El Grew Posted May 2, 2009 Report Share Posted May 2, 2009 How does that square with the line up today, particularly the selection of Hughes and Smith who, if we're being honest, will only sign a new contract at Motherwell as a last resort. Spot on Melvin. Smith wants to play at a higher level and/or with a team that is regularly challenging the OF. Well that means who.... Aberdeen, Hearts, Dundee Utd, Hibs I assume. But I don't see any of these clubs exactly falling over themselves to avail themselves of his services given that they would get him for nada. The only way these guys will re-sign at FP is if they don't get better offers. Well, as I said earlier, I wouldn't wait to be pissed around by them. Offer them the best we can, set a deadline for signing then if they haven't signed ...adios. Put the pressure on them. However, they would do well to remember what happened to Brian Kerr..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Ah, the old fallback if you dare critcise McGhee. If you don't like McGhee then you must want Malpas back? How I've missed that one... As I've stated on other threads, I'd love us to finish 7th but I don't see how playing players whose futures may lie elsewhere or who have one eye on their summer holidays helps us achieve that. I must have missed the "I'd love us to finish seventh" post. All I have read is your constant whining about everything McGhee does or says. Nothing positive, ever. Fair enough, you obviously hate the guy, but I don't need to read it in every post you make in every thread. It sounds like you have a pathological hatred of the guy coupled with some sort of 'entitlement' mentality I'd normally associate with the Old Firm. The youngsters haven't played in the first team this season because the manager doesn't think they are good enough yet. If we are serious about securing seventh, then I don't think it's too much to ask the top wage earners to win us a couple of games. That way, they can feck off to Benidorm and the youngsters can go out and play with everything secured. In out precarious financial position, a slip down to 8th could end up costing us the salary of a new player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhenry Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 The youngsters haven't played in the first team this season because the manager doesn't think they are good enough yet. When McCormack left Mcghee's words were that we didnt need to sign a replacement because we had one in jamie murphy and again he said that murphy was the only positive out of the game yesterday. Same with the right back saunders when he played against hamilton. I dont see why these players arent starting. Mcghee said his main problem with the players was motivation. Im sure the younger players would be motivated to try and break into the first team. We have nothing to play for so give these guys a chance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobey_Dosser Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 For me, Murphy should be starting every game upfront between now and the end of the season. Lets see what he is capable of... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DEWELL Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Steven Hughes and Smith will be offski at the end of the season and i think Klimpl is 50-50 to stay at best. Agree that we should play Murphy in our 4 remaining games in place of O'Brian who for me should be on the bench. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelvinBragg Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 I must have missed the "I'd love us to finish seventh" post. All I have read is your constant whining about everything McGhee does or says. Nothing positive, ever. Fair enough, you obviously hate the guy, but I don't need to read it in every post you make in every thread. It sounds like you have a pathological hatred of the guy coupled with some sort of 'entitlement' mentality I'd normally associate with the Old Firm. The youngsters haven't played in the first team this season because the manager doesn't think they are good enough yet. If we are serious about securing seventh, then I don't think it's too much to ask the top wage earners to win us a couple of games. That way, they can feck off to Benidorm and the youngsters can go out and play with everything secured. In out precarious financial position, a slip down to 8th could end up costing us the salary of a new player. I have said in a couple of posts very recently that I'd love us to finish seventh but that I doubted that the best way for us to achieve that was to continue playing guys whose motivation could be questioned. As far as I'm concerned that wasn't a criticism of McGhee, just an opinion on the way we should go for the next 5 (now 4) games. This only becomes a criticism if you have taken McGhee at his word when he stated that he was only goinbg to be using players whose future lay at Fir Park. What were Sheridan and Malcolm doing on the bench yesterday? Why was Sheridan used ahead of McHugh? Why (it could be argued) were we using Hughes and Smith who have not made it clear where their future lies? I am only taking McGhee at his word and questioning when he goes back on it. I understand that he felt it was a game we needed to win. I just question his approach to doing so. For the first time in my recollection, to question or criticise a Motherwell manager's decisions is seen as blasphemy by a large section of our support. I have been McGhee's harshest (not his only) critic. But I'd like to think that the majority of my posts have been well thought out and have raised questions that many of us at Fir Park have had while watching the team this season. Baffling team selections are becoming a regular occurence. The home Nancy game, St Mirren at home in the cup and the recent league game against St Mirren are just a few examples off the top of my head. You could add yesterday to the list, playing Lasley at right back when we could easily have shifted McLean out there given there was a centre back on the bench. Now I'm aware that I'm quicker to jump on these baffling decisions because I don't really like the guy. However, as I said in a post recently, he is a good manager, but not without his faults. Just seems like a lot of the support can't see them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarecrow Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 I have said in a couple of posts very recently that I'd love us to finish seventh but that I doubted that the best way for us to achieve that was to continue playing guys whose motivation could be questioned. As far as I'm concerned that wasn't a criticism of McGhee, just an opinion on the way we should go for the next 5 (now 4) games. This only becomes a criticism if you have taken McGhee at his word when he stated that he was only goinbg to be using players whose future lay at Fir Park. What were Sheridan and Malcolm doing on the bench yesterday? Why was Sheridan used ahead of McHugh? Why (it could be argued) were we using Hughes and Smith who have not made it clear where their future lies? I am only taking McGhee at his word and questioning when he goes back on it. I understand that he felt it was a game we needed to win. I just question his approach to doing so. For the first time in my recollection, to question or criticise a Motherwell manager's decisions is seen as blasphemy by a large section of our support. I have been McGhee's harshest (not his only) critic. But I'd like to think that the majority of my posts have been well thought out and have raised questions that many of us at Fir Park have had while watching the team this season. Baffling team selections are becoming a regular occurence. The home Nancy game, St Mirren at home in the cup and the recent league game against St Mirren are just a few examples off the top of my head. You could add yesterday to the list, playing Lasley at right back when we could easily have shifted McLean out there given there was a centre back on the bench. Now I'm aware that I'm quicker to jump on these baffling decisions because I don't really like the guy. However, as I said in a post recently, he is a good manager, but not without his faults. Just seems like a lot of the support can't see them... I could have done that post word for word!! Get the tin hat on MB, the HCC are massing as I type. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 I could have done that post word for word!! Get the tin hat on MB, the HCC are massing as I type. I've given up criticising McGhee when he says or does something I thinks worth criticising, as it's pretty pointless. Proper debates or differing of opinions are replaced with the masses foaming at the mouth and crying "WELL, DO YOU WANT MALPAS BACK!?!?!?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Grew Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Thats all good and well in an ideal world, but if players want to wait around for a better offer then all we can do is wait, if we can get a better player than him great but i'd rather have a better player for an extra year than setting a deadline and letting him go. Sorry Jam 20 but I can't agree with you on this one. I really think that those players who won't re-sign with the club's best offer and a reasonable deadline for doing so (one month) should be told to exit stage left so that the manager can then move on and consider other candidates either already at the club or from other clubs. Anyway, I forecast right now, that there won't exactly be a plethora of clubs waiting to take them on with better terms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weeyin Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 I'm no happy clappy if you have read the bulk of my posts. When McGhee joined I was highly critical of his touting himself for other jobs, for example. More recently, I have critcised his preparation and tactical formations for the 'must win' games. I'm also in the minority when it comes the the Nancy escapades because I thought we were rank in both legs. However, I have been following this shower for long enough to know that a 3rd and a 7th in consecutive seasons aren't the disaster that a number of posters like to believe. I understand the disappointment at finishing 7th, and it's compounded by the frustration of being capable of finishing higher if the split wasn't in place. What I don't understand, however, is the recent trend of a number of fans with nothing but negatives about *everything* that happens on and off the field. They hate the manager, they hate the chairman, they hate half the team. They have, quite honestly, lost touch with the realities of running a small club like ours. There isn't much to choose between the teams around us in the league. We thrived last year because we had almost no injury and suspension problems and, let's be honest, found extra reserves of energy due to the passing of Uncle Phil. This season, we lost McCormack and Porter, had no Uncle Phil, and suffered a slew of injuries mid-season. There is no amount of management talent that can reproduce better results with less resources. I don't care if you are McGhee or Sir Alex. However, it seems that a number of fans (that post on here, at least) have this sense of entitlement that we should be finishing third or higher every season, as if our rivals (with bigger budgets) haven't made any efforts to improve their squads. What is even more ironic is that the same people who complained about the negativity of Malpas in his press interviews are now complaining about the positive spin McGhee puts on his. It's basic management to deal with your team problems in private, and praise your players in public. If he came out and moaned all the time, no doubt there would be similar complaints. Just because I can see we are better off now than we were 2 years ago, doesn't mean I'm a happy clappy. I'm quite capable of seeing areas where we could improve (just see any of my comments about Bob Malcolm before he even signed for us, or the tactical formations for St, Mirren in the Cup). However, I'm capable of seeing the good along with the bad and don't feel the need to constantly focus on the negative. I'll repeat what I said earlier - there are some posters who have such pathological dislike of some Motherwell employees they are losing touch with the reality of supporting a middling SPL team. It's a game, people. If we won every game we were supposed to win, and lost every game we were supposed to lose, there would be no point in watching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fat_tony Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 I'm no happy clappy if you have read the bulk of my posts. When McGhee joined I was highly critical of his touting himself for other jobs, for example. More recently, I have critcised his preparation and tactical formations for the 'must win' games. I'm also in the minority when it comes the the Nancy escapades because I thought we were rank in both legs. However, I have been following this shower for long enough to know that a 3rd and a 7th in consecutive seasons aren't the disaster that a number of posters like to believe. I understand the disappointment at finishing 7th, and it's compounded by the frustration of being capable of finishing higher if the split wasn't in place. What I don't understand, however, is the recent trend of a number of fans with nothing but negatives about *everything* that happens on and off the field. They hate the manager, they hate the chairman, they hate half the team. They have, quite honestly, lost touch with the realities of running a small club like ours. There isn't much to choose between the teams around us in the league. We thrived last year because we had almost no injury and suspension problems and, let's be honest, found extra reserves of energy due to the passing of Uncle Phil. This season, we lost McCormack and Porter, had no Uncle Phil, and suffered a slew of injuries mid-season. There is no amount of management talent that can reproduce better results with less resources. I don't care if you are McGhee or Sir Alex. However, it seems that a number of fans (that post on here, at least) have this sense of entitlement that we should be finishing third or higher every season, as if our rivals (with bigger budgets) haven't made any efforts to improve their squads. What is even more ironic is that the same people who complained about the negativity of Malpas in his press interviews are now complaining about the positive spin McGhee puts on his. It's basic management to deal with your team problems in private, and praise your players in public. If he came out and moaned all the time, no doubt there would be similar complaints. Just because I can see we are better off now than we were 2 years ago, doesn't mean I'm a happy clappy. I'm quite capable of seeing areas where we could improve (just see any of my comments about Bob Malcolm before he even signed for us, or the tactical formations for St, Mirren in the Cup). However, I'm capable of seeing the good along with the bad and don't feel the need to constantly focus on the negative. I'll repeat what I said earlier - there are some posters who have such pathological dislike of some Motherwell employees they are losing touch with the reality of supporting a middling SPL team. It's a game, people. If we won every game we were supposed to win, and lost every game we were supposed to lose, there would be no point in watching. Bang on weeyin. There's so much negativity around here these days that goes beyond the disappointment of missing out on top 6. The knee-jerk reaction so prevalent after every loss seems to be to get rid of this player and that and that nobody's good enough for us. I'm as upset as the next person that we're not in the top 6 and I believe the manager has to take his fair share of that but the fact of the matter is that some players will move on, some won't but most of the player we have now will still be here next season. We don't have some magical entitlement to get a European place and we've struggled this year. I worry a bit about what our squad will look like next season but with a budget as tight as ours the manager has an extremely difficult job on his hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motherwell Football Club Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 I love how the majority of comments here are starting to resemble those of St. Mirren fans. C'mon lads, Get a wash and rub some sense into yourselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatcalf Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 I've given up criticising McGhee when he says or does something I thinks worth criticising, as it's pretty pointless. Proper debates or differing of opinions are replaced with the masses foaming at the mouth and crying "WELL, DO YOU WANT MALPAS BACK!?!?!?" Welll do you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GazzyB Posted May 3, 2009 Report Share Posted May 3, 2009 Top post Weeyin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Stall Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 This only becomes a criticism if you have taken McGhee at his word when he stated that he was only goinbg to be using players whose future lay at Fir Park. What were Sheridan and Malcolm doing on the bench yesterday? And yet, if you take McGhee at his word last week he noted that we have to have 5/7 players on the bench in each match, regardless of whether he has any intention of playing them or not. McGhee doesnt make the rules, he just has to play by them. As weeyin says, you are more than entitled to criticise McGhee, but the constant negativity you write is tiresome to say the least. As much as you like to blow your own trumpet, Im not really convinced your arguaments are very well thought out either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelvinBragg Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 And yet, if you take McGhee at his word last week he noted that we have to have 5/7 players on the bench in each match, regardless of whether he has any intention of playing them or not. McGhee doesnt make the rules, he just has to play by them. As weeyin says, you are more than entitled to criticise McGhee, but the constant negativity you write is tiresome to say the least. As much as you like to blow your own trumpet, Im not really convinced your arguaments are very well thought out either. I'm not convinced that there weren't two players available who will be at the club next season who could have sat on the bench rather than Sheridan and Malcolm. As regards my "constant negativity", I stated earlier that McGhee is a good manager (quite negative, eh?). I just don't think the sun shines out of his arse. If my posts aren't well thought out, well that's your opinion. But why are so many of the responses I get not answers to the questions I pose but criticisms for being negative or as Jay points out cries of "DO YOU WANT MALPAS BACK?!?"? I don't mean this as a criticism of McGhee but are he and Malpas the only two managers Motherwell have ever had?? I know that it may come across as if I feel we should be sitting third or challenging for the title. Not true. I'd quite happily be sitting in 9th if I thought that the players and the manager were giving the best they had. Sadly with some of the players, they too often don't look interested. And thanks to some of the manager's decisions, they sometimes look as if they don't know what the plan is. I can accept Motherwell not being very good (I remember John Gardiner, Paul Kinnaird and Gordon Mair). I think what does rankle is when the team's effort (and yes, sometimes the team selection) looks half arsed. Particularly at the moment when people are spending money, when times are tight, to watch the team. And without wishing to sound like that hat , the real reason I'm thinking about giving up my season ticket is the fact that freedom of speech seems to have gone out of the window at Fir Park. This has not come from McGhee himself but from fans of his who refuse to accept any criticism of him (I don't necessarily mean any of the posters on this thread). Weeyin is right, it is a game and if things went as they were supposed to it would be dull. But for as long as I can remember, as football fans we were allowed to grouse when things weren't to our liking. It seems like, at Fir Park, that time is over... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Diggle Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 That's a really good post Melvin - and although I don't always agree with you 100% - I think your posts are always worth reading and well put. I think McGhee is the man for the job here - no doubt and think that he's the best manager we've had since wee Tommy. Although I think your criticisms of him are fair. Team selections this year in big games plus his failure to plan properly ahead of the close season cost us dearly this year. Fair play on the players you've used to illustrate empty jerseys, those guys were nightmares - and that is another conundrum. We've suffered a fair bit from that over the years - we've had players that for whatever reason just couldn't be arsed - and they deserved every bit of criticism that came their way. (unlike some of the criticism that has been levelled at certain parties this year). I think Butcher was the man for motivation - he got more effort out of his guys than anyone I can remember. Even though wee Tommy was good he still had his passengers every now and again. I think that't the best part of your post about this year. Without doubt there have been certain occasions that guys have gone out and haven't been 'up for it'. I liken it to the game v Dunfermline away at the tail end of the Malpas era. For us on the terracing that's the worst crime for one of our guys in Claret and Amber to commit and I think it happened a few times on key occasions this year. I can handle 7th (or wherever we end up) - what disappoints most with that is when you look at the performances in recent weeks vs Killie away, Aberdeen and St Mirren at home. I'm not saying we have a divine right to win and that we should be Top 6 or anything like that. But no-one will ever be able to convince me that something is not amiss in the camp at present when you look at the manner in which we lost those points and played in those games. If I had to take a guess - i'd say a few of the guys were thinking about moves. A few were disheartened at being out of position, a few on the bench were down in the dumps at being dropped (when they shouldn't have been). While we can have a certain amount of sympathy for any of that. It's the managers job to motivate the team and if you're a player and getting the chance to pull on the Claret and Amber shirt isn't good enough for you - then I'm afraid you need to get yourself sorted out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Rink Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 Steven Hughes and Smith will be offski at the end of the season and i think Klimpl is 50-50 to stay at best. Agree that we should play Murphy in our 4 remaining games in place of O'Brian who for me should be on the bench. . Stephen or Steven??? You said both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Diggle Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 Constructive post Ice Rank Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Rink Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 Constructive post Ice Rank What a great piece of playing with words, i see what you have done there, changed rink to rank. Priceless. Congrats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ice Rink Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 What do you get out of acting like a tit on here ice rink? Anyway back on topic. I think hughes wont recieve many offers this close season, he's not exactly lit the spl on fire. one more year please stef (like your first here tho!) then on to bigger and better. What do you mean Jamo?? I am putting some valid points out there, but certain people just cant seem to handle the truth. Anyway, i am Well till the Death. I will support them, make up songs and get behind the team forever. Weeeeellll Welll Wellll Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 Welll do you? Thankfully not. Seems a pretty pointless argument to me. It's like Patrick Swayze over-coming cancer then catching the flu the following year, and getting pelters for moaning about having a sore throat because "WELL, WOULD YOU RATHER STILL HAVE CANCER!?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 'Flow Posted May 4, 2009 Report Share Posted May 4, 2009 Bang on weeyin. There's so much negativity around here these days that goes beyond the disappointment of missing out on top 6. The knee-jerk reaction so prevalent after every loss seems to be to get rid of this player and that and that nobody's good enough for us. Yea, I find that too and the ironic thing is SteelmenOnline is now a mirror image (only busier) of FPC back in 2004, one of the main reasons WTFC.net was set-up in the first place. It's a shame that the forums have descended into a place to avoid in the wake of a defeat because some of the absolute venom that is spewed. For the record - whilst I too get a bit tired of the constant and seemingly never-ending negativity from some, I am less inclined to bother about someone like MB who, at the very least, tries to articulate his moaning into some sort of sense. Also, a source of some amusement that some people still think these forums are "happy clappy". If Steelmen Online is happy clappy, I certainly wouldn't want to read the "boo boys" website. 'Flow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
that hat Posted May 6, 2009 Report Share Posted May 6, 2009 From his usual position in the co-commentator's seat, Craigan believes Hughes will be off to a big club in the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onthefringes Posted May 7, 2009 Report Share Posted May 7, 2009 Whilst doubtful he'll be at Fir Park beyond the summer, he's extended the let on his current house for another 6 months... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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