of the current timings of the competition. I quite like the format, but I suspect forcing teams into competitive games in pre-season leads to risks being taken that result in more injuries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milo Posted July 29, 2018 Report Share Posted July 29, 2018 4 hours ago, steelboy said: Here's the line ups from the week we lost three on the trot Tynecastle - Griffiths - Kipre McHugh Dunne - Tait Campbell Cadden Rose Frear - Fisher Bowman Firhill - Griifiths - Tait Kipre McHugh Dunne - Petravicius Grimshaw Campbell Rose Frear - Bowman (With Tanner and Bigi on the bench) Rugby Park - Griffiths - Tait Hammell Kipre Dunne - Grimshaw Bigi McHugh Tanner - Bowman Fisher The problem wasn't injuries it was that ,Fisher, Rose, Grimshaw, Bowman and Frear weren't good enough so how have we strengthened when they are all going to start on Sunday (other than Fisher). That’s actually a very good point. Also, surely if we add quality to the starting 11 we effectively strengthen “12 to 18” by virtue of pushing original starters on to the bench? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoF Posted July 29, 2018 Report Share Posted July 29, 2018 5 hours ago, dinnae-punt-it said: Yet again yesterday, I thought he was absolutely honking. He has been absolute murder since the Scottish Cup semi-final and is going backwards at a rate of knots. He only scored yesterday cause the ball hit him in the face without him knowing too much about it. His shots from a good position all ended up high wide and handsome. Main is definitely missing chances that he was smashing in last season and he seems to have let some hesitation creep into his game. That killer instinct is gone. That said, from that semi final to the end of the season he only played 5 games and it was over a period of less than 4 weeks. He's not been great so far this season however has scored 2 in 3 appearances, both with that slice of luck that strikers need from time to time. I don't think we've lost him just yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkyred Posted July 29, 2018 Report Share Posted July 29, 2018 To be fair although we’ve hardly been impressive in the four cup games we’ve won three and drawn one, it is job done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelboy Posted July 29, 2018 Report Share Posted July 29, 2018 It's a bit early to talk about Main leaving or being out of form. Anyone who suggested replacing him with Sammon 3 weeks ago would have been laughed off the board. Robinsin said he's been carrying an injury so he might just need to get up to full fitness. He doesn't look as lean as he did last season yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dinnae-punt-it Posted July 29, 2018 Report Share Posted July 29, 2018 27 minutes ago, steelboy said: It's a bit early to talk about Main leaving or being out of form. Anyone who suggested replacing him with Sammon 3 weeks ago would have been laughed off the board. Robinsin said he's been carrying an injury so he might just need to get up to full fitness. He doesn't look as lean as he did last season yet. I’m certainly not saying he should get punted, just that he is chronic at the moment. Looks like the player that Portsmouth fans warned us about. Hopefully he rediscovers his early form with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kmcalpin Posted July 29, 2018 Report Share Posted July 29, 2018 We need to be patient with some of the players. Main has only played 90 minutes in 2 competitive games so far. Hartley had a 7 month lay off. Our back line has chopped and changed frequently since the game against Edinburgh City. Yes, we need to get up to speed quickly now but the time to start worrying is if some of the players aren't performing by late September. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goggles & Flippers Posted July 29, 2018 Report Share Posted July 29, 2018 Ojamaa and Faddy had great initial spells with us and fell away. It's just a thing that happens. As for the summer business, I know we've lost out to English clubs here and there but as I've conveyed, the success both financial and exposure doesn't seems to have worked in us securing known quality .... yet. If we look back to when Moult signed, the Wrexham fans were genuinely gutted. A lot of the business we've done is followed by smug waves goodbye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted July 30, 2018 Report Share Posted July 30, 2018 Smug waves goodbye are the social media equaivalent of the "ach, she was a lesbian anyway" rubber ear response. Our strategy is to sign players with a point to prove, so it's unlikely they will be in a rich vein of first team form when the come on board. (Although I think guys like Johnson and Donnelly were well regarded at their previous clubs). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ropy Posted July 30, 2018 Report Share Posted July 30, 2018 I feel your pain Weeyin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
star sail Posted July 30, 2018 Report Share Posted July 30, 2018 21 hours ago, steelboy said: Here's the line ups from the week we lost three on the trot Tynecastle - Griffiths - Kipre McHugh Dunne - Tait Campbell Cadden Rose Frear - Fisher Bowman Firhill - Griifiths - Tait Kipre McHugh Dunne - Petravicius Grimshaw Campbell Rose Frear - Bowman (With Tanner and Bigi on the bench) Rugby Park - Griffiths - Tait Hammell Kipre Dunne - Grimshaw Bigi McHugh Tanner - Bowman Fisher The problem wasn't injuries it was that ,Fisher, Rose, Grimshaw, Bowman and Frear weren't good enough so how have we strengthened when they are all going to start on Sunday (other than Fisher). You have made a very good point but this is the eternal problem for a club like ours. We simply don’t have the finances to recruit players that are a notable improvement on the players you mention. I have made this point already but three games in a row against Celtic (one being a cup final) under similar circumstances was the begining of the end for Dundee Utd. Look where they are now. Grimshaw, Rose etc are Motherwell standard players given the finances available. If one or two players push these players onto the bench this transfer window, then the closed season has been a success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelboy Posted July 30, 2018 Report Share Posted July 30, 2018 I agree with what your saying about quality but that's why we need to bring through young players. Also rather than resign Rose and Grimshaw we should surely have let them both go and rolled the wages into one to try and get an upgrade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadgey Posted July 30, 2018 Report Share Posted July 30, 2018 22 hours ago, steelboy said: I agree with what your saying about quality but that's why we need to bring through young players. Also rather than resign Rose and Grimshaw we should surely have let them both go and rolled the wages into one to try and get an upgrade. Wasn’t the “roll the wages into one” ideology where McCall went wrong? He didn’t have the youth to push through despite the calls for it on here. Push the youth into the first team is a recurring Motherwell anthem of discontent but really, who on here is truly certain that we have the young players to push through this season? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DunnyMFC Posted July 30, 2018 Report Share Posted July 30, 2018 People keep complaining about the youth needing to be pushed through but it's usually the same people who bitch and whine when they are inconsistent and not willing for them to take the time to learn and develop. If we can somehow blood in 1 or 2 youngsters a season it would be a success in my book. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busta Nut Posted July 31, 2018 Report Share Posted July 31, 2018 I think Bigi, the yoof, etc have all got a touch of the "better cos they aren't playing" thing. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelvinBragg Posted July 31, 2018 Report Share Posted July 31, 2018 1 minute ago, Busta Nut said: I think Bigi, the yoof, etc have all got a touch of the "better cos they aren't playing" thing. Or better because everyone else is playing so badly? I will admit that due to work commitments, the Clyde game is the only game I've seen but on that basis Donnelly looks no better than Maguire. The midfield in the first half seemed to be lacking something So it's understandable that people are looking for alternatives within the squad... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busta Nut Posted July 31, 2018 Report Share Posted July 31, 2018 1 minute ago, MelvinBragg said: Or better because everyone else is playing so badly? I will admit that due to work commitments, the Clyde game is the only game I've seen but on that basis Donnelly looks no better than Maguire. The midfield in the first half seemed to be lacking something So it's understandable that people are looking for alternatives within the squad... Don't disagree. I just think folk might be expecting more from these players than they are capable of. There are guys who see them doing their stuff everyday, then there is people in the stand wanting them starting every game. Not saying they won't work out if given a chance but guys will see them most days in training etc, then there is us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wellwell91 Posted July 31, 2018 Report Share Posted July 31, 2018 IMO a midfield is all about balance If you look at whose played in our midfield 3 to date Cadden, Campbell, Grimshaw, Rose and McHugh (if you class him as a midfielder) are all of similar style/type Strong , make tackles, break up play, run with the ball .....none of them can make a telling pass Bigi and Gorrin can take ball from back 3 and link the play without resorting to 40/50 yard diagonal balls (Gorrin what little we’ve seen of him looks like he can tackle) Yet in our games so far a combination of the top 5 have made up our midfield 3 against Div2 and Championship sides. Gorrin used sparingly and Bigi not at all ......On Saturday when Gorrin came on he was always available to take the ball of the back 3 and actually passed the ball on the deck to a Motherwell player. We really need to get the midfield 3 soreted ..... It was reported that we were chasing Gorrin in the January window get him in during the summer then don’t start him 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted July 31, 2018 Report Share Posted July 31, 2018 1 hour ago, Busta Nut said: I think Bigi, the yoof, etc have all got a touch of the "better cos they aren't playing" thing. It's difficult to argue against Bigi being more of a footballer than say, a Grimshaw. "Better" is subjective, but in a game like Saturday's where some of our players couldn't work out that lumping wind assisted long balls on a plastic pitch was problematic, someone that can trap and pass may have been a good alternative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steelboy Posted July 31, 2018 Report Share Posted July 31, 2018 Out the midfielders we've got Rodriguez, Campbell and Cadden looks the most balanced 3. It all depends on what shape Robinson settles on though. Tanner coming back will give us different options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadgey Posted July 31, 2018 Report Share Posted July 31, 2018 6 hours ago, Busta Nut said: I think Bigi, the yoof, etc have all got a touch of the "better cos they aren't playing" thing. Agreed, Dom Thomas was a terrific example of that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadgey Posted July 31, 2018 Report Share Posted July 31, 2018 6 hours ago, wellwell91 said: We really need to get the midfield 3 soreted ..... It was reported that we were chasing Gorrin in the January window get him in during the summer then don’t start him Didn’t Robinson say the other week that it would take the new signings time to adjust to the pace of the Scottish game? It’s possible that this is the reason and we see more of Gorrin as time progresses ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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