Stuart Kettlewell discussion thread

[wellon]

8 hours ago, wellgirl said:

But he's not the only one - and he gets more abuse than most. I also don't think he's been shite for some time. He was playing well till the last injury. 

Does Davor get the abuse SOD gets for example 

I don't think davor gets more flak, he doesn't see enough of the ball, he doesn't influence games enough.

I watched Jason Holt , past 2 weeks, he was always involved and linking up play ...kind of what a holding midfielder should do.

I haven't watched the sod interview, so not sure what he's saying but he hasn't been great in all his time at mfc and has been caught out defensively too often. Spoken to him before and seems nice bloke tbf.

Sod and davor are 2  average players who need moved on  imo.

I was very supportive OF SK but don't know what the 2 new boys brought in and Jordan Mcghee must be thinking.

He has left us in a mess but maybe it is time gor something fresh

The more I think about it the more I think he has got himself out at right time ....how many of us could pack in a well paid job ?

I understand if his family want him out though and his health was being affected because you need to think long term.

[Well Well]

12 hours ago, wellgirl said:

No he's not fair game. He's an easy target. There's a difference 

 

O'Donnell has lost us a lot of points recently. he gave away a penalty just as we were getting back into the Hibs game. A penalty that could very easily have been avoided.

He also, for reasons only known to him gave away a corner which led to the Hearts winner. He rightly deserved to be criticised for these as they turned both games. I have not criticised him for anything else but those stand out because they were terrible decisions he should not be making.

[Toxteth O'Grady]

https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/24892770.shameful-exit-put-motherwells-40-year-top-flight-stay-risk

Quote

Shameful exit could put Motherwell's 40 year top flight stay at risk

By Matthew Lindsay
Chief Football Writer
@MattLindsayHT

Stuart Kettlewell quit as Motherwell manager on Monday due to the toll that the abuse he had been subjected to from the stands was taking on his family (Image: Newsquest Design)

NORMALLY when a manager departs a football club there is an outpouring of both relief and elation among their supporters in the immediate aftermath.

The reaction to Stuart Kettlewell’s sudden exit from Motherwell on Monday, though, provoked an entirely different reaction from the Fir Park club’s fanbase.

The fact that Kettlewell chose to leave of his own volition because of the toll the vile abuse which he had started to be subjected to on a weekly basis was taking on his family led to a tsunami of sympathy from Steelmen and Steelwomen everywhere.

Yet, there was also widespread unhappiness, anger even, that a coach who had taken a team with one of the smallest budgets in the William Hill Premiership into the top half of the table had been forced out in such sorry circumstances after a run of just three defeats. 

Phillip Speedie, the chair of the Well Society, summed up the feelings of many bewildered supporters in the statement which the North Lanarkshire outfit’s majority shareholders published on their website.

“A terribly sad situation,” he said. “I hope that we as fans can reflect on this and do things differently. A manager with an impressive win record who has developed players and brought in significant transfer revenue. Thank you for everything, Stuart.”

Stephen Reside, a season ticket holder, echoed those sentiments and expressed his disgust at the unfortunate turn of events when he spoke to Sky Sports yesterday.

“To have a manager leave because of personal abuse affecting him and his family is quite a damning indictment on this football club,” he said. “This is a handful of supporters, this isn’t Motherwell fans as a whole that have caused this to happen. It is sad.”

Those are clearly, however, not views which are shared by absolutely everyone who follows the fifth-placed side in Scotland’s top flight.

Discontent with Kettlewell has, despite the wins over St Mirren, Dundee United and Aberdeen and draws with Rangers and Kilmarnock, been steadily rising among a vocal section of the Motherwell support in recent weeks.

There was growing disaffection about the standard of play which Stephen O’Donnell and his team mates were producing on the park in certain quarters and a feeling that a change in the dugout was required to bring about an improvement.

When Kettlewell made an ill-advised comment about not listening to those who had “never done the job and never dedicated their life to this game” it stoked their ire even further.

However, the boo boys, as the reaction to the former Ross County manager’s surprise decision on social media websites and radio phone-ins underlined, were still very much a noisy minority.

There can be no condoning the level of vitriol which has been aimed in the direction of a man who has done so much for Motherwell during the two years which he was in situ.

Punters pay their money and are quite entitled to express their views. But the treatment which Kettlewell received during a difficult and disappointing spell went beyond, way, way beyond, what was acceptable. He deserved to be treated with far greater respect.

Are the agitators for change, though, right to expect better on the pitch? Should Motherwell be producing more entertaining fare with the players they have in the squad? Will a new manager come in and spark an instant upturn in form and fortunes despite the lengthy injury list?

A number of strong contenders, the likes of Scott Brown, Scot Gemmill, Neil Lennon, David Martindale, John McGlynn and Steven Naismith, have been linked with the vacancy. If any member of that sextet was to take over you would imagine there would be, initially at least, a positive response to his arrival.

At the same time, there is a very real danger the Fir Park club’s season could get worse and Kettlewell could ultimately be shown to be a miracle worker who overachieved with the limited resources that he had at his disposal.

Indeed, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that they could be dragged into the relegation zone in the weeks and months ahead.

They are just six points ahead of second bottom Kilmarnock at the moment and host Celtic this Sunday. If they lose to the league leaders and defending champions this weekend then they could slip into the bottom half.    

It is 40 years since Motherwell last played in the second tier. That is an Evertonesque run. But they are not a club with a divine right to remain among the country’s elite. Far larger and wealthier rivals have all suffered the drop in recent campaigns. 

Those who targeted Kettlewell in such a shameful fashion may well end up regretting what they wished for come May.

FFS.

[mfc]

Another article that's full of over the top guff.

[Spiderpig]

14 minutes ago, mfc said:

Another article that's full of over the top guff.

The WS are not helping with the statement they put out,

A terribly sad situation,” he said. “I hope that we as fans can reflect on this and do things differently. A manager with an impressive win record who has developed players and brought in significant transfer revenue. Thank you for everything, Stuart.”

Bkaming the fans but no mention of how brutal we have been in recent weeks, no direction or shape to the team, random selections and a general impression that the dressing room was lost etc.

Everyone has jumped on the good manager becoming the victim and forced to leave fairy tale, not a good episode for the media / PR team.

[weeyin]

It will all be digital fish and chip wrapping by the end of the month.

Need to stop wasting time on PR and focus on getting a new gaffer in place. Media chat won't be putting off any candidates and if anybody cares about what is written in The Sun or The Rancid there's no hope for them anyway.

[stv]

14 hours ago, Kmcalpin said:

My last word on this topic before moving on. He certainly seems to have managed this episode poorly, although  we don't know what took place behind closed doors. He's now made a few faux pas including approving the press statement and banning Under 14s from attending games alone. 

We'll cut him some slack though as he's reasonably new and still settling in. 

 

 

Has he actually been to the football and stood or sat beside us abusive peasants before. Or is he always there sat in boxes and corporate hospitallity.  His words and ideas don’t seem too grounded to me at all more like boardroom bullshit.

[robsterwood]

Some Muppet from the herald calling sk exit "shameful" and that we will now be relegated. Lol. Some journalists do write some pish . They prob never seen us play last 10 games or know the expected goals and possession stats. It's lazy journalism writing without full facts. 

[FirParkCornerExile]

1 minute ago, robsterwood said:

Some Muppet from the herald calling sk exit "shameful" and that we will now be relegated. Lol. Some journalists do write some pish . They prob never seen us play last 10 games or know the expected goals and possession stats. It's lazy journalism writing without full facts. 

I wouldn't rule out the relegation angle , we are utter garbage.

[FirParkCornerExile]

1 hour ago, weeyin said:

It will all be digital fish and chip wrapping by the end of the month.

Need to stop wasting time on PR and focus on getting a new gaffer in place. Media chat won't be putting off any candidates and if anybody cares about what is written in The Sun or The Rancid there's no hope for them anyway.

Correct.

[FirParkCornerExile]

1 hour ago, Spiderpig said:

The WS are not helping with the statement they put out,

A terribly sad situation,” he said. “I hope that we as fans can reflect on this and do things differently. A manager with an impressive win record who has developed players and brought in significant transfer revenue. Thank you for everything, Stuart.”

Bkaming the fans but no mention of how brutal we have been in recent weeks, no direction or shape to the team, random selections and a general impression that the dressing room was lost etc.

Everyone has jumped on the good manager becoming the victim and forced to leave fairy tale, not a good episode for the media / PR team.

Its not just in recent weeks we have been watching shite for months and a big part of last season too and our Cup efforts last season were laughable, but doesnt fit the media narrative circling the wagons round their pal.

[El Grew]

Another media spin doctor with a one-sided view of recent events. Kettlewell must be well chuffed at the way this is playing out.

It must be very quiet on the OF news front just now as the “mainstream” Scottish sports comics seem to have nothing else to report on but our wee provincial club.

Put this to bed now. For good or bad Kettlewell has gone and the club now needs to move on.

[weeyin]

22 minutes ago, El Grew said:

Another media spin doctor with a one-sided view of recent events. Kettlewell must be well chuffed at the way this is playing out.

It must be very quiet on the OF news front just now as the “mainstream” Scottish sports comics seem to have nothing else to report on but our wee provincial club.

We had a club captain convicted of knocking a man unconcscious. A week of SK sniping will pass even quicker.

[weeyin]

There might be a few more interesting candidates in the hat purely because we are not in the standard managerless position of anchored to the bottom and 15 points from safety.

[Big Stall]

Clearly abuse is not appropriate but neither SK, Caldwell, the 'well society and the majority of the press have acknowledged the underlieing problem and the fact that it was becoming a major issue with or without abuse!

The form, the stats, the preparation, the abysmal lack of fight and the continual inability to learn lessons, adapt and change is the real problem. SK with his what would seem apparant lack of self awareness has chosen to ignore these issues and tell us all he is gone because some roasters have shouted at him. While said roasters are clearly in the wrong, the fact that the abuse would appear to be the main reason and not these other factors would seem very convenient.

For me, while its not an ideal way to end things, his tenure had run its course. He couldnt fix the problems and we move on.

[mfc88]

6 hours ago, Spiderpig said:

The WS are not helping with the statement they put out,

A terribly sad situation,” he said. “I hope that we as fans can reflect on this and do things differently. A manager with an impressive win record who has developed players and brought in significant transfer revenue. Thank you for everything, Stuart.”

Bkaming the fans but no mention of how brutal we have been in recent weeks, no direction or shape to the team, random selections and a general impression that the dressing room was lost etc.

Everyone has jumped on the good manager becoming the victim and forced to leave fairy tale, not a good episode for the media / PR team.

There's also the question of what have the club or WS done/ are doing about it? Other than taking one man's word for it and villainizing the fans, the vast majority who are innocent.

He did get a few pelters at FT on sat. I didn't hear anything that I would have described as "personal", but I left pretty sharp. Perhaps it got worse, or perhaps that's enough for him which is fine, it's all subjective.

Just feel the club could have been be a bit smarter here, take the sting out of it. We don't have a huge fanbase and pissing off what we have isn't a good idea.

[Yoshi-1991]

Scunnered with this saga already. Media can get fucked, nothing but reptiles, Kettlewell has played a blinder in waving the "poor me" flag, sums him up, zero accountability. 

[well_said]

I will be glad when all this has blown over  and we can get on with abusing the next manager.😂

[weeyin]

19 minutes ago, Yoshi-1991 said:

Scunnered with this saga already. Media can get fucked, nothing but reptiles, Kettlewell has played a blinder in waving the "poor me" flag, sums him up, zero accountability. 

I know it's a bit easier from 3000 miles away, but I don't even bother with the media at times like this. The days when they reported news rather than looked for clicks has long gone.

[Kmcalpin]

.

[Stuwell2]

If family members hearing some abuse that their partner/parent gets when their decisions/indecision cause distress to people who give a fuck about what’s happening is what it takes for a manager to resign, I hope some of my managers bring their family to work and let them mingle with some of the folk I work with. 

[FirParkCornerExile]

My final thoughts on SK. We have been hearing what a great guy he is how shabbily he's been treated, yet Stephen Frail said he knew nothing about SK intention to resign. Surely if your actions were going to probably cost your assistant their job you'd give them a heads up.

[Toxteth O'Grady]

Also, if the "personal abuse" at the cup game was really so bad, to the extent that the manager was on the brink of walking away, why didn't Caldwell mention it in his video update released a couple of days later? 

[Richie]

Given that fan conduct is a hot topic this week, you'd think that at least one outlet would question Celtic fans proudly singing IRA songs in a City which was the location of a high-profile terrorist incident.

Not a peep though 🤷‍♂️

[MJC]

4 hours ago, Richie said:

Given that fan conduct is a hot topic this week, you'd think that at least one outlet would question Celtic fans proudly singing IRA songs in a City which was the location of a high-profile terrorist incident.

Not a peep though 🤷‍♂️

No doubt someone will ask Brendan Rodgers his opinion on Kettlewell’s ‘treatment’ in the pre-match press conference….while conveniently forgetting that Celtic fans were singing songs about him being shot dead by the IRA when the left the last time. 
 

But like I said we are unfashionable so therefore fair game to the media.