Motherwell Vs Llanelli

[Katie]

We seemed to start well and it appeared to be only a matter of time before we scored but were sucker-punched by their goal by bad defending from a corner (sound familiar?).

I thought Jim O'Brien had a good game, as well as Slane and Forbes. Sutton and Murphy were woeful.

 

While i think we underestimated them, Llanelli seemed to have done their homework, and their gameplan worked perfectly. They got their goal then sat deep for the whole second half, easily dealing with balls into the box.

 

Also, did anyone else think that referee had a particularly awful game?

And number 4. scott mcdonald in disguise?

[Iain7_mfc]

Embarressing to say the least, especially when it was the 'home' tie. McGarry, Lasley, Reynolds, Murphy and especially Sutton were all pish! O'Brien was nae bad, but then again everyone could have performed better.

 

Folk have said previously, it's all down to one man and thats the selfish sheep shagging bastard up in Aberdeen at the moment.

 

If anyone can call Sutton a striker then, a really begin to wonder........guy is fucking murder.

[steelman1991]

I'm not Sutton's biggest fan (far from it). But last season it was clear to us (as I'm sure it will be to Gannon now) that he cannot play with his back to goal. He does not have the all round game of a Porter or Clarkson as you said, but if we could get people to the byeline and get decent crosses in, he will score goals. He scored a few in a season of poor performances last year. He did his best tonight in that role, but it was not good enough. if we are going to persist with a lone front man, we might as well sell Sutton. I don't see any use for him with that set-up...

Crossing - yes hmmmm - don't think we do that at Motherwell. Also agree that both Murphy and Saunders were pretty abysmal and certainly in Saunders case nowhere near the level to replace Quinn, as some have suggested. Think we may see Sutton move in the not too distant future, because JG certainly cannot have been impressed with his contribution tonight.

 

Anyone else think that Stevie Hammell has put on few pounds over the short close season - looked he was wearing a 'M' when he could have been doing with an 'XL' (Or are the Canterbury just a shade neater in size?)

[Neil]

We WILL do them down there.

 

Tonight was bad, but they threw everything (literally- those throw ins!?!?!) at us and had what, 30% possesion and 1 shot (can you call it that) and got their goal.

 

We will have another weeks training, a week with the manager and that will see us progress, I have no doubts. We were awful, and we do need new players, but there isn't much we can do.

 

We seriously need another keeper as Fraser just does not fill me with any confidence- he was Woods-esque, Keith Lasley had a total mare.

 

The team next week, I'd say has to have Darren Smith and Slane starting on the wings, as soon as Slane ran at them, they looked shellshocked and didn't know what to do, if we can run at them and get good service in for Sutton (who had nothing all night go his way) we will progress.

[Sdt]

I'm embarrassed of my team for the first time in my life.

 

Us fans didn't really do much to help. There was a point in the game where a guy infront of me abused Fraser for wearing pink. The guy was being deadly serious

 

The fans and the players were a laughing stock tonight.

 

The players didn't really give us anything positive to say though, did they?

[Welldaft Mk1]

We obviously underestimated Llanelli tonight, we were shite but they deserved the win.

 

I am disappointed that we lost tonite - off course I am. But what game were you watching?? Llanelli were as poor a football team as I have ever watched Motherwell play. So yes it is galling and hard to take that we lost to them.

 

But to say they deserved to win - that is stretching it quite a lot. They must have timewasted at least 10 mins and were doing so blatantly from the first whistle.

 

They scored with their ONLY shot on target from a dead ball. They had two other shots but apart from that they were rank. They created very little and were it not for the fact that we were so inept in front of goal we would have won comfortably.

 

This tie is over two legs. Both teams will probably play better next week, but if we are as far ahead again in terms of possession and territory then I HOPE we can take a couple of chances that come our way.

 

I am still confident we will come though the tie. Keep the faith.

[Fairhill]

What's disappointing is everybody saying early days. Sure not a shot at Gannon, but the team has been allowed to disintegrate before our eyes for weeks if not months. But face the facts.

 

We really wanted to get into Europe. Llanelli showed up at our home game and everybody thinks we ran them ragged, yet the wee team wins with an away goal. And of course we're going to kill them down there!!

 

The biggest problem Motherwell has always had is taking teams like that for granted...and I go back to the 50s. Even at the end of last season they didn't show up when they could easily have been in the top six.

 

So the dream is in danger and our only hope is Gannon getting into their heads that the next game is a must.

 

In the end its about guts on the pitch. If they don't go down there and win lock the door and play the Lanark Team, or Shotts and save on the salaries some of these chancers are stealing.

 

It might have been July 2nd for us, but it was also July 2nd for them!

[star sail]

Anyone else think that Stevie Hammell has put on few pounds over the short close season - looked he was wearing a 'M' when he could have been doing with an 'XL' (Or are the Canterbury just a shade neater in size?)

 

 

You could criticise much of the team but Hammell particularly just did not look interested. He was playing in front of the East Stand Second Half so he was close to us, and his body language said it all. Also he was giving no encouragement to the younger players in front of him.

[milo]

The lack of fight was very worrying.

[Dodge]

Absolutely shocking stuff tonight - I know its our first game of the season but no-one wanted to take any responsibility tonight. I think its harsh to have a go at Sutton when then the midfield created very little for him to do anything. Keith Lasley put in a performance tonight which even Brian Kerr would call gutless and pathetic.

 

Its hard to have a go at the young guys as they at least put in a lot of effort but the older more experienced players in the squad did hee haw. We were gifted a lot of possesion yet created few real chances of note. Jamie Murphy has to step up to the plate this season and his squandered chance in the first five minutes was criminal and cost us a result tonight.

[Neil]

I remain hugely unconvinced by Jamie Murphy, he's shown nothing in any of the apperances he's made for us, looks far far far too lightweight- by comparison, Clarkson at his age had had a 17 goal season and looked like a brick shithouse, a very poor player so far, hopefully he'll turn it round, but I am sceptical.

[bigshinyhead]

The most embarrassing result in the Clubs history. Llanelli play at no level at all, my bro plays for Finnart and I would be confident that they would take 6 off the Reds. The huge centre-mid, all 19odd stone of him strolled through that game, as did several more of their overweight stars, which is unacceptable from a "professional" club. Gannon must sit that squad down tomorrow and tell them in no uncertain terms that unless they win and win convincingly in Wales then they are for the chop. The absence of Quinn, Hughes and Clarky was frightening, no leaders, no creative spark, no class or guile, absolutley nothing, a team bereft of everything we need. Paul Slane however, take a bow son, one of the only players with pass marks. Young Saunders needs to improve his crossing, other than that he was our best defender. Will Llanelli swap their No.9 for John Sutton please? I don't think I can take another season of watching this big carthorse make Kaheld Kemas look mobile, as for winning headers, you could fit a fagpaper between him and the grass when he jumps.

Pretty much agree with this. Yes we had a severely depleted squad but we should still have beaten a team of that quality. Their number 4 is the fattest guy I have ever seen in a football strip (outside of the old firm travelling support) - seriously, he is huge - yet he was dispossessing our players and winning 50-50's. There were enough senior players in the team to have beaten a side like this comfortably but despite all the shots on target in the second half, all but one or two were completely half-arsed efforts straight to their keeper. I have no doubt we can beat them away but I'm not sure we can score enough to progress.

 

I expected a difficult game due to all the events at the club over the last couple of weeks but I simply wasn't prepared for being unable to beat a team as shite as Llanelli.

[MelvinBragg]

The lack of fight was very worrying.

For those who are champing at the bit for news of Paul Quinn's departure, I would say only that I don't know if he would have taken tonight's result as meekly as some of the players seemed to. Would he have channeled his anger at the performance/defeat in the right way? That I can't promise, but at least he'd have been angry...

[Welldel]

I am disappointed that we lost tonite - off course I am. But what game were you watching?? Llanelli were as poor a football team as I have ever watched Motherwell play. So yes it is galling and hard to take that we lost to them.

 

But to say they deserved to win - that is stretching it quite a lot. They must have timewasted at least 10 mins and were doing so blatantly from the first whistle.

 

They scored with their ONLY shot on target from a dead ball. They had two other shots but apart from that they were rank. They created very little and were it not for the fact that we were so inept in front of goal we would have won comfortably.

 

This tie is over two legs. Both teams will probably play better next week, but if we are as far ahead again in terms of possession and territory then I HOPE we can take a couple of chances that come our way.

 

I am still confident we will come though the tie. Keep the faith.

 

They came up her with a plan, a team of joiners, plumbers and ex pro's. The sat back, took the chance they created, held their lead and beat us.

 

I watched the same game as you, we were shite, we didn't deserve to beat them.

 

The difference is that they scored their only shot on target. We never had one.

 

We are an SPL team, they are litle more than a junior outfit.

 

We both got what we deserved

[Richie]

Haha... on a lighter note... I have just noticed the number 21 who was getting the rip taken out of him (from the guys in the east stand) is their player manager.

 

Anyway.. obviously disappointed but think we'll turn it round 2nd leg.

[SteelEdge]

I don't know what to say right now really.

 

At least Gannon will know the urgency he faces to bring in a lot of new players.

 

No blame can be laid at the door of any of the young lads that played tonight. Young Slane looked great when he came on, so well done.

 

I don't know what to say about the rest of them tough. We've all seen bigger and better teams than Motherwell get beat off a poorer team that score with their only chance and then completely shut up shop. That's basically what happened tonight.

 

Gannon seemed to always have the team passing the ball along the deck. No hoofing it up the park or anything. I suppose that's encouraging... if he can bring in better players to make it work.

 

Other than that... I'm struggling to think of a worse Motherwell result. The sad thing is that I don't feel that angry about it just now, just disappointed and embarassed. The whole thing for me seemed to have an air of inevitability about it - we'd get beat. When they got that dodgy throw in and then the corner from it, I pretty much knew they'd score. They did, and that was that, cos I felt we wouldn't score and didn't expect us to. And that was after me commenting a goal for us was just a matter of time after about 15 mins of the first half. I found it hard to get into the game in the second half or care that much I'm ashamed to say.

 

I tell you what though, I'm absolutely dreading work tomorrow. So cheers for that, Motherwell.

 

On a more positive note, it'll make the game next week interesting, which some people thought it wouldn't be!!!

[Ya Bezzer!]

Shameful, deplorable and inexcusable.

 

I expected Llanelli to be equivalent to a good 2nd Division side. They weren't even equivalent to a run of the mill Junior side.

 

That was the worst Motherwell performance I've ever seen against the worst opposition I've ever seen and probably the worst result in the clubs history. It's also an utter embarrassment for the club and for the country. You could literally have picked a team out the crowd tonight that would have competed against Llanelli and that a squad of professional footballers, and I don't care what age or level of experience they have, a squad of professional footballers couldn't beat a side with an 18 stone central midfielder. Absolutely shocking.

 

Lets go through the side shall we?

 

Fraser - 5 - had nothing to do against a pub team and STILL couldn't keep a clean sheet. You could literally, without joking, have put a dummy in goals for Motherwell tonight and it wouldn't have effected the score.

Saunders - 4 - I know he's young and inexperience but seriously, I've seen a couple of times now and he is NEVER a SPL level player. He's slow, doesn't tackle, has no strength, can't pass, can't cross under no or little pressure etc etc. How has this guy made through your youth set up when he can't even do the basics?

Craigan - 5 - Ropey at times but had very little defending to do.

Reynolds - 6 - Again had nothing to do.

Hammell - 5 - Didn't get forward, to be fair probably suffered more than most from the fitness element of tonight since it was hard to make the runs but still not good enough tonight.

O'Brien - 4 - An attacking midfielder that can't score or create, a winger that can't cross, what exactly does he do other than run around like a kid on smarties. Apparently this is good enough for some Motherwell fans but we are still waiting for this guy to show anything other than endevour and thats not good enough.

Forbes - 5 - Far from the worst offender but hardly inspiring.

Lasley - 4 - Has been a great club servant but lets be honest here his last good performance was way back in 2008. He needs to get back to form quickly or else. As one of the most experienced and better players we had available tonight I feel really let down by him tonight.

McGarry - 4 - I was willing to give him a chance but after tonight he's had his chips. Find a new club McGarry.

Murphy - 4 - Another young player but you can't call him inexperienced anymore because he must have played close to 50 matches now for Motherwell and hand on heart how many of them could you honestly say he was anything other than mediocre?

Sutton - 5 - He was an empty shirt tonight but at least he's proved he can score goals when given the opportunity. He's a finisher and nothing more. We know that so you can't really blame him to much if the other 10 players have no creativity whatsoever.

 

Slane - 7 - Only bright spot tonight was this kid. If he doesn't start in the 2nd leg....

[Kmcalpin]

im not having a go at jimbo. He can only pick whats available to him presently, and i am sure expected those individuals to do the basics.

 

As i said i think several of our experienced players probably played themselves out of the team for next week, and perhaps out of the club.

 

Good post and my feelings exactly. Lets look at the bigger picture here. This was Jim Gannon's first game in charge with a depleted squad and he asked the players to show him what they could do. They did precisely that. Too many of the players, with the exception of the younger ones, may well have played themselves out of his thinking. That can only be a good thing. I suspect that many of them will be replaced and rightly so. This was a great test for the players and in that sense it was a success.

 

Once again a big physical side who put themselves about prove to be a match for us.

[MelvinBragg]

I tell you what though, I'm absolutely dreading work tomorrow. So cheers for that, Motherwell.

Ha. Just saying to someone last week how I was dreading this game. My birthday is on Saturday and I'd always said how it was handy having your birthday in early July cos it takes away the possibility of Motherwell putting a downer on it for you...

[SteelEdge]

Ha. Just saying to someone last week how I was dreading this game. My birthday is on Saturday and I'd always said how it was handy having your birthday in early July cos it takes away the possibility of Motherwell putting a downer on it for you...

 

They always find a way unfortunately!!!

[sinky]

Jamie Murphy doesn't have the mindset to be the next clarkson. Hes too "nice" a player, someone needs to teach him how to be greedy and take selfish shots rather than play a half harted pass straight to the llaneli keeper. Also needs to get some tips from no.4 about weight gain.

[nethertonwellfan]

Shocking performance did i expect anything less no but on that performance say hello to 1st div football.Now you could say the well were unlucky but the truth is they were shite . i luckly could not be there tnite but will be in wales but on that im not hopeful , Shocking

You can't comment on how bad we are then we are 1 creative player away from being a good team this time next week we will be talkin about how we are getting to Albania , they weren't that good. They scored 1 goal more than us so fair play to them but the tie is foar form over.

[Welldel]

You can't comment on how bad we are then we are 1 creative player away from being a good team this time next week we will be talkin about how we are getting to Albania , they weren't that good. They scored 1 goal more than us so fair play to them but the tie is foar form over.

 

 

Aye but the thing is who is going to score the 2 goals we need.

 

We have no goal scorers left in the team, and we can't sign any before next week.

[nethertonwellfan]

Well win the 2nd leg anyway oh i do hope youre smoking something or ur from fuckin mars.

You really know nothing about football.

[MelvinBragg]

I think it'll be interesting to read Gannon's post-match thoughts. He can't be too scathing of too many of the players as he must know he will have to work with some of them at least in the medium term. However, if he seems unconcerned by the result/performance, I think it's safe to assume that he saw these European games as a distraction and simply as a warm up for the real thing in August. The only thing with that would be the fact that a lot of fans have paid a fair bit of money to go to Wales. I'm sure most of them don't see these games as simply a distraction...