Motherwell v Aberdeen 22/10/2022

[Yorkyred]

1 minute ago, Erskine Alpha said:

Dire again. We need to get shot of a few and bring a few in namely a striker, cm and cdf

We need to start by making improvements with what we have, we won’t be changing half the squad. I’m simply not accepting this thought that  we can’t be better than this with the players we have. Take Lamie as an example, for some reason he’s gone from getting to the point of being very reliable to all over the place at times, the midfielders as a group  have also gone backwards. At the moment we’re making poor decisions game after game which are totally avoidable regardless of the quality of the players. We signed two strikers who are not fit enough to start a game, we need them fit and up to speed to give us those options up front. 

[mfc]

3 minutes ago, Spit_It_Out said:

Two things need to happen needs to change the formation cause this is not working and needs to go see Burrows  tell him might be beneficial to get some experience in to help with things until the end of the season.

Sticks with this and we are done.

Agree about the formation,I was never a fan of it under alexander and less so now,we don't have the players or the pace in the team to make it work.a change is definitely required,were as predictable as ever and even at this early stage in the season the opposition have us sussed already.

[steelman1991]

15 minutes ago, Yorkyred said:

I love the way it always comes back to Van Veen, there are another ten players behind him most games including the other strikers. It’s been said before that if he was prolific we could not afford him. Let’s look at why other players are starting to look like they have never been on a training pitch first because today was yet again full of the basics not being done. Even the more consistent players are all over the place. We got beat by a pretty poor Aberdeen team today.

FFS who said he needed to be prolific, or it was KVV to blame. Comment was made that we couldn't rely on one striker to "do everything". Well we sure as hell should expect him to do what he's paid to do from 6 yards. He was presented with a glorious chance 6 yards out and couldn't take it.

[wellfan]

Any good team needs a consistent and solid spine, which we don't have. It's clear that we need at least one commanding CB, a Campbell-esque CM, and another CF. That might help us get the basics right. 

[Yorkyred]

6 minutes ago, steelman1991 said:

FFS who said he needed to be prolific, or it was KVV to blame. Comment was made that we couldn't rely on one striker to "do everything". Well we sure as hell should expect him to do what he's paid to do from 6 yards. He was presented with a glorious chance 6 yards out and couldn't take it.

Again if he did not miss these easy chances he would not be playing for us. This is what he’s done his whole career and yet he’s still our leading goalscorer. We knew what we were getting, that’s not going to change.

[Ya Bezzer!]

Don't blame Hammell, he was put in a terrible position.  No one else wanted the job and that's why he's there. 

And forget about managers, formations, line ups.  This is a squad of footballers who, for the most part, cannot pass a ball and have next to no game intelligence in terms of moving into space or releasing the ball.  That's all the analysis you need.  Essentially they don't have the basics skills to play 'on the carpet'.

Alexander's 'eye bleed' football might not have been great to watch but it maximised what we had as points over a season.

Now we are trying to play football and giving the ball away, again and again because we literally can't play the way fans want to see the game played.

Yet again we had just over 4,000 home supporters at the match.  We are self financing.  We simply do not have the financial power to bring in quality footballers.  There are 3rd or 4th tiers of football that have more money than us.  That's the brutal truth.

Alexander's way was deemed unacceptable by our support.  So what's the realistic alternative? 

As I've said for some time there I think there is a real disconnect between where we are as a club and where some of our supporters think we should be.  That's an enormous danger because it's delusions that bring the great downfalls.

 

[MJC]

Alexander is responsible for assembling what is without doubt the worst Motherwell team in years and those above him are responsible for allowing him to do so.

What we are left with is a dreadful squad and a rookie manager.

As I’ve said more than once now, if this season ends badly then it’s on Burrows and the board.

[wellfan]

2 minutes ago, MJC_mkII said:

Alexander is responsible for assembling what is without doubt the worst Motherwell team in years and those above him are responsible for allowing him to do so.

What we are left with is a dreadful squad and a rookie manager.

As I’ve said more than once now, if this season ends badly then it’s on Burrows and the board.

Agreed. 

[steelboy]

That was another game where Van Veen wasn't there mentally. He grabbing his shoulder after a minute, missed an open goal, was walking about shaking his head, squared up to Penney and passed it to the goalie from a great position. He had some decent play second half but not having any competition, anyone who can play up front with him, anyone who can be relied on to create for him or anyone who can come off the bench for him puts a lot of pressure on him. Signing the guy with the worst injury record in the UK to be our backup striker was a huge fuck up. 

Starting Tierney was madness from Hammell. The guy offers nothing. 9 appearances in the league and the only goal with him on the pitch was McKinstry's free kick against Rangers. When he gets involved near the opposition box it usually ends with him on his arse and possesion lost. 

We need some points before the World Cup. Only having one more home game is probably a good thing. 

 

 

[wellwell91]

Was prepared to give Stevie the benefit of the doubt but I’ve got serious concerns about him 

Midfield is light weight not one of them can win a tackle or muscle someone out of the way they even struggle to pass the ball to a player in the same colour of shirt. Slattery needs to stop falling about looking for free kicks refs have gone him sussed.

KVV when he can be bothered is a handful but in games like today when he can’t be bothered we’re a man down.

We have 2 centre half’s that if we b put them together would struggle to make a half decent centre half.

We are in one big relegation struggle and I do not see it getting any better !!!!

[Ya Bezzer!]

12 minutes ago, MJC_mkII said:

Alexander is responsible for assembling what is without doubt the worst Motherwell team in years and those above him are responsible for allowing him to do so.

What we are left with is a dreadful squad and a rookie manager.

As I’ve said more than once now, if this season ends badly then it’s on Burrows and the board.

It's not very good but it was better than the one he inherited.

Remember back then when we were about 3 months away from the Championship? 

[Great Balls of Shire]

49 minutes ago, mfc said:

Beat at home again with barely a whimper against an average team,the alarm bells are starting to ring for me.

That's one thing I'd say , I thought they were bang average and we were the better team ....but that's a few games where we have chucked away a point at least ..st Johnstone, Killie, hearts and today....Ive never been totally convinced by kvv, there's a lot of balls going into box , he's never first to it 

[steelboy]

9 minutes ago, Ya Bezzer! said:

Don't blame Hammell, he was put in a terrible position.  No one else wanted the job and that's why he's there. 

And forget about managers, formations, line ups.  This is a squad of footballers who, for the most part, cannot pass a ball and have next to no game intelligence in terms of moving into space or releasing the ball.  That's all the analysis you need.  Essentially they don't have the basics skills to play 'on the carpet'.

Alexander's 'eye bleed' football might not have been great to watch but it maximised what we had as points over a season.

Now we are trying to play football and giving the ball away, again and again because we literally can't play the way fans want to see the game played.

Yet again we had just over 4,000 home supporters at the match.  We are self financing.  We simply do not have the financial power to bring in quality footballers.  There are 3rd or 4th tiers of football that have more money than us.  That's the brutal truth.

Alexander's way was deemed unacceptable by our support.  So what's the realistic alternative? 

 

Today we competed just fine with Aberdeen who have bigger budget as we did with Hibs at Easter Road. All we are lacking is players about the level of Bachus at St Mirren, Armstrong at Killie, Montano at Livi to create chances and maybe score a goal. 

We are paying good money for Morris, Moult and Arrons to do nothing. We are wasting money on Tierney and Mahon. If we had just signed one decent player to help Van Veen we would be sitting comfortably in the mix for 3rd. 

 

[Great Balls of Shire]

28 minutes ago, Yorkyred said:

Again if he did not miss these easy chances he would not be playing for us. This is what he’s done his whole career and yet he’s still our leading goalscorer. We knew what we were getting, that’s not going to change.

I think you are looking for him to work the keeper a bit, goalie threw his cap on that one , really lame

[mfc]

7 minutes ago, Great Balls of Shire said:

That's one thing I'd say , I thought they were bang average and we were the better team ....but that's a few games where we have chucked away a point at least ..st Johnstone, Killie, hearts and today....Ive never been totally convinced by kvv, there's a lot of balls going into box , he's never first to it 

I feel similar about van veen,I think he's a decent asset when he's in the mood but lately he's miles off it,his confidence looks completely gone,I wouldn't even be surprised he's playing with an injury at the minute.we really find ourselves in a tough situation where our main guy for a goal isn't at the races but we still need to play him cause we have nobody else.

[Stevie73]

Probably the worst game of the season for me today, whole team lacking pace, fight, desire and basically willingness to win a game of football, Aberdeen weren’t much better.

But how do we fix this as we are constantly conceding bad, cheap, easy goals, it’s not acceptable. We really need a fantastic January transfer window or we are away, if we don’t finish bottom I don’t think we have enough fight to win a play off.

Big Kev looks like he is playing injured, surely a fully fit someone else is better than a 50% KVV, long season ahead and painful one.

[Motherwellfc1991]

The board and the cameraman ceo have a lot to answer for . They appointed Alexander then blew the budget on an extended deal for him and his chums. They gave him the bullet too late for another manager to stamp his authority on the squad and then because they had blown all the clubs cash had to appoint the cheap old pals option in Hammell. What everyone witnessed today is the aftermath of that. In inexperienced manager , with a dud of an assistant and a poor poor squad, possibility one if not the worst we’ve had in 30 years. 
 

The but and big questions for me though  are where are our youth players that Hammell has coached and been in charge of for a number of years ? It speaks volumes for his previous job that the best he can muster is two 16 year olds on the bench- where are the 17-20 year old academy players he coached and headed up?

One man up front is criminal at home , as is a midfield with no one in it who can tackle or had any pace or desire in them . Blair Spittal broken ribs or not takes our shite midfielders to a new level - makes Craig clay , Lee Lucas, paul Harvey and John Davies look like players .

We are in the utter shit especially with our forthcoming fixtures and I personally don’t think we have the players or manager to get us out of it especially not with the tactics and lack of fitness, desire and  heart I have seen over the past few weeks.

1 league win in 8 can’t be glossed up any way other than unacceptable and grim. 
 

People seem to either be blaming KVV or and the defence . I believe the main problem lies with the midfield or lack of it and our manager seems unwilling to change it . Slatterly isn’t fit , goss is a luxury player and the rest are fucking miles off premier league standard. There’s no protection for the defence , no out ball for the defence and no supply to our lone striker . Watch the 2nd goal back and Spittals shite bag attempt at a challenge at the start of of move , kids himself on he got sent the wrong way - epitomises his and the midfield in generals lack of desire 

[MJC]

KvV yet again looks a hugely frustrated figure today and totally understandable, because he has absolutely NOTHING in the way of support or service. Dennis Bergkamp would struggle up front in this team.

Our scouting and player recruitment is absolutely abysmal.

[Great Balls of Shire]

I think, moving forward, it would be good to get a more comprehensive update on injuries ...all this guessing re moult, Aarons, effird...if we knew what the problems were and likely period out, it might make fans a bit more empathetic and give them something to aim towards 

[MJC]

29 minutes ago, steelboy said:

We need some points before the World Cup. Only having one more home game is probably a good thing. 

Totally agree and next Saturday at Tannadice is already ‘must win’ in my opinion or at the very least ‘must not lose’. The same goes for St.Johnstone in Perth. We will get nothing at Tynecastle and an absolute hammering at home by Celtic, probably even more so than we got the other night.

The sad thing is you don’t see how we’re going to get points and with us in this horrible run of fixtures and results our confidence is already fragile.

[Spit_It_Out]

11 minutes ago, Great Balls of Shire said:

I think, moving forward, it would be good to get a more comprehensive update on injuries ...all this guessing re moult, Aarons, effird...if we knew what the problems were and likely period out, it might make fans a bit more empathetic and give them something to aim towards 

Shouldn't have went anywhere near Moult and Arrons let's not kid ourselves on here.The warning signs were in black and white still signed them.

Sorry but Hammel keeps tell us down to bare bones he signed two players with folders on injuries thicker than the Yellow pages.

When I am hoping that Efford is fit as the answer to our problems then I seriously need to look at myself in the mirror.

Edited October 22, 2022 by Spit_It_Out

[Lobey_Dosser]

That was the third insipid performance of an utterly uninspiring week. Whilst acknowledging the unavailability of a few players, I’ve been unimpressed with how we’ve approached each match. We’ve stuck with the same 4231 formation but putting shape aside, teams are strolling through the middle of us with ease and we look physically weak. 

Furthermore, the free flowing football that seen us batter Dundee United 0-0 has quickly disappeared. Today we were resorting to long throws into the box. With the crowds dropping the initial feel good factor has worn off now. Couple of wins required before the World Cup or we could find ourselves in real trouble. 

[texanwellfan]

We didn’t play well at all today and yet we’re still in the game. I know it’s goals and points  that count but stats for the game are decent. We are not as far away from a decent team as made out to be on here. However, the run of poor results does seem to be taking its toll on the confidence of the players and certainly the fans. Stating the obvious but we have to cut out gifting the opposition goals and start taking our chances. Hammy needs to work with the players to resolve at least one of those, preferably both. Perhaps the World Cup break will do is good and give the players a chance to recover full fitness. 
edit: dammit! World Cup break further away than I thought 

[Great Balls of Shire]

We need a formation to get the best out of the better players , Slattery, Goss...someone with some dig cos they aren't physical enough.Spiittal hasn't done enough so far for me , but are we playing him in right position?

 

[Spit_It_Out]

I do agree with folk on KVV think he has been playing injured for a few weeks now and took a knock mid week against Celtic which clearly looked like he was suffering with today.