Alexander.

[Kmcalpin]

2 hours ago, wellsince75 said:

KVV must wonder why he was signed  - our style of play just doesn't work for him.

Same could be said for Liam Kelly. Crosses are the weak point of his game but we actively invite them as part of our game plan.

[David]

I knew we'd see this hysterical reaction when we hit this run of games, so I can't say I'm surprised.

For me, Hearts and Dundee United away, with Celtic and Rangers at home was always going to be a tough run of games. I thought we'd maybe get a point out of that lot at best, but although we didn't, we did get a point at Ibrox which was unexpected.

The St Mirren game is the only real bugbear I have at the moment. We should have won that one, and although there were extenuating circumstances involved, we didn't really deserve more than the point we got.

However, before the aforementioned run we managed to draw away at St Johnstone and Rangers, while beating Livingston, and we beat Dundee, Aberdeen and Ross County at home, only losing to Hibs in the season opener.

We're currently sitting 7th, although we're joint 5th really on points with Aberdeen and Hibs, which isn't bad at all. 

We're playing Aberdeen and Dundee away this month, with Hearts and Dundee United at home. I'd be looking for 4 points minimum from those games, with 5 or more being a good return. 

Everyone knows the directives our manager has at the start of the season. Avoid relegation, challenge for top six if we can. Personally, I didn't think top six was going to be realistic this season with the quality in the league. I see Rangers and Celtic in some form taking the top two slots, with Hearts, Hibs and Dundee United taking three. It'll likely be between Aberdeen, and one of St Mirren, St Johnstone or ourselves for that final place.

If we can nab that we can consider this a very good season.

Is the football entertaining? I guess not, but I find it strange when Motherwell fans talk about entertaining football. I honestly don't even realise if we're playing attractive football, as my main concern is us winning. I'm invested in the result, and kicking every ball during the 90 minutes. If entertaining football was the prerequisite for supporting a football team the majority of sides would have no fans. 

If I want entertainment I'll fire on the Sky box and watch Chelsea or Man City. More often than not the big teams with the most talented footballers can provide entertainment. I watch Motherwell not to be entertained, but because it's just what I've always done. 

[joewarkfanclub]

21 minutes ago, David said:

I knew we'd see this hysterical reaction when we hit this run of games, so I can't say I'm surprised.

For me, Hearts and Dundee United away, with Celtic and Rangers at home was always going to be a tough run of games. I thought we'd maybe get a point out of that lot at best, but although we didn't, we did get a point at Ibrox which was unexpected.

The St Mirren game is the only real bugbear I have at the moment. We should have won that one, and although there were extenuating circumstances involved, we didn't really deserve more than the point we got.

However, before the aforementioned run we managed to draw away at St Johnstone and Rangers, while beating Livingston, and we beat Dundee, Aberdeen and Ross County at home, only losing to Hibs in the season opener.

We're currently sitting 7th, although we're joint 5th really on points with Aberdeen and Hibs, which isn't bad at all. 

We're playing Aberdeen and Dundee away this month, with Hearts and Dundee United at home. I'd be looking for 4 points minimum from those games, with 5 or more being a good return. 

Everyone knows the directives our manager has at the start of the season. Avoid relegation, challenge for top six if we can. Personally, I didn't think top six was going to be realistic this season with the quality in the league. I see Rangers and Celtic in some form taking the top two slots, with Hearts, Hibs and Dundee United taking three. It'll likely be between Aberdeen, and one of St Mirren, St Johnstone or ourselves for that final place.

If we can nab that we can consider this a very good season.

Is the football entertaining? I guess not, but I find it strange when Motherwell fans talk about entertaining football. I honestly don't even realise if we're playing attractive football, as my main concern is us winning. I'm invested in the result, and kicking every ball during the 90 minutes. If entertaining football was the prerequisite for supporting a football team the majority of sides would have no fans. 

If I want entertainment I'll fire on the Sky box and watch Chelsea or Man City. More often than not the big teams with the most talented footballers can provide entertainment. I watch Motherwell not to be entertained, but because it's just what I've always done. 

I dont think the reaction is to the Rangers game alone. I dont think its even due to the other negative results you mention. 

Personally Im usually the last to turn on a mamager and have no issue with being considered a "happy clapper" as a result of trying to see the positives in our performances.

However, its impossible to ignore how disjointed we are as a team and how poor we are on the ball.  Trying to identify the positives in our performances right now is difficult. 

As I posted a week or 2 ago, our "style" will be suffered by the majority of fans as long as we are getting results. But when we dont, it becomes way more difficult and thats where we are right now.

I believe most of our fans are pretty realistic about our place in world footballa and our league position and points total right now is acceptable. The lack of football we are playing against pretty mediocre teams is not.

[David]

9 minutes ago, joewarkfanclub said:

I dont think the reaction is to the Rangers game alone. I dont think its even due to the other negative results you mention. 

Personally Im usually the last to turn on a mamager and have no issue with being considered a "happy clapper" as a result of trying to see the positives in our performances.

However, its impossible to ignore how disjointed we are as a team and how poor we are on the ball.  Trying to identify the positives in our performances right now is difficult. 

As I posted a week or 2 ago, our "style" will be suffered by the majority of fans as long as we are getting results. But when we dont, it becomes way more difficult and thats where we are right now.

I believe most of our fans are pretty realistic about our place in world footballa and our league position and points total right now is acceptable. The lack of football we are playing against pretty mediocre teams is not.

The thing is, we've been down this road before, haven't we? Fans loved a good moan about the way Robinson set out his stall as well, and it was only when things got really bad and he decided he'd had enough that we switched things up as far as the manager goes.

If I was given the option of playing as we are and being where we are in the league table, or playing nice football but being where Ross County are, I know which I would choose. 

Unless he decides to quit, or we fall into the relegation places, the manager is going nowhere, so it's pointless even looking at that scenario. Especially when he has us sitting 7th in the league and just picked up a manager of the month award. Not to mention he's been allowed to bring in players on long-term deals. This is clearly a project from both his and the clubs viewpoint. Arrogant or not, he's here for the long haul.

And for the record, I'd disagree. I think a good percentage of our fans are entirely unrealistic about their expectations from our club. Be that because they've been spoiled of late with top half finishes or whatever, but like most lower league clubs in leagues around the world, playing attractive football comes a distant second to our league position. If we can get points on the board and look decent while doing so, then great, but we all know what the priority is.

 

[Winning by Name]

53 minutes ago, David said:

I knew we'd see this hysterical reaction when we hit this run of games, so I can't say I'm surprised.

For me, Hearts and Dundee United away, with Celtic and Rangers at home was always going to be a tough run of games. I thought we'd maybe get a point out of that lot at best, but although we didn't, we did get a point at Ibrox which was unexpected.

The St Mirren game is the only real bugbear I have at the moment. We should have won that one, and although there were extenuating circumstances involved, we didn't really deserve more than the point we got.

However, before the aforementioned run we managed to draw away at St Johnstone and Rangers, while beating Livingston, and we beat Dundee, Aberdeen and Ross County at home, only losing to Hibs in the season opener.

We're currently sitting 7th, although we're joint 5th really on points with Aberdeen and Hibs, which isn't bad at all. 

We're playing Aberdeen and Dundee away this month, with Hearts and Dundee United at home. I'd be looking for 4 points minimum from those games, with 5 or more being a good return. 

Everyone knows the directives our manager has at the start of the season. Avoid relegation, challenge for top six if we can. Personally, I didn't think top six was going to be realistic this season with the quality in the league. I see Rangers and Celtic in some form taking the top two slots, with Hearts, Hibs and Dundee United taking three. It'll likely be between Aberdeen, and one of St Mirren, St Johnstone or ourselves for that final place.

If we can nab that we can consider this a very good season.

Is the football entertaining? I guess not, but I find it strange when Motherwell fans talk about entertaining football. I honestly don't even realise if we're playing attractive football, as my main concern is us winning. I'm invested in the result, and kicking every ball during the 90 minutes. If entertaining football was the prerequisite for supporting a football team the majority of sides would have no fans. 

If I want entertainment I'll fire on the Sky box and watch Chelsea or Man City. More often than not the big teams with the most talented footballers can provide entertainment. I watch Motherwell not to be entertained, but because it's just what I've always done. 

Very well said, I couldnt agree more.

[Coatsy]

I see no reason why we can't expect at least a small bit of entertainment during the game after all were being told week in week out these are professional football players and good quality players if you believe our manager. So if that is the case then we should see some proof of that, i.e players that can find another Motherwell player with a pass, or perhaps take on and beat his opponent  once in a while.

Maybe ever a player that can put his foot on the ball and show us a bit of dribbling skills.  With our player level it will always not be successful but at least give it a go. Perhaps that's why i enjoyed Van Veen's early games he was trying something different, and it was entertaining, now he just runs around flying into tackles trying to win the ball back more often than not.

Watt is the only forward that looks like he can beat his man and if he's on the wing its not so easy to score. We have 3 forwards but no midfielders that can get anywhere near them, god forbid run past them, we are so slow and ponderous. No I'm not looking for Man City but we have a budget Berkamp what about trying to be a budget Man City and it starts with mentality, belief and coaching  which all appear to be lacking atm.

[Mintymac]

Winning a game of football getting 3 points but not playing well is fine with me if it’s a one off in fact can be quite satisfying . However after watching Dundee , Aberdeen Ross Co and St Mirren play us off our own park every home game is utterly ridiculous .

All you here coming out the ground is …… how did we manage to actually win that .

The football is excruciating to watch and the  formation/line up  is brutal . 
l get the concept of better to be a lucky team than a good team and let’s face it we’ve been lucky to win the aforementioned 

We must be the worst team to watch in the league cos we never have the ball and when we do we loose it quickly .

If Alexander keeps this system of play up he better invest in a good pair of ear defenders .

Fans started to turn against him at Dundee Utd game and increased after his ridiculous post match analysis . That was the start and it’s going to get much worse if he tries to bullshit the fans . Big mistake to do that .

GA word of advice …… we’re on to your waffle 
 

[MJC]

Has any of the reaction been genuinely ‘hysterical’? 
 

We’re on a bad run, lost four out of our last five and our only point in that time came in a game we threw away a 2-0 lead in. Add to that the football is absolutely turgid and the manager seems unwilling to change anything. I think the reaction has been perfectly understandable.

We could of course all just spout the clichéd party lines that would make certain people in the club and the media dept very proud.

“I remember worse times as a Well fan. This is what following a wee provincial team is all about, people need to remember we were in the 1st division in the 1980s and in administration twenty years ago and we’re punching above our weight.

If you don’t like it away and support the Old Firm, I’m staying a Motherwell fan and proud to be. Can’t wait til January when we make more signings and welcome a few more English lower league players to our great wee club.

Proudly riding the Motherwell rollercoaster as ever”

[postiejim]

2 hours ago, David said:

I knew we'd see this hysterical reaction when we hit this run of games, so I can't say I'm surprised.

For me, Hearts and Dundee United away, with Celtic and Rangers at home was always going to be a tough run of games. I thought we'd maybe get a point out of that lot at best, but although we didn't, we did get a point at Ibrox which was unexpected.

The St Mirren game is the only real bugbear I have at the moment. We should have won that one, and although there were extenuating circumstances involved, we didn't really deserve more than the point we got.

However, before the aforementioned run we managed to draw away at St Johnstone and Rangers, while beating Livingston, and we beat Dundee, Aberdeen and Ross County at home, only losing to Hibs in the season opener.

We're currently sitting 7th, although we're joint 5th really on points with Aberdeen and Hibs, which isn't bad at all. 

We're playing Aberdeen and Dundee away this month, with Hearts and Dundee United at home. I'd be looking for 4 points minimum from those games, with 5 or more being a good return. 

Everyone knows the directives our manager has at the start of the season. Avoid relegation, challenge for top six if we can. Personally, I didn't think top six was going to be realistic this season with the quality in the league. I see Rangers and Celtic in some form taking the top two slots, with Hearts, Hibs and Dundee United taking three. It'll likely be between Aberdeen, and one of St Mirren, St Johnstone or ourselves for that final place.

If we can nab that we can consider this a very good season.

Is the football entertaining? I guess not, but I find it strange when Motherwell fans talk about entertaining football. I honestly don't even realise if we're playing attractive football, as my main concern is us winning. I'm invested in the result, and kicking every ball during the 90 minutes. If entertaining football was the prerequisite for supporting a football team the majority of sides would have no fans. 

If I want entertainment I'll fire on the Sky box and watch Chelsea or Man City. More often than not the big teams with the most talented footballers can provide entertainment. I watch Motherwell not to be entertained, but because it's just what I've always done. 

Hysterical reaction, geez a break David,  Motherwell fans giving an opinion about our current manager and our current form . If this form continues and we slide into the relegation zone ……then you’ll see a melt down. 

[Mintymac]

On a separate note it’s high time the post interviewer whoever he is starts to ask some difficult questions ie the questions the fans would ask him . 
He gets an easy time every week . Stop blowing smoke up his Arsenal with easy questions and making it ridiculously easy for him . Time he was taken to task by asking him much tougher questions . Total waste of time as it is presently . 
 

[joewarkfanclub]

I have absolutely no issues with us parking the bus and grinding out results against teams that are better than us. But we shouldnt be doing it against the majority of teams in our league, especially at home.

I dont think you can compare the way we are playing now to the way we played at the start of Robinsons tenure. That was a very physical up and at em high press. It maybe wasnt pretty at times but the swashbuckling nature of it still had the fans pretty excited by the sheer effort and determination to win. It wasnt until Moult left and we got some injuries and form dropped off and we could no longer be effective playing that way that the fans turned.

Thats where Alexander is now.

Its up to him how he wants to turn it around.

[Busta Nut]

Hey guys, I am calm cos I am a much better fan. Entertainment? Not for me, I'd like to stand there bored for 82 mins and hope we sneak a goal in the few minutes we play football.

[star sail]

8 hours ago, David said:

I knew we'd see this hysterical reaction when we hit this run of games, so I can't say I'm surprised.

For me, Hearts and Dundee United away, with Celtic and Rangers at home was always going to be a tough run of games. I thought we'd maybe get a point out of that lot at best, but although we didn't, we did get a point at Ibrox which was unexpected.

The St Mirren game is the only real bugbear I have at the moment. We should have won that one, and although there were extenuating circumstances involved, we didn't really deserve more than the point we got.

However, before the aforementioned run we managed to draw away at St Johnstone and Rangers, while beating Livingston, and we beat Dundee, Aberdeen and Ross County at home, only losing to Hibs in the season opener.

We're currently sitting 7th, although we're joint 5th really on points with Aberdeen and Hibs, which isn't bad at all. 

We're playing Aberdeen and Dundee away this month, with Hearts and Dundee United at home. I'd be looking for 4 points minimum from those games, with 5 or more being a good return. 

Everyone knows the directives our manager has at the start of the season. Avoid relegation, challenge for top six if we can. Personally, I didn't think top six was going to be realistic this season with the quality in the league. I see Rangers and Celtic in some form taking the top two slots, with Hearts, Hibs and Dundee United taking three. It'll likely be between Aberdeen, and one of St Mirren, St Johnstone or ourselves for that final place.

If we can nab that we can consider this a very good season.

Is the football entertaining? I guess not, but I find it strange when Motherwell fans talk about entertaining football. I honestly don't even realise if we're playing attractive football, as my main concern is us winning. I'm invested in the result, and kicking every ball during the 90 minutes. If entertaining football was the prerequisite for supporting a football team the majority of sides would have no fans. 

If I want entertainment I'll fire on the Sky box and watch Chelsea or Man City. More often than not the big teams with the most talented footballers can provide entertainment. I watch Motherwell not to be entertained, but because it's just what I've always done. 

Is the primary aim of football not to entertain? 

I understand that there is more besides including the years of investment of time and emotion but it is difficult to argue that football does not exist to entertain. 

I have generally lost interest in the football. I have been a Motherwell fan spanning 6 decades and in times past have followed the team to the point of obsession as many of us have. 

I have lost interest because for me it is no longer entertaining (maybe it never was?) . Football should be about escapism from the pressures in our lives. Watching Motherwell doesn't do that for me at the moment. 

A 6-1 defeat to Rangers on the back of 24 years without a league win against them make me question what the purpose is, if not entertainment. 

I am too old now to continue watching them because it is what I have always done. I have not watched a single 90 minutes this season. I don't think I could have said that for any season since the early 80's.

The club has played a very big part in my life and has been the cause of some of the greatest highs I can remember. That doesn't change and the emotional attachment lasts a lifetime. For the moment though it is not enough for me to spend time and money on a team I struggle to identify with. 

I hope the fire will be rekindled but it will take the team to be entertaining  to do that now. Nostalgia and times past are no longer enough. Ofcourse I would never question anybody else's motivation for continuing to invest their time, money and emotion. In fact I find it admiral, the unconditional love that many Motherwell supporters afford the team. 

[MJC]

Agree with the above post, I think there is a lot of apathy within the fan base just now and it’s been growing during the last five or six years. 
 

In my view there is too many within the club that are within a comfort zone, on and off the park. It seems like we are putting more and more emphasis on the social media side of the club rather than the most important area of the club - the field of play. 
 

Result of that is that our recruitment is poor, our youth development isn’t producing and we see certain players merely going through the motions because they know they won’t be dropped, but at the same time they clearly don’t give a fuck about the club. And yet that appears to be tolerated.

I’ve seen it argued many times that what happens in the boardroom doesn’t have an effect on the manager and the players but I disagree with that. If players, coaches and managers are working for a club where it is deemed acceptable to simply avoid relegation without entertaining the fans with good football or cup runs because “we’re just a wee club” then it is no surprise that they drop their guard and their effort.

Like I said, our problems run far deeper than the man sitting in the dugout.

[Yabba's Turd]

1 hour ago, MJC_mkII said:

In my view there is too many within the club that are within a comfort zone, on and off the park. It seems like we are putting more and more emphasis on the social media side of the club rather than the most important area of the club - the field of play. 
...

Correlation does not imply causation!

 

[David]

13 hours ago, Busta Nut said:

Hey guys, I am calm cos I am a much better fan. Entertainment? Not for me, I'd like to stand there bored for 82 mins and hope we sneak a goal in the few minutes we play football.

A better fan? Not at all, and I never said I was. I'm just not losing the heid because we've lost a few games of football and haven't looked good of late. We've been down this road before, and it's on the manager and his staff to get us out of it. 

If he doesn't, then there'll be questions to answer. But when we're sitting 7th (on equal points with the team in 5th) I'm not going to cry too much. I know certain people on this forum seem to thrive on the negative, and that's their choice, but I'm not there quite yet!

[johnstone]

For me the main concern is that we have now played all the teams in the league and all of them have looked better than us and like to get the ball down and play football. 

Alexanders tactics are poor and mean that for most of the games we are under pressure and the hope is we defend our box and get a goal from a set piece.

At no point in any game I have watched have we had a real period of sustained pressure. More often that not we are chasing the ball.

He needs to change this awful formation and get us playing football and trying to dominate possession, if he doesn’t then we will end up in a relegation scrap, no doubt about it.

 

[ZT_1886]

I thought the signs were there for an encouraging season after how Alexander dealt with the pretty terrible squad he took over in January.

However, even if you include the LC games, have we had a convincing performance this season? Maybe Annan? We scrapped by QOS and Queens Park while getting battered by Airdrie and Dundee without even laying a glove on them.

In the league, possibly Aberdeen? Although that was more down to how dreadful and unimaginative they were in the final third than anything we did.

No one is saying we have to be dominating every game and playing the best football in the country, but I don’t think it’s too much to expect that Motherwell don’t play on the back foot at home to the likes of St Mirren and Ross County.

[Great Balls of Shire]

13 hours ago, MJC_mkII said:

Agree with the above post, I think there is a lot of apathy within the fan base just now and it’s been growing during the last five or six years. 
 

In my view there is too many within the club that are within a comfort zone, on and off the park. It seems like we are putting more and more emphasis on the social media side of the club rather than the most important area of the club - the field of play. 
 

Result of that is that our recruitment is poor, our youth development isn’t producing and we see certain players merely going through the motions because they know they won’t be dropped, but at the same time they clearly don’t give a fuck about the club. And yet that appears to be tolerated.

I’ve seen it argued many times that what happens in the boardroom doesn’t have an effect on the manager and the players but I disagree with that. If players, coaches and managers are working for a club where it is deemed acceptable to simply avoid relegation without entertaining the fans with good football or cup runs because “we’re just a wee club” then it is no surprise that they drop their guard and their effort.

Like I said, our problems run far deeper than the man sitting in the dugout.

I dont know that the fans are any more apathetic than they ever were. 

I think you get to a certain age and  now with the money differences , especially down south,  you realise theres only a certain level we are ever going to compete at.

With all that , you can more or less see how things will pan out , it is to a degree relying on the blind loyalty of most fans 

[texanwellfan]

I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect players at the level to be able to control and pass a ball around. However, I think they are being told not to do that.  Which is mind boggling when you set up as 4-3-3 which is based on being able to maintain ball possession. He’d be as well playing a 6-0-4 because effectively we pretty much have 0 in most games we play and generally miss out the mid field anyway. 

[MJC]

So, three months on, what’s the general opinion on Graham Alexander?

I stand by my views that our problems run way beyond the first team manager, but his style of play and tactical approach has to raise questions surely? 
 

I personally do not see things improving under GA, either in terms of the team playing entertaining football or actually pushing for a European finish or Cup run.

So, what if anything do we have to look forward to under this regime?

[joe90]

Fuck all.our premier league existence 

[Yodo]

On 10/31/2021 at 3:39 PM, Yorkyred said:

He needs to change things full stop. The football and lack of possession will lose him support over time regardless of results, it’s pretty grim to watch. We don’t have the midfielders for the formation and I’m really surprised. he’s still not changed that aspect when it’s clearly not working. Saying that I hate chopping and changing managers because it rarely works, how many time under Robinsons tenure did people want him out because of course the grass is always greener, it rarely is.  Nope we need to stick with him for the season and see how things develop. He’s supposedly gone with quality over quantity which most people wanted and as much as I’m sure many will say that’s not actually happened I believe it has.

You will have to name the quality players to justify that statement 

[middleeastdave]

I don’t think you need to be an export in football to realise our performances didn’t match our league position, we managed to GRIND out results and results is the requirement of any league, but fortunately Hibs/Aberdeen results have suited us, otherwise we would have been bottom six by now.

Getting rid of GA is not the answer and I am sure he will hopefully get us back to winning ways although I think it might be in the bottom six sadly considering we looked favourites for top six at the break.

[Yabba's Turd]

1 hour ago, MJC_mkII said:

I stand by my views that our problems run way beyond the first team manager, but his style of play and tactical approach has to raise questions surely? 

What view is that? That a football club has put more emphasis on social media than winning games?