St Johnstone v Motherwell 25/01/2025

[FirParkCornerExile]

2 minutes ago, Throughthelaces said:

So my basic point is and I'll be very clear about this if any player strolls into motherwell I don't care how good they are if they have an attitude if I don't like the manager and that's going to affect how much effort that is put on when they have a motherwell Jersey on that player and any player like that can get out the door and asked to never return. 

 

It's why I didn't want KVV back as well when others where furious we weren't putting in for him. 

I don't disagree. 

[wellgirl]

1 minute ago, Throughthelaces said:

So my basic point is and I'll be very clear about this if any player strolls into motherwell I don't care how good they are if they have an attitude if I don't like the manager and that's going to affect how much effort that is put on when they have a motherwell Jersey on that player and any player like that can get out the door and asked to never return. 

 

It's why I didn't want KVV back as well when others where furious we weren't putting in for him. 

I would personally be very surprised if SOD has an attitude. If you see him at events like calendar signings - he spends a ridiculous amount of time with the young fans, why would you do that if you don't care about the club- this is all just conjecture the same way the Casey stuff last week was. 

 

[Throughthelaces]

1 minute ago, wellgirl said:

I would personally be very surprised if SOD has an attitude. If you see him at events like calendar signings - he spends a ridiculous amount of time with the young fans, why would you do that if you don't care about the club- this is all just conjecture the same way the Casey stuff last week was. 

 

The calendar signing and spending time with kids is great like fair play for that but ultimately its what happens on the pitch that counts. And I think Odonnel as the more experienced players on the pitch he needs to give the younger players on field a better example and set the standards.

[wellgirl]

1 minute ago, Throughthelaces said:

The calendar signing and spending time with kids is great like fair play for that but ultimately its what happens on the pitch that counts. And I think Odonnel as the more experienced players on the pitch he needs to give the younger players on field a better example and set the standards.

But that still doesn't justify why the finger is getting pointed at him for having issues with three managers when the entire team weren't performing. Come on - let's not single one player out. It's unfair 

[Big Wispy Flossy]

Kettlewell should be first out,then a good few more. Having 30pc possession against comfortably the worst team in the league two weeks in the trot  in utterly unacceptable 

[Kmcalpin]

4 hours ago, texanwellfan said:

So what’s the plan now. Defend for 80 mins

 

4 hours ago, texanwellfan said:

So what’s the plan now. Defend for 80 mins

Yes, spot on.

[Throughthelaces]

1 minute ago, wellgirl said:

But that still doesn't justify why the finger is getting pointed at him for having issues with three managers when the entire team weren't performing. Come on - let's not single one player out. It's unfair 

My concern with Steven O’Donnell as a Motherwell player stems from a pattern I've noticed during his time at the club. He often starts strongly when a new manager comes in, showing good form and commitment, but then his performances tend to drop off over time. For example, under Stevie Hammell, there were moments when O'Donnell looked like a rejuvenated player, but that form didn't last. Similarly, when Kettlewell first took over, he looked solid, but his performances have since dipped again. While I can see and respect the positives others might point out about him, this recurring pattern raises a concern for me, as he’s been a consistent presence throughout these cycles.

 

I may be off the mark but it does strike me as a constant and a concern and the fact there's a few stories out there of him with issues with management at motherwell it does raise an eyebrow from me. 

[wellgirl]

Just now, Throughthelaces said:

My concern with Steven O’Donnell as a Motherwell player stems from a pattern I've noticed during his time at the club. He often starts strongly when a new manager comes in, showing good form and commitment, but then his performances tend to drop off over time. For example, under Stevie Hammell, there were moments when O'Donnell looked like a rejuvenated player, but that form didn't last. Similarly, when Kettlewell first took over, he looked solid, but his performances have since dipped again. While I can see and respect the positives others might point out about him, this recurring pattern raises a concern for me, as he’s been a consistent presence throughout these cycles.

 

I may be off the mark but it does strike me as a constant and a concern and the fact there's a few stories out there of him with issues with management at motherwell it does raise an eyebrow from me. 

You're entitled to your view, absolutely but there's always going to be stories - I personally know someone who has connections at the club and they said that there were issues with SOD and Alexander - but they thought Alexander was the issue - maybe the bigger point should be what goes on in the club should stay there. 

Same with the Casey stuff last week 

[Throughthelaces]

Just now, wellgirl said:

You're entitled to your view, absolutely but there's always going to be stories - I personally know someone who has connections at the club and they said that there were issues with SOD and Alexander - but they thought Alexander was the issue - maybe the bigger point should be what goes on in the club should stay there. 

Same with the Casey stuff last week 

Ideally I'd like every player to be more like Paul McGinn a solid 7/10 week in week out 

 

I don't expect anyone to be a world beater but I do ask they try to play and win games comfortably once in a while again if we edge a game 1-0 or 2-1 or lose a game at least make the opposition work for it.

 

We've been far too easy to play since the turn of the year and there's several issues but i do think our more experienced guys should be guiding the lads through a touch more. Wilson is off form maswanhise is our best striker and he's being isolated on wing and being pulled too far back to be effective. We're devoid of any creativity in open play. And to top it all off there's no signs of improvement at the moment. Maybe I'm just a frustrated grumpy grumps grumpusing around but man I'm not looking forward to playing celtic this week as we're liable to get hammered if we keep playing like this

[wellgirl]

4 minutes ago, Throughthelaces said:

Ideally I'd like every player to be more like Paul McGinn a solid 7/10 week in week out 

 

I don't expect anyone to be a world beater but I do ask they try to play and win games comfortably once in a while again if we edge a game 1-0 or 2-1 or lose a game at least make the opposition work for it.

 

We've been far too easy to play since the turn of the year and there's several issues but i do think our more experienced guys should be guiding the lads through a touch more. Wilson is off form maswanhise is our best striker and he's being isolated on wing and being pulled too far back to be effective. We're devoid of any creativity in open play. And to top it all off there's no signs of improvement at the moment. Maybe I'm just a frustrated grumpy grumps grumpusing around but man I'm not looking forward to playing celtic this week as we're liable to get hammered if we keep playing like this

You've every right to be disheartened. I am too and I'm a so called happy clapper 

[Kmcalpin]

4 hours ago, ppower said:

Mentioned last week that Kettlewell indicated he was very unhappy with Archie Mair's performances in goal and was quick to voice it in his post match interview. Guess what new goalkeeper in and Mair not even on the bench and he isn't injured. 

I didn't know about that  but Balcombe gave me the fear. He doesn't like high balls and was glued to his line today. 

[wellgirl]

Mair wasn't on the bench but given that Connolly got recalled and the club put a statement out saying Connolly would soon be going back to EK it could have been for personal reasons 

[Spit_It_Out]

It's all just played out now it's groundhog day week after week Kettlewell comes out with the same sort of stuff then we get the token player social media we need to do better guff I just can't be bothered with it.

I just find so bizarre why folk want to give him Ross County(just skip the Celtic game to actually put in some sort of effort)game to change things around it's like they want to give him more and more chances he has had more chances than me playing Monopoly.

Nobody can tell me this is enjoyable there is losing which I can handle but come on this stuff we are witnessing is just so bad it's went on for far too long now.

 

 

[Throughthelaces]

3 minutes ago, wellgirl said:

You've every right to be disheartened. I am too and I'm a so called happy clapper 

If you look at my post history before last week's mare in the cup I'm typically reasoned but last week maybe got my blood pressure up more than it should 

[wellgirl]

Just now, Spit_It_Out said:

It's all just played out now it's groundhog day week after week Kettlewell comes out with the same sort of stuff then we get the token player social media we need to do better guff I just can't be bothered with it.

I just find so bizarre why folk want to give him Ross County(just skip the Celtic game to actually put in some sort of effort)game to change things around it's like they want to give him more and more chances he has had more chances than me playing Monopoly.

Nobody can tell me this is enjoyable there is losing which I can handle but come on this stuff we are witnessing is just so bad it's went on for far too long now.

 

 

Because maybe he's not going to walk and the club aren't going to sack him before then. It's the board who make the decision - not us

[Kmcalpin]

4 hours ago, santheman said:

Need to sort out our right flank.    Wait "Here's Johnny"

A problem for the entire 95 minutes. Sparrow was OK going forward but he couldn't defend to save himself. Not the lads fault as he was played out of position and hung out to dry. 

[smiddy]

27 minutes ago, Big Wispy Flossy said:

Kettlewell should be first out,then a good few more. Having 30pc possession against comfortably the worst team in the league two weeks in the trot  in utterly unacceptable 

By the 1967 theory when scotland beat england to be come “ the best team in the world “

then when the worst team in the league beats us, ( 2 weeks in a row ) then we basically become the worst team 😜

wont really work like that “ cause were 5th in the league “ 

[Kmcalpin]

3 hours ago, wellfan said:

For those at the game, what formation did we start with? 

It looked like a 5-3-1-1 to me for the vast majority  of the game. 

[FirParkCornerExile]

5 minutes ago, smiddy said:

By the 1967 theory when scotland beat england to be come “ the best team in the world “

then when the worst team in the league beats us, ( 2 weeks in a row ) then we basically become the worst team 😜

wont really work like that “ cause were 5th in the league “ 

In terms of league placing we are not but in terms of football we are. 

[Kmcalpin]

2 hours ago, MJC said:

Kettlewell “we don’t spend enough time in the final third”

It’s a bit difficult when we can’t keep possession.

It's even harder when we don't have possession and can't win it back. 

[FirParkCornerExile]

7 minutes ago, Kmcalpin said:

It's even harder when we don't have possession and can't win it back. 

The midfield is so weak and powder puff we will never dominate other teams. 

[Kmcalpin]

2 hours ago, grizzlyg said:

Craggs rhymed off stats on radio Scotland,   12th for possession in league 38%,  least shots on target and keeper has made most saves.

He also said that our league position is at odds with how we play and are now getting found out or words to that effect. 

[dennyc]

3 minutes ago, Kmcalpin said:

A problem for the entire 95 minutes. Sparrow was OK going forward but he couldn't defend to save himself. Not the lads fault as he was played out of position and hung out dry. 

Sat through that entire mind numbing rot today and this for me sums up why SK's time is up. Time and time again he shoe horns players in so as to stick to a preferred set up that is clearly failing to deliver. Thus exposing player weaknesses and hanging them out to dry. Same reason I suspect Kaleta was kept on after he was clearly injured. Yet again his substitutions did nothing to alter the pattern of the game. Like for like. 

Re Balcombe. He certainly does not like catching a ball and he did not inspire confidence. That said, but for a couple of outstanding saves the game would have been lost much earlier.

Just about passable performance first half after being handed a goal of a start through no effort of our own. Second half was pathetic. We still cannot defend corners. Thought Blaney did ok and Sparrow battled away as best he could. St Johnstone were even poorer than they were last week. Anybody who believes we are not in trouble is deluded.

 

[wellon]

1 hour ago, grizzlyg said:

I agree, poor SOD seems to get blamed for everything,   see that storm yesterday......SOD caused it 🤪

Don't think he gets blamed for everything,  at the same time, he's not very good 

[wellgirl]

3 minutes ago, dennyc said:

Sat through that entire mind numbing rot today and this for me sums up why SK's time is up. Time and time again he shoe horns players in so as to stick to a preferred set up that is clearly failing to deliver. Thus exposing player weaknesses and hanging them out to dry. Same reason I suspect Kaleta was kept on after he was clearly injured. Yet again his substitutions did nothing to alter the pattern of the game. Like for like. 

Re Balcombe. He certainly does not like catching a ball and he did not inspire confidence. That said, but for a couple of outstanding saves the game would have been lost much earlier.

Just about passable performance first half after being handed a goal of a start through no effort of our own. Second half was pathetic. We still cannot defend corners. Thought Blaney did ok and Sparrow battled away as best he could. St Johnstone were even poorer than they were last week. Anybody who believes we are not in trouble is deluded.

 

It was Balcombes first game. Surely we can cut him some slack