Vs Kilmarnock

[ML1]

Without doubt Dave and that is the SPL in a nutshell minus the Old Firm. It's the main reason why realistically, no-one will even break the Old Firm's grip on the title because there is no level of consistency.

 

For some un-known reason, we can be on a superb run yet inexplicably not perform to previously set stands for not real reason at all. That's not just a Motherwell thing....

 

We go and comfortably beat Inverness away from home yet yesterday aside, they've been beating teams that we've struggled against (Killie, for example). There's no mathematical formula for it - you can have the best preparation in the world but for some reason it just doesn't work all the time when you step onto the pitch.

 

That is football!

 

Mark McGhee has been in charge of Motherwell now for twenty-one months now and currently has a win percentage of 41.25%. That is better than Maurice Malpas, Terry Butcher, Eric Black, Billy Davies, Alex McLeish and I'd wager that it is even better than Tommy McLean (I don't have the facts to prove that but we had many baron years under Tommy).

 

We've qualified for Europe in his first season and now close to repeating that in his second. We're going to have some off days but when you have a sense of perspective for a short minute, you can see that our good days have far outweighed our bad in the last two years.

 

Yesterday was one of the poorer games we've been served up yet we've picked up a point. We're Motherwell in the SPL - We're going to have inexplicable flat days but by the by, we've got it right good at the moment.

 

'Flow

 

Agree with most of that but if MMcG had the same win ratio as Malpas having put an extra million a year on the wage bill he'd be wanting his balls kicked .

 

As for being close to Europe we are sitting in 7th and at the stage where every point counts. Those 2 dropped yesterday could well see us miss out on the top 6 nevermind europe. There's no devine right but those 3 yesterday were do-able , the manager obviously thought the same going by his preperation , ill bet he wasnt pleased with the display considering the effort made by staying overnight, that didnt sound like the actions of a man looking for a draw.

 

The flatness yesterday was dissapointing but its a refular complaint both sides of the border that the 1230KOs cause that. Id much rather have where we are now to moan about than where we were a couple of years ago having just stayed up and lost to St Mirren

[Guest 'Flow]

Agree with most of that but if MMcG had the same win ratio as Malpas having put an extra million a year on the wage bill he'd be wanting his balls kicked .

True, but McGhee could only dream of the kitty both Alex McLeish and Billy Davies (and even, to an extent, Eric Black) had!

 

We've not lost any ground on anyone and it's Half Time at Tannadice with Celtic winning 1-0. If that stays the same then we've gained a point on Dundee United and are only one win from overtaking them!

 

'Flow

[Alan_mfc]

any pics of our crowd yesterday? didnt seem like we took that many.

[Squirrelhumper]

450 Well fans.

[Special aka]

that's a lot considering the rip-off at the turnstyles.

 

Wonder why crowds are going down

[that hat]

The white paint drying!

[El Grew]

Appreciate what everyone has said about yesterday. However the team selection was wrong and IMO set-up to get a point.

 

For me, Only Smith, Craigan, Reynolds and Klimpl came out of the game with any credit.

 

Brian McLean is not a full-back;

Stevie Hammell never looked comfortable all game;

Paul Quinn is not a midfielder;

Stephen Hughes was anonymous - MoM last week to this is hard to fathom;

Jim O'Brien gave a performance akin to those when he first came to the club - bowfing;

John Sutton, also anonymous and for a big guy is poor in the air and can't hold the ball up;

Cillian Sheridan missed the best chance we had and looks lost;

 

The plain fact is that we took the field with 6 defensive players. Our midfield was non-existent resulting in little or no service to the front two, neither of whom is capable of holding the ball up and laying it back. Only when Clarkson came on did the Kilmarnock back four start to get messed around as he 'worked the line' and added much needed energy and urgency. Surely he must start games as opposed to being used as some sort of super-sub and then if he's tired pull him off after an hour.

 

Given that we had so many players out of sorts I feel a point was a good outcome. We've played much better and lost.

[Kmcalpin]

However the team selection was wrong and IMO set-up to get a point......The plain fact is that we took the field with 6 defensive players. Our midfield was non-existent resulting in little or no service to the front two....

 

My view exactly Grew. The strange thing is that we have a full squad to pick from or at least appear to have. The one question mark is hanging over David Clarkson as there is some suggestion he's motoring on empty. The telling thing for me,watching the telly, was that some midfielders hardly received a mention indicating that they simply weren't in the game.

[johnstone]

Brian McLean is not a full-back;

 

So he had a bad game and he suddenly isn't a full back, what is he then? Man of the match against Dundee Utd and low and behold - he was playing full back!

[Steve Diggle]

I felt it was a dire dire game on Saturday. We just didn't get going at all and must be a huge disappointment to McGhee given the preparation that went into the game.

 

It looked like the Live TV thing was playing on the players minds.

 

I can't help but think that the lack of atmosphere contributed to the poor match - I believe that Setanta, the SPL and the individual clubs, including ourselves, need to do far more in terms of incentivising live matches. I don't think Setanta will continue to fund football that comes across as an end of season junior fixture on the telly. I know this has been covered elsewhere - but I think its relevant to Saturday's outcome. I didn't go for a couple of reasons, cost being one of them. £20 for a game that's on the telly - is fast becoming soccer suicide by the clubs. It's just not on any more. Things have changed so significantly over the past 6 months.

 

Overall a really disappointing outcome - as the game was there for the taking and if we had found anything like a higher gear for 10 minutes in that game - we could have taken 3pts.

 

I take Flows point about the push for Europe over the final 8 games or whatever, however - Saturday's result could have gone a long way to securing Top 6. Which we need to secure over the next three matches before we can seriously think of Europe.

 

We've been on a great run and I'm taking nothing away from that. And I'm not being overly negative about Saturdays performance - which accounts for only one game as has been said

 

I think we can do it however - it needs to be said - the players let themselves down a wee bit on Sat. I think them and the coaching staff won't need any of us 'experts' to tell them that this morning.

 

3 points were there for the taking.

[johnstone]

The fact we are now nearing the end of March and we have only lost two games and one of them was a last minute deflection I think shows how well we have been doing.

 

I think these draws might stop us getting into the top six. Draws against Falkirk, Hibs, Killie and St Mirren spring to mind.

 

It just shows how much we have missed Chris Porter. Sutton has done OK, but we are certainly drying up on the goal front.

[mon_da_well]

I'd say Saturday was a better point for us than it is for them. Other results went our way and Killie (home or away) has been a very difficult fixture for us in recent times and although we were mis-firing all day up front, a point was a good result.

[Well Up For It!]

Think with the way results went at the weekend, we definately dropped 2pts! I fear this reult puts an end to our hopes of European football next year (unless we qualify through the fair play award!) and I'm now starting to feel a wee bit nervous about top 6!

 

We MUST beat Aberdeen now!!

[milo]

I think we would have a better chance of Europe if it wasn't for this stupid split. We could miss out on the top 6 by a point, but that one point wouldn't be enough to rule us out of the Euro chase under different circumstances.

[fatcalf]

That's formed part of my opposition to the split since the start. It has been known for teams to go on a late run but that opportunity is denied those in the bottom 6. Hell Aberdeen almost managed it last season yet they only just made it in the top 6 by a ba' hair. Fine line between relative success and failure, too fine I'd say. Despite the fact most teams have an interest going into the final round of fixtures does it make the football any more attractive to watch, does it attract more punters in for the potential drama? Sadly naw so should be the first casualty of any rejigging.

Sorry straying off topic there.

[johnstone]

That's formed part of my opposition to the split since the start. It has been known for teams to go on a late run but that opportunity is denied those in the bottom 6. Hell Aberdeen almost managed it last season yet they only just made it in the top 6 by a ba' hair. Fine line between relative success and failure, too fine I'd say. Despite the fact most teams have an interest going into the final round of fixtures does it make the football any more attractive to watch, does it attract more punters in for the potential drama? Sadly naw so should be the first casualty of any rejigging.

Sorry straying off topic there.

 

Nope its bang on the money.

 

The fact the top six can stop you your tracks and make a season totally worthless when you could have been pushing for europe. The club and fans get affected by this and attendences go down.

 

This season is a perfect example, with only three games to the split and every team has something to play for and we are going to derail some clubs due to a stupid rule.

 

Get rid of it!

[AndyRoss]

While we shouldn't be taking for granted that we should be taking points from teams like Killie , we certainly shouldn't have to tolerate the dross that was served up on Saturday.

 

It was rubbish and over the piece we can possibly consider ourselves lucky to get even a point.

[Kmcalpin]

So he had a bad game and he suddenly isn't a full back, what is he then? Man of the match against Dundee Utd and low and behold - he was playing full back!

 

I can't speak for anyone else but my opinion isn't based on one game but quite a few. Before Brian's first injury he struggled at full back. He came back last season and I felt he struggled at full back then too.

 

What is he? I'd say he has the makings of good centre back. Time will tell. He has shown great strength of character to come back from serious injury twice and I hope he can progress from that. He deserves a bit of luck.

[Tweed]

Nope its bang on the money.

 

The fact the top six can stop you your tracks and make a season totally worthless when you could have been pushing for europe. The club and fans get affected by this and attendences go down.

 

This season is a perfect example, with only three games to the split and every team has something to play for and we are going to derail some clubs due to a stupid rule.

 

Get rid of it!

 

I like the split as it means that all the teams who are competing for something at the end of the season will be playing against each other. It was a great end last season when we knew that Dundee Utd and Hibs could feasibly lose to someone good and at the bottom everyone has a chance of winning as they are playing someone mediocre at best. Unfortunately this season the natural split in the league is 7/5 and whoever comes 7th is going to have a wretched boring end to the season - hard lines to whoever it is but the goalposts were set years ago and if you fail to make it you can only blame yourself.

[Orinoco]

perhaps the rules were set in stone, but can you imagine that 6th & 7th place teams are only split by 1 goal, and that the sixth place team had in fact played twice at home against the 7th place team. Also throw in the possibility that the 7th place team has played the old firm twice away from home at each on their grounds compared to perhaps only 1 for the 6th place team. Unfair advantage I would say.

[Tweed]

The second one would never happen as you always play one of the OF twice at home before the split and the other one twice away. Granted its not perfect but I think 12 is the right size for our league and I think the best way of getting a managable number of fixtures is the split.

[Steve Diggle]

The second one would never happen as you always play one of the OF twice at home before the split and the other one twice away. Granted its not perfect but I think 12 is the right size for our league and I think the best way of getting a managable number of fixtures is the split.

 

It doesn't stop one of the main thing that's killing our game - playing each other 4 times a season.

[fatcalf]

The second one would never happen as you always play one of the OF twice at home before the split and the other one twice away. Granted its not perfect but I think 12 is the right size for our league and I think the best way of getting a managable number of fixtures is the split.

I think you're in the minority with your support for the split Tweed but I do admit it's worked in the sense it's given teams something to play for until the end. Trouble is, as stated, playing each other 4 times is monotonous and has led to crowds akin to meaningless games, there's no real visible benefits in terms of quality, it favours the Old Firm far more than anyone else and with it's unequal fixtures it's inherently unfair, which is and should be the main reason for getting rid and bringing in more teams.

I and many like me would go watch Motherwell play friendlies every fortnight if it came to it, we haven't attracted any new fans through it so I would say it's not worked in any fashion bar the one you've quoted. Is that enough to keep it? I don't think so.

[NEMO]

Still hurting over this, not so much the result but the lack luster performance from a full squad to pick from. What happened to going out and beating teams in the first 30 mins there was a definite lack of importance with the players.

This result has hurt us bad and i now think top 6 is gone in all realism (meaningless games ahead after the split) but i live in hope, when we cant beat a very very poor killie i think were doomed against a well up for it dons side.

 

As for MMG having as good a ratio as Tommy forget it Tommy brought us silverware something MMG has yet to deliver on so stuff stats Tommys a legend

[El Grew]

So he had a bad game and he suddenly isn't a full back, what is he then? Man of the match against Dundee Utd and low and behold - he was playing full back!

 

Nowhere in my post did I say he had a bad game? I said he was not a full back, and he is not. Brian had a good game against Dundee Utd but one swalow doesn't make a summer. He does not have the pace or mobility to play at full back. He was signed as a centre-back, that's his position and that's where he should be played. If that means he can't dislodge either of the current two centre-backs then he will need to bide his time.

 

Alternatively, MM could slot Brian in beside Craigan, and move Reynolds to left-midfield OR move Reynolds to left-back and put Hammell in left-midfield.