Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[well fan for life]

18 minutes ago, thisGRAEME said:

Tbh, he's right (it's harsh, and he could have phrased it better, granted).

If you're a youth player battering at the door and asking for chances and thinking you deserve your chance, you get it, you play, and you aren't fit enough to last the distance, then it's difficult to argue with. Yes, chasing Celtic around for an hour is the hardest thing he'll have been asked to do, but you've got to be at that level to grab your chance.

Campbell, Turnbull and Cadden have all survived after the step up because they're clearly fit as f**k. If you're not grafting to be that, and you can't be relied on to finish 90 minutes, then you're not ready.

I really hope that he does get the heid down now. I mean ffs we've still not replaced Stevie Hammell as everybody who's stepped in has fallen to his cursed amulet. Left back is probably the one position that if you have anything about you you'd get a game with us right now. 

It'll be interesting to see if he does. Cadden had a shakey first 45 minutes for us and then never looked back. Campbell booted Lenny Sowah in to the Sainsbury's car park at Accies and hasn't left the team since. Turnbull had some cameos at the end of last season where we saw a bit of him being a total #baller then he was left out for months. He's sauntered back in to the team now and looks better than most of the first team. If Livingstone gets the head screwed on there's every likelihood he'll be playing most games for us. 

[capt_oats]

18 minutes ago, well fan for life said:

I really hope that he does get the heid down now. I mean ffs we've still not replaced Stevie Hammell as everybody who's stepped in has fallen to his cursed amulet. Left back is probably the one position that if you have anything about you you'd get a game with us right now. 

It'll be interesting to see if he does. Cadden had a shakey first 45 minutes for us and then never looked back. Campbell booted Lenny Sowah in to the Sainsbury's car park at Accies and hasn't left the team since. Turnbull had some cameos at the end of last season where we saw a bit of him being a total #baller then he was left out for months. He's sauntered back in to the team now and looks better than most of the first team. If Livingstone gets the head screwed on there's every likelihood he'll be playing most games for us. 

Needs to get involved with Richard Tait's Crossfit scene IMO.

[Swello]

1 hour ago, well fan for life said:

It'll be interesting to see if he does. Cadden had a shakey first 45 minutes for us and then never looked back. Campbell booted Lenny Sowah in to the Sainsbury's car park at Accies and hasn't left the team since. Turnbull had some cameos at the end of last season where we saw a bit of him being a total #baller then he was left out for months. He's sauntered back in to the team now and looks better than most of the first team. If Livingstone gets the head screwed on there's every likelihood he'll be playing most games for us. 

I think it's always been the case that young players can be ropy early on as they make the step up (Alan Campell disappeared for a while after his "first" debut IIRC) - I can't remember many youth players (Hammell being a clear exception) that have simply dropped into the team and not looked at least a bit ropy early on and so it would be senseless to judge Livingstone harshly on last night given the circumstances.

I think this season, given how poor the 1st team have generally been, there has been a  noticeable trend (usually from people - like me - who are never near a reserve game) to over-play how good - or how ready - our young players are and to use it as a stick to beat Robinson with. Because they have played well in the reserve league or beaten some dross in the challenge cup doesn't necessarily give a perfect guide to their readiness to step up to real games that actually matter. Turnball is clearly ready and overdue a run in the first team - but players like Maguire, Livingstone, Mbulu etc still look like they could do with being introduced very gently and in the right games - or even to go out on Loan and get themselves ready (I'm very keen to see Hastie in action when he gets back). 

First team football is a harsh environment - so there is no sense in mollycoddling young players and Robinson's interview last night won't do Livingstone any harm.

[YassinMoutaouakil]

Gamboa, who's played in the World Cup QFs and English Premiership,getting absolutely bodied off the ball by Danny Johnson who a)has just stepped up from non-league football and b) is about 5ft3, was very very funny.

[wellboy1991]

Needs to get involved with Richard Tait's Crossfit scene IMO.

Think Richard also needs to get back involved then as he is blowing out his arse aswell.

Whilst he is at it he can maybe take Andy Rose. His fitness is a shambles and he was utterly rotten after coming on.

Get these guys on the Grimmy fitness plan.

[dezz]

Si Ferry doing one of his interviews with Louis Moult next week.

Can’t wait to find out if the older boys were good wae him and whether or not the youngsters have it too easy nowadays.

[fat_tony]

Think Richard also needs to get back involved then as he is blowing out his arse aswell.

Whilst he is at it he can maybe take Andy Rose. His fitness is a shambles and he was utterly rotten after coming on.

Get these guys on the Grimmy fitness plan.

This is totally going to be one of those "Rose does the donkey work"-type posts, but I thought he had a very decent game last night. He covered a lot of spaces, made a number of important challenges to break up play and win the ball back, and allowed Campbell and Turnbull some licence to roam and press.

Much like McHugh, I think Rose does that role very well, and last night was no exception.

Agreed about Grimmy though, fit as a butcher's dog that lad, what a shift he put in.

[well_said]

Your spot on about the donkey.  The guy should be barred from our own penalty box. Clumsy oaf.

[YassinMoutaouakil]

To be honest I'll be glad to see the back of Ross MacLean, entirely due to his name giving me PTSD flashbacks to the Celtic 4-3 game. Bit of a shame for the guy that by far his best Motherwell performance will forever in my mind be associated with the most traumatic football game I've ever experienced.

[Casagolda]

Andy Rose has hardly played in the last 3 months or so, I’m not surprised he looked a bit leggy at times coming into a game like that.  It was a ridiculous challenge for the penalty though, Christie was going absolute nowhere.

As for Tait, he’s one that’s been below par all season and I’m not sure it’s anything to do with fitness. I wonder if being played out of position is taking it’s toll on him? His best qualities when he joined were his engine to get up and down the park, allied with his ability to deliver a cracking cross with either foot. These days he offers virtually nothing going forward. When was the last time he actually set up a goal, Aberdeen at Hampden?  

Do agree with @fat_tony about McHugh though, thought he was excellent again the other night and I actually think he’s been one of our better players this season- unfortunately he’s just prone to moments of absolute madness from time to time. 

Edited December 7, 2018 by Casagolda

[thisGRAEME]

16 hours ago, wellboy1991 said:

Think Richard also needs to get back involved then as he is blowing out his arse aswell.

Whilst he is at it he can maybe take Andy Rose. His fitness is a shambles and he was utterly rotten after coming on.

Get these guys on the Grimmy fitness plan.

 

By the same token, get Grimmy on the 'pass a football five fuckin yards' plan.

[well fan for life]

16 hours ago, dezz said:

Si Ferry doing one of his interviews with Louis Moult next week.

Can’t wait to find out if the older boys were good wae him and whether or not the youngsters have it too easy nowadays.

SO THEN YOU ENDED UP AT PRESTON BET THAT WAS SOME LAUGH EH HAHAHAHAHAH

Edited December 7, 2018 by well fan for life

[ropy]

Did Moult even play with Tommy Gravesen?

Edited December 7, 2018 by ropy

[capt_oats]

Had a quick dip into Steelmen for the first time in a while earlier and I noticed that aside from the quiet seethe from some that's palpable in certain threads, it seems like the chat is we're unlikely to see Tanner again this season after his injury set-backs. Which is fairly pish for all concerned.

There was a decent amount of conversation on here that we could have been doing with adding a Tanner-a-like to the squad in the summer regardless of his condition so I wonder if this is one of the "first team" areas Robinson's talking about with our new approach to transfer strategy in January.

[Swello]

I see the Sun has us, along with Rangers and Celtic as being interested in entering a colt team in this new League 3 effort that's been mentioned. From a totally selfish Motherwell point of view, I guess it would be better than reserve football and would help ready players for the first team, but I'm not a fan of the Colts stuff to be honest and think it risks making a bit of a mockery of th e lower leagues..

I've not read a detailed proposal for this but there are so many questions that pop up - eg, what if a colt team wins the league or gets relegated into the lowland league? How much movement is allowed between Colts and 1st team squads during the season?, etc

Interested to hear the club's view....

 

[capt_oats]

12 hours ago, Swello said:

I see the Sun has us, along with Rangers and Celtic as being interested in entering a colt team in this new League 3 effort that's been mentioned. From a totally selfish Motherwell point of view, I guess it would be better than reserve football and would help ready players for the first team, but I'm not a fan of the Colts stuff to be honest and think it risks making a bit of a mockery of th e lower leagues..
I've not read a detailed proposal for this but there are so many questions that pop up - eg, what if a colt team wins the league or gets relegated into the lowland league? How much movement is allowed between Colts and 1st team squads during the season?, etc
Interested to hear the club's view....

As far as the club goes Craigan’s been vocal in his support of it. Pretty sure Lasley has too.

Edit: I seem to recall some comments from Burrows being pretty pro-league reconstruction generally (rather than Colt specific).

Edited December 8, 2018 by capt_oats

[MJC]

So after Wednesday's excellent, yet completely undeserved and hugely fortunate point, we serve up yet another dismal performance today and lose.

This is a rotten team with a manager who has run his course and things won't improve until we have a change in the dugout - and that's just for starters. 

We have been awful all season and only did the business against the only two sides in the league that are actually worse than we are and one of those wins took a wonderful strike from the only player to give us something to smile about this season. And before anyone shoves the Aberdeen win and the draw against Celtic in my face, we were lucky in both of those games. We were lucky that Aberdeen didn't have their shooting boots on and then decided to gift us two goals from nothing and we were even luckier against Celtic in that they played in 2nd gear yet still bossed us throughout but had a goal wrongly disallowed and then missed a penalty before taking their foot off the pedal allowing us to snatch a point late on.

Any positive result is welcome, but as I said all they do is paper over the ever growing cracks and give Robinson and this team a stay of execution as we inevitably get found out for the shower of shite that we are in the next match (7-1 at Ibrox, last week at Livingston and then again today at Hearts being clear examples of that). Nothing will change as the season progresses and the non football we offer up will drive away fans in their droves.

We badly need a change.

[ropy]

Any games we were unfortunate to drop points?

[Swello]

I'm not in the Robinson Out!!! camp that gets a semi after every defeat  but in his post match interview he said that we showed "quality" today - and that really beggars belief as we *really* didn't....

[MJC]

49 minutes ago, ropy said:

Any games we were unfortunate to drop points?

At a push, perhaps the 3-3 draw with Rangers in August but otherwise there's not one draw/defeat I could point to and say we were unlucky to drop points in.