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Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons


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So realistically that's us looking at:

Samson, Tait, Heneghan, McManus, Hammell; Cadden, McHugh, Clay; McDonald, Moult, Bowman

Subs; Blyth, Brill, Lasley, Ainsworth, Chalmers, Kennedy, Belic

Seems odd that Watt was the only one of the 20s that went out on a development loan. Unless of course no one wanted to take any of the others on I suppose.

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Marvin only came on a 2 yr deal originally didn't he ?

I think it was 2 and a half and then he signed a years extension in the summer.

That model assumes that Bowman signs a new one next summer or we'd need to sell him next summer which doesn't leave a good bargaining position.

Or he could be shite. Difficult one I guess but if we're planning to make a profit it would have been better with a 3 year deal.
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Overall, I think the last day of the window worked out well for us. Firstly (and most importantly) - our transfer policy actually worked! We bought a promising player from non-league football, got a year and half out of him and sold him on at a considerable profit - and the club's ability to turn down offers showed the difference it can make to have decent contracts.

Secondly, we got (on paper obviously) a quality replacement on loan from the EPL, although I hope we're not spending too much to do so as it's a fairly unproductive use of cash..Thirdly, we got another "promising" player from non-league football with eye to doing to all again - although his arrival possibly means Blyth is a dud or that Moult is projected to leave in the next window and they are getting the replacement bedded in early..

Lastly - I wonder how much influence our ex-players at West Ham and Gateshead had on proceedings? It would be nice to think that we've got a network of players that have enjoyed their time and were well treated and will talk the club up when needed....

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Oxford Mail reporting the fee is supposed to have surpassed Oxford's club record of 470k. If true anything upward of half a million and it has to be seen as a good deal, especially since Marv chucked it a few weeks ago.

As for the signings, Bowman scored 16 goals in the Conference and 20 in all comps last season, exact same numbers Moult had at that level the season before he joined. Sounds like he's been a long term target that we've identified during our scouting of the Conference rather than just a panic buy. If he's of a similar quality to the likes of Moult, Johnson, Heneghan etc then that'd be grand.

Should also hopefully help take some of the goal scoring burden off Moult and McDonald, baring in mind we've lost 15 goals from last season with the departures of Pearson and Johnson.

Never heard of the boy Belic, 6 month loan deal though so there's minimal risk attached. If he's shite we can always send him back in January.

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re: Bowman I suppose one of the concerns up until now has been that we've clearly been relying on Moult for our goals. Looking at Bowman's history he's got a reasonable goals record. Moreso than Blyth anyway who, for all he may prove to be a busted flush, has never been a goal scorer and seems more of a target man. McDonald too was at his best playing more as a #10 as part of the front 3 last season.

The general complaint from sections of the fanbase has been that McDonald is never a lone striker, or to take it on a more practical sense he's not at his best playing as the focal point of the attack. That's probably fair comment. We're in a position now where hopefully we've reduced the burden on Moult as our sole source of goals and similarly given a bit of depth that should mean that McDonald plays in the position he's most effective and asked to perform the role that gets the best out him.

I'm a bit disappointed Johnson ended up in League 1 but ultimately if Oxford were the only club who really wanted him there's not a lot we can do there, it certainly wasn't for want of trying to talk him up to Championship sides. We've made our profit which is the main thing.



Edit: just saw The *un tweet claiming Johnson deal was £650k. If true etc then that's fair enough and more than breaks Oxford's record transfer.
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23 minutes ago, capt_oats said:


Edit: just saw The *un tweet claiming Johnson deal was £650k. If true etc then that's fair enough and more than breaks Oxford's record transfer.

 

If it was 650k (and 'Flow mentioned on twitter that the deal would "benefit us in the future", so we can assume some sort of add-on), then it'll be in our top 10 of transfer fees received, even going back to pre-bosman days when fees were the norm - so that has to be seen as a great bit of business as we've lost *far* better players for far less over the years.

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If it was 650k (and 'Flow mentioned on twitter that the deal would "benefit us in the future", so we can assume some sort of add-on), then it'll be in our top 10 of transfer fees received, even going back to pre-bosman days when fees were the norm - so that has to be seen as a great bit of business as we've lost *far* better players for far less over the years.


The club statement mentions the "benefitting in the future" part as well. Appleton also said he spoke to their chairman to discuss a "creative" way to put a deal together and expressed how much he thought Johnson was worth investing in. Presumably that led to the increase in offer and a few add ons.
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£650k is very okay, if it's at all legitimate.

Reassured by Bowman, and the fact he's scored everywhere he's been. We've done okay out of the lower leagues, so here's hoping.



In fairness McGhee's signings have been alright in the most part. Clay, Heneghan, Tait and particularly McHugh look more than comfortable at this level.

Baraclough's approach was more of a "sign as many people as possible in the hope one of them is good".
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5 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

Being hopelessly optimistic that the £650k figure is legit then that plus the £200k for Hall along with the compensation for Pearson and McGhee suggesting we received a fee for Robbie Leitch must put us close to £1m in fees received this window.

Even if it's closer to 750k - in a historical sense, that's massive for us - Am I right in saying that only McFadden and O'Donnell went for over a million? McDonald was 750k to Celtic and I think he is 3rd highest fee we've got (although I've got some memory that when McCulloch and McMillan went to Wigan, there was a combined fee of something like 900k, so that would have been another big year for us). Any others that I've completely forgotten about?

Edited by Swello
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We signed James Marwood from Gateshead in 2013. He was their top scorer with 15 goals, and the fans were devastated when he left for us.

We too were devastated, although it was when he actually played for us, because he was absolutely dreadful. Very much out of his depth.

Although Bowman seems to have played at a higher level, so hopefully he'll turn out all right for you.

 

 

 

 

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Even if it's closer to 750k - in a historical sense, that's massive for us - A I right in saying that only McFadden and O'Donnell went for over a million? McDonald was 750k to Celtic and I think he is 3rd highest fee we've got (although I've got some memory that when McCulloch and McMillan went to Wigan, there was a combined fee of something like 900k, so that would have been another big year for us). Any others that I've completely forgotten about?


Was Clarkson not about £800k?
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