Mcghee Era

[steelboy]

i have been having a think today about how i'll feel about mcghee in years to come and what his influence on our club has been. as much as he's pissed us all off over the last few weeks (or even months) it would be stupid not to recognise what he did for the club.

 

PROS

 

reinstated a sense of profesionalism at the club. he took the most unfit squad in the league and made them the fittest. mcgarry and jim paterson went from fat bastards to actual athletes.

 

turned around clarky and quinn. two years there were numerous threads on this board saying clarky should be hunted and most people had a very low opinion of quinn as well, now they're two of our most important players and will probably either end us bringing us in some cash or making themselves a fortune. obviously the two of them have to take a great deal of credit but mcghee must have played his part

 

got us playing good football. we'll never forget the highs of his first season but even this season when we've been distinctly mediocre we've been decent on the eye to watch and keener to pass the ball than most other teams in the league. hopefully with the new pitch this will continue but we're in for a shock if we get a long ball merchant in as a manager as i think most 'well fans expect it on the deck now.

 

CONS

 

 

signings - if you consider that hughes and hammell actually wanted to sign for us and that porter only signed because it was less of a drive for his bird than dundee his transfer activity wasn't that impressive. bob malcolm was a disaster, jim o'brien might turn out to be a good signing but we needed to replace mccormack and he came nowhere near and john sutton was the wrong player for our style of play. klimpl was good but wasn't much use but was injured for ages. sheridan and lappin were decent loans but didn't contribute that much, grabbin and the turkish boy were pointless. we only just missed the top six this season and with a wee bit extra strength in depth we probably would have made.

 

young players - didn't play anyone who hadn't made their debut before he arrived more than three times. even in the bottom six games he didn't experiment much and on the final day we had the ridiculous sight of malcolm and mcgarry coming on. we've got noboby aged 20 or 21 coming through and that will seriously hurt us in a year or so's time. imo the worst thing he has done here.

 

tactics - the original formation and style of play were great but his inability to deviate from it was a joke. there were too many baffling choices to go into but very often his inconsistency of thought and ability to make decisions cost us. the man quite often beat himself.

 

overall - the good outweighs the bad, there are memories that will live forever and we achieved and witnessed things we could never have expected this time two years. we should now use this as an opportunity rather than a setback. bring in a manager who will be more commited, will make better signings, will take a longer term view of the club and won't make as many daft decisions by thinkings he's cleverer than he is.

 

our fate is in john boyle's hands now. two years ago the club was being run into the ground and since then he's turned it round in many ways. some things have take longer than others but the club seems to be run well now and i hope JB will go the extra mile to bring the right man in and move us forward again.

[East_Stand_Al]

There is without a doubt a solid platfom to build upon. but there is a hell of a lot of building work needing done, hopefully funds will be found from somewere for a few new signings and some investment in theyouh programmes

[Special aka]

IMHO we're in a far better position than we were 2 years agao.

 

Did anyone actually think Mark McGhee was here for life ? It was obvious from the onset that MFC would be a stepping stone to getting a higher profile position ........ and so what I say.

 

Time to move on folks FFS.

[Yir Elder]

IMHO we're in a far better position than we were 2 years ago.

 

Did anyone actually think Mark McGhee was here for life ? It was obvious from the onset that MFC would be a stepping stone to getting a higher profile position ........ and so what I say.

 

Time to move on folks FFS.

 

Not sure I'd agree with that entirely, considering the threadbare squad he's left. His tenure should remembered positively in the main, although his 'whoring' in the press, lack of good signings and poor efforts in the cups will rankle with some.

[Malky79]

I'd say we more or less where we were when he first arrived. In terms of squad we lighter and in worse practical shape arguably but at same time we at less of a low ebb and with only a few new faces and decent new manager at the helm we should be able to put out a competative team.

 

We better looking forward than backward for sure.

[Haggischomper]

Two years ago we were at the lowest of the low - huge division between the club and fans, a squad that had been looked after unprofessionally and were largely unfit and that seemed destined only for relegation.

 

Scarves and season tickets on the pitch at the end of the season, fans demanding Malpas out, JB giving the vickies....

[Juan Kerse]

Two years ago we were at the lowest of the low - huge division between the club and fans, a squad that had been looked after unprofessionally and were largely unfit and that seemed destined only for relegation.

 

Scarves and season tickets on the pitch at the end of the season, fans demanding Malpas out, JB giving the vickies....

 

Yea, the club is on better terms with the fans, MUCH more professional and there is a good vibe around the place.

 

However McGhee's job as 'Football Manager' got us a good season, a safe season and left us in terrible shape as a football team - 14 first team players!!

 

As 'Football Manager' his last contribution where he has been practically 'tapping' Motherwell players for his future club at the same time devestating our squad leaves a sour taste.

 

McGhee signed one player on a long enough contract to be here when he left - John Sutton.

 

Not good enough and it begs the question if signing guys short term when he kinda knew he was going to be away after 1 or 2 years was more sinister than it first seemed.

[Wellfan1984]

However McGhee's job as 'Football Manager' got us a good season, a safe season and left us in terrible shape as a football team - 14 first team players!!

Don't necessary agree. This time 2 years ago we had three years of long ball football. No one could believe that we could pass the ball past players. Now, with McGhee showing that we can we are a lot more attractive to possible managers. We might only have 14 first team players, but we managed to get third by using 15 or something last season.

 

I laugh sometimes when some people moan that we need to get rid of deadwood (some mentioning the likes of McGarry and DL Smith) yet moan at the lack of depth in our squad. Which one would you like? Depth in Squad or rid of the deadwood - neither of which I think are deadwood anyway.

 

People forget our out of contract players were given new contracts to consider, it is not directly McGhee's fault that they didn't sign before he left.

[weeyin]

McGhee signed one player on a long enough contract to be here when he left - John Sutton.

I thought contracts were dictated by the board, not the manager.

[Juan Kerse]

I thought contracts were dictated by the board, not the manager.

 

 

McGhee had Boyle wrapped around his little pinkie, (the one on his finger - oooh John, do behave..) if he wanted guys like Klimpl signed and sealed he would have got it.

[Wellfan1984]

McGhee had Boyle wrapped around his little pinkie, (the one on his finger - oooh John, do behave..) if he wanted guys like Klimpl signed and sealed he would have got it.

 

Is that why we signed John Kennedy on loan... oh wait...

[wearethemotherwellfc]

 

turned around clarky and quinn. two years there were numerous threads on this board saying clarky should be hunted and most people had a very low opinion of quinn as well, now they're two of our most important players and will probably either end us bringing us in some cash or making themselves a fortune. obviously the two of them have to take a great deal of credit but mcghee must have played his part

 

To be honest i dont Quinn is one of our most important players.Okay he go up the wing and help put in a cross but defence wise i would say Craigen,McLean,Hammel and Reynolds are better and more important

[JimH]

After only a month or so at the club, Mark McGhee stated that the team would need to score at least 2 goals in the early part of the game because with our defence we would lose at least one goal.

 

I felt that he hadn't fulfilled this part of his job by the end of last season because his eye had been on the hearts job since the January, but a year on and he still hadn't strengthened the defence at all.

 

Similarly, I felt that we were a one trick pony. Our speed and one touch football ran over most teams but when this didn't work there was no plan B.

 

Also in crucial games if he tried to tinker with our style of play (the cup, Nancy at home and St Mirren at FP when fighting for top 6), we were always found wanting.

 

There is no doubt that the transformation from May 2007 to the 2007/08 season was the most dramatic turn around I've seen in a group of players in the almost 50 years I've been going to Fir Park. However, I'm sure that, although we just missed out on a top 6 place, there weren't that many games I remember from last season that were a patch on 07/08.

 

I think that the core group of players we now have at Fir Park are better for Mark McGhee having been there but I'm not sure that overall, (depth of squad etc) a new manager will inherit much more than McGhee did.

[Kmcalpin]

I think that the core group of players we now have at Fir Park are better for Mark McGhee having been there but I'm not sure that overall, (depth of squad etc) a new manager will inherit much more than McGhee did.

 

Fair comment Jim. Our squad is much smaller than it was two years ago, but by and large the players we had then, and still have, are better than they were. Any new manager coming in will have to fill some gaps irrespective of the budget. We still don't know for example whether or not we'll have a keeper for the first Europa Cup game.

[MJC_MKI]

Whatever anyone thinks of Mark McGhee the person, it cannot be argued that Mark McGhee, the manager, was probably the best manager we've had in the last fifteen or so years. The football he had us playing, particularly in his first season was at times sublime and even though we didn't hit those heights in his second season, we still showed what we were capable of in glimpses. Add to that, he gave us European football, not once but twice and that is something that we could only have dreamed of a couple of years back.

 

All this, and he inherited a squad, and club on it's knees and in the depths of depression after a woeful campaign in 2006/07, where problems on and off the park dogged the club all season long, yet turned things around in a way even the most optimistic of Motherwell fans could not have hoped for. Also, his public handling of the Phil O'Donnell tragedy was also extremely good and sincere and that is something that should not be forgotten, so Mark McGhee does deserve some respect from Motherwell fans.

 

However, on the flip side, his constant public broadcasting of his interest in other jobs, ie. Scotland, Hearts and most of all, Celtic was infuriating, made all the worse by the fact that he openly said that he didn't care what the Motherwell fans thought after some criticised him during a match last season. I don't have a problem with him or anyone else at Motherwell wanting to move to a bigger club to better themselves, but I don't want that person to constantly talk about this in public, through newspaper articles and on Radio shows, as McGhee did frequently. It just shows a complete lack of respect for the club, especially when that club took him from nowhere two years ago and brought him back into the game. I have to say, I found his "I want the Celtic job" at his Aberdeen welcoming conference the other day just as sickening as anything else he's come out with. Has he no respect for anyone but himself? Even the club that made him as a player?

 

Anway, Mark McGhee is gone now and we move on. Motherwell FC was here long before he was and hopefully will be here long after.

 

I will remember Mark McGhee in years to come as a good manager but with a poor attitude.

[star sail]

After only a month or so at the club, Mark McGhee stated that the team would need to score at least 2 goals in the early part of the game because with our defence we would lose at least one goal.

 

I felt that he hadn't fulfilled this part of his job by the end of last season because his eye had been on the hearts job since the January, but a year on and he still hadn't strengthened the defence at all.

 

Similarly, I felt that we were a one trick pony. Our speed and one touch football ran over most teams but when this didn't work there was no plan B.

 

Also in crucial games if he tried to tinker with our style of play (the cup, Nancy at home and St Mirren at FP when fighting for top 6), we were always found wanting.

 

There is no doubt that the transformation from May 2007 to the 2007/08 season was the most dramatic turn around I've seen in a group of players in the almost 50 years I've been going to Fir Park. However, I'm sure that, although we just missed out on a top 6 place, there weren't that many games I remember from last season that were a patch on 07/08.

 

I think that the core group of players we now have at Fir Park are better for Mark McGhee having been there but I'm not sure that overall, (depth of squad etc) a new manager will inherit much more than McGhee did.

 

I think this sums things up nicely.

 

My biggest gripe is that there was never a long term plan. By January of the first year most Well fans knew that McGhee was not going to be there for long. His signings were short term fixes (Hughes, Klimpl and Porter), admitedly good ones, and the lack of transfer activity leading up to the end of this season told us all we needed to know.

 

Stephen Hughes was giving indication before the top 6 was finalised that he would not re-sign as was Graeme Smith. I think that may have been because McGhee could give them no assurances that he would be at the club.

 

He played Hughes and Sheridan on the last day of the season. Why? I could understand Hughes as it could have been a final bow but Sheridan? I can only think he had his -I'm going to be your manager at Celtic next season- hat on when he did that.

 

If as someone quoted above we only have 14 first team players that is a poor state to leave a club in by anybody's book.

 

Overall I am pleased he was with us and he did much more good than harm, but his time at Motherwell was far from perfect.

[wearethemotherwellfc]

totally agree with u MJC.He was a very good manager but just didnt treat the club and fans with respect.He talked to 4 teams in the 2 years he was manager and i did not once see him at one calender signing or last years open day so he didn't really get to know the fans

[London Irish]

People forget our out of contract players were given new contracts to consider, it is not directly McGhee's fault that they didn't sign before he left.

 

Indeed - perhaps some people think McGhee should have raided his own bank account to pay them to stay. Reality check, owners and shareholders provide the financial wherewithal to keep and sign players, all McGhee can do is lead them to the little water we have.

[London Irish]

It's a joke that people even mention the word "harm" to the club when discussing McGhee. Honestly, football fans

[Shaka]

So after 2 years of MMG in charge we are left with 14 first team players,our best/most influential players gone + with no replacements and little to no development of our youngsters, so much so that we currently have no players between 20+22 breaking through into the team, we have a group of 8 or 9 very good youth players with a combined total of around 4 appearances and nothing apart from Reynolds till you get to Smith,Fitzy,Clarky + Quinn. This for a club who depends on bringing through youngsters!

 

Take ur blinkers off please, McGhee did a great job 1st season,average job last season,brought through no young players and has now left us struggling to put together even a good 6-a-side team, less 3 weeks away from the start of our season, no harm done at all eh

[star sail]

It's a joke that people even mention the word "harm" to the club when discussing McGhee. Honestly, football fans

 

To take the word harm totally out of context and make a deal of it? Mmmmm!

I think your at it buddy.

Honestly, attention seekers

[Tweed]

In a way the position we find ourselves in is not of our making at all re McGhee. We could have said, if you have no chance of being here next season then piss off now but then we would have had no compensation at all. I also believe if Aberdeen and Celtic had both gone elsewhere he would have stayed with us and probably done a decent job next year. The way it has ended has been pretty disappointing and could in a way hamstring us for next season but I just don't see what we could have done short of foregoing our compensation to prevent it.

 

As for achievements - we played some real good stuff last season and were fortunate it coincided with really poor Hearts, Hibs and Aberdeen teams and United really fell away as well. He brought Paterson, Clarkson, Quinn and Fitzpatrick on and McGarry for a time too. Three of the four that are still with us are much better players than they were when Malpas left.

 

He focused on quality of player and not quantity - I think there is a balance somewhere and he is just a little bit too focused on quality to be honest but if he had an extra couple of players in reserve then we may have been 4th or 5th last season as we didn't have the quality to push for 3rd and again 5th this season because the injuries we had in November/December didn't hit us so hard. A 3rd and a 7th or two 5ths - I know what I'd take.

 

People say he hasn't strengthened the defence. Personnel wise I'd agree but we haven't lost as many stupid goals from set plays this season. He brings everyone back now and that has been reasonably effective. However there is not the same out ball on and as such I think we slowed down a bit as a team.

 

I don't care if he bleats about Celtic or whoever - I hate them as much as the next 'Well fan but its par for the course in this neck of the woods that blethering about the OF gets you noticed and in the paper and thats what he is after. What sticks in the craw is that nobody is looking after our pre season, signing players, looking for players and getting the few we have fit. And whoever sanctioned a ten day preseason before our first game must have been on crack. I bet Aberdeen are back before 6th July.

 

Overall glad we had him, just a shame its ended on a sour note. I just hope that Quinn, Fitzpatrick and Clarkson remember what he told them and keep doing it - with another manager to learn from them it may enhance them further and we could push on next season.

[weeyin]

And whoever sanctioned a ten day preseason before our first game must have been on crack. I bet Aberdeen are back before 6th July.

I know what you mean, but the players do need some time off too. The early Euro games are really part of the pre-season too. I know they are important, but I don't think they can be dealt with any other sensible way.

[steelboy]

so much so that we currently have no players between 20+22 breaking through into the team, we have a group of 8 or 9 very good youth players with a combined total of around 4 appearances and nothing apart from Reynolds till you get to Smith,Fitzy,Clarky + Quinn. This for a club who depends on bringing through youngsters!

 

i've been pointing this out for a while. the hammell, mcfadden, lasley and pearo generation left and got paid elsewhere. as mcghee has pointed out reynolds, quinn and clarkson will soon be getting offers they can't refuse. who's coming up behind them? apart from jamie murphy, no one. hutchison, slane, mchugh, saunders and page look a decent group but they're all too young to make a big impact for maybe two or even three years. this means we'll need to waste money bringing in mcgarry level guys to fill out the squad which could be spent on bringing in quality.

 

on a bit of a brighter note ross forbes apparently did well at dumbarton, anyone know if he's still under contract next season?

[Tweed]

In my view they should be back tomorrow - more than three weeks which is more than they'd get if they were at the business end of a WOrld Cup (even U18s like Reynolds was a couple of years back) and they wouldn't be moaning then.