Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[capt_oats]

Well...I wonder who the couple of players are?

Quote

"We go again, we have already signed a couple of players and every Tuesday and Wednesday we are down looking in the lower leagues in England.

We will bring more players in next season and try and progress. We have a brilliant recruitment team and we will go again."

"We have offered contracts to four boys and a couple of verbal offers as well, and nobody is rushing through the door to sign them, because financially we are not going to change anybody's lives.

"But what you have to look at as a player is are you going to play football, are you going to be exposed in the right way to benefit your career?

"Perhaps some of them might sign. It's still ongoing and we will remain positive and keep battling away to try and get signatures."

Daily Record

 

[RandomGuy.]

3 hours ago, Desp said:

Imagine if we signed May to replace Main? *

#Scenes when he bangs in 20 goals while Main scores two (one of which is against Motherwell, obvs).

 

 

* This is only if May finds a time machine and throws himself back about six years before his knee blew up into a million pieces. 

FTFY

[MJC]

Despite his poor season, I like Curtis Main and always have done. I've always said that he is the type of forward who isn't an out and out goalscorer but would be a very good foil/partner to one that is. He's cut a very frustrated figure at times this season and his form has suffered as a result and it probably is time he moved on, but I would hate to see him turn out for Aberdeen.

His Semi Final performance against the Dons almost a year ago was his finest moment in a Well jersey, he absolutely battered them that day.

[well fan for life]

2 hours ago, MJC said:

Despite his poor season, I like Curtis Main and always have done. I've always said that he is the type of forward who isn't an out and out goalscorer but would be a very good foil/partner to one that is. He's cut a very frustrated figure at times this season and his form has suffered as a result and it probably is time he moved on, but I would hate to see him turn out for Aberdeen.

His Semi Final performance against the Dons almost a year ago was his finest moment in a Well jersey, he absolutely battered them that day.

Aye I've got a lot of time for him. He's been a big part in our turnaround after chucking his toys out the pram against Killie. Ultimately we need a striker that puts the ball in the net and he's not doing that.

Main & Bowman chasing McKenna & Arnason round Hampden is one of my favourite days following Motherwell tbh.

 

[Londonwell]

5 hours ago, capt_oats said:

Well...I wonder who the couple of players are?

 

Fane and Gallagher, shirley?

[thisGRAEME]

My barber informed me that Declan has indeed signed.

Not the hottest take, but there we are.

[capt_oats]

1 hour ago, well fan for life said:

Aye I've got a lot of time for him. He's been a big part in our turnaround after chucking his toys out the pram against Killie. Ultimately we need a striker that puts the ball in the net and he's not doing that.

Main & Bowman chasing McKenna & Arnason round Hampden is one of my favourite days following Motherwell tbh.

The difference in takes between Main and Bowman is actually quite curious. Main has 14 goals in 56 appearances for us while Bowman had 14 in 86 yet big Herbalife is largely well thought of because he put in a shift and folk were willing to argue his case in so much as he was a foil for others.

Folk would defend Bowman citing Moult's goals as part of the partnership, I don't hear many folk white knighting Main by saying "aye but look how many goals Turnbull and Hastie have scored when Main's been playing."

Don't get me wrong it's definitely not my hill but it's quite strange all the same.

18 minutes ago, Londonwell said:

Fane and Gallagher, shirley?

Is there actually any need for us to sign Fané at the moment? He's had his contract ripped up and hasn't kicked a ball in almost a year. I'm inclined to take the club at its word when they say he's just training with us. I'd be surprised if clubs were battering his door down.

I'm maybe over-thinking it but I'd have thought if we were in for someone this early it'd probably be a pre-contract for someone who might be in demand. The Gallagher rumour being a case in point in so much as we were apparently up against St Johnstone for his signature.

I could be miles out on that mind.

Edited April 5, 2019 by capt_oats

[Neil86]

I cant say i know a huge deal about fane but i can certainly see why he would appeal to us if indeed mchugh is away and gorrin as well not sure where he will be. He seems the sort we would go for, trying to get his career back on track. I believehis contract was ripped up due to a disagreement with that maniac chairman at oldham as opposed anything football related.

[capt_oats]

1 hour ago, Neil86 said:

I cant say i know a huge deal about fane but i can certainly see why he would appeal to us if indeed mchugh is away and gorrin as well not sure where he will be. He seems the sort we would go for, trying to get his career back on track. I believe his contract was ripped up due to a disagreement with that maniac chairman at oldham as opposed anything football related.

100%. I was really just wondering if we'd have committed to signing him this early rather than whether he's a type we'd sign (he clearly is).

A lower league Patrick Viera is right up our street. Robinson signed him for Oldham and the player seems to have a lot of time for Robbo going by his wee  IG statement when he left Oldham.

There are definite parallels with Charlie Dunne signing for us in so much as he had lengthy injury issues but was someone Robinson had worked with before and saw certain qualities he felt meant he could do a job for us. I'm guessing his recent injury history would mean he'd be more cost effective to have around the squad since, as has been pointed out, having McHugh, Hartley, Frear, Johnson et al not starting it's a pretty expensive looking bench right now.

Edited April 6, 2019 by capt_oats

[Ron Aldo]

If he has signed then he won't be the first Fané to have played for us.

BOOM BOOM.

[capt_oats]

Considering the amount of time he was out with his head exploding this is a pretty good landmark.

https://twitter.com/MotherwellFC/status/1114574739740164096?s=20

 

[well fan for life]

My barber informed me that Declan has indeed signed.
Not the hottest take, but there we are.

Well he’s sitting behind me in the Cooper stand so I’m willing to treat this as gospel.

[Ron Aldo]

Well he’s sitting behind me in the Cooper stand so I’m willing to treat this as gospel.

Did he have his baseball bat with him?

[Casagolda]

He must have been pissing himself laughing watching us at the back today, he’ll be confident of strolling into that team no bother on todays evidence.

On the plus side I can’t imagine the likes of Aldred, Gorrin or Main done much to impress many visiting scouts that were there to watch them today either. Likewise Hastie, although he got himself into numerous good positions his end product let him down all afternoon.  

That’s us now tried to go toe to toe with Hibs(a), Aberdeen(a) and Rangers(h) in recent weeks and have come out with 0 points having lost by an aggregate score of 8-1. Which kind of emphasises the point of us not being good enough for the top 6 I suppose. 

However I do think we’ve come a long way since the horror days of the 1st half of this season and I’m confident we’re moving in the right direction- still very much a work in progress though and top end of the bottom 6 is about right. You do feel we’ve gone from one extreme to the other though at times and there’s a balance to be struck somewhere- between playing attractive, expansive football and being more pragmatic/difficult to beat. Especially against the better sides in the division.

Anyway if I were Robinson, I’d be looking to start phasing out those who won’t be here next year and start planning for next season now. Use the remaining games to get some minutes into the likes of Livingstone, Scott etc and see if they’re ready to handle the step up. Although I’m sure he and the club will want to finish 7th for that extra cash.

On that note, noticed Danny Johnson and Liam Donnelly were both bumped from the squad today(along with Sammon obvs)- Another two that you imagine will be on their way this summer?

Edited April 7, 2019 by Casagolda

[Busta Nut]

Sparra is joined by Busta and Jay to look back upon fixtures against St Johnstone, Aberdeen and Rangers. There’s also plenty of surrounding issues around all three games that get our full attention.

 

 

https://www.mfc1886.com/mfc-podcast-2018-19-episode-33/

[Busta Nut]

On 4/5/2019 at 16:22, capt_oats said:

Well...I wonder who the couple of players are?

 

 

On 4/5/2019 at 22:02, Londonwell said:

Fane and Gallagher, shirley?

 

On 4/5/2019 at 22:05, thisGRAEME said:

My barber informed me that Declan has indeed signed.

Not the hottest take, but there we are.

Gallagher is defo signed.

[well fan for life]

15 hours ago, Casagolda said:

He must have been pissing himself laughing watching us at the back today, he’ll be confident of strolling into that team no bother on todays evidence.

On the plus side I can’t imagine the likes of Aldred, Gorrin or Main done much to impress many visiting scouts that were there to watch them today either. Likewise Hastie, although he got himself into numerous good positions his end product let him down all afternoon.  

That’s us now tried to go toe to toe with Hibs(a), Aberdeen(a) and Rangers(h) in recent weeks and have come out with 0 points having lost by an aggregate score of 8-1. Which kind of emphasises the point of us not being good enough for the top 6 I suppose. 

However I do think we’ve come a long way since the horror days of the 1st half of this season and I’m confident we’re moving in the right direction- still very much a work in progress though and top end of the bottom 6 is about right. You do feel we’ve gone from one extreme to the other though at times and there’s a balance to be struck somewhere- between playing attractive, expansive football and being more pragmatic/difficult to beat. Especially against the better sides in the division.

Anyway if I were Robinson, I’d be looking to start phasing out those who won’t be here next year and start planning for next season now. Use the remaining games to get some minutes into the likes of Livingstone, Scott etc and see if they’re ready to handle the step up. Although I’m sure he and the club will want to finish 7th for that extra cash.

On that note, noticed Danny Johnson and Liam Donnelly were both bumped from the squad today(along with Sammon obvs)- Another two that you imagine will be on their way this summer?

Gallagher will absolutely stroll into the first team.

I reckon there will be a bit of a clear out this summer. Donnelly appears to be a promising player but he's got legs made of glass, Sammon's going back to Hearts and I think Robinson's chucked it with Johnson. 

I'd be happy if we saw some folk getting a chance before the end of the season when things don't really matter. 

Edit: I see Peter Hartley's punting some Herbalife-but-not-Herbalife type thing on instagram.

Edited April 8, 2019 by well fan for life

[capt_oats]

2 hours ago, well fan for life said:

Gallagher will absolutely stroll into the first team.

I reckon there will be a bit of a clear out this summer. Donnelly appears to be a promising player but he's got legs made of glass, Sammon's going back to Hearts and I think Robinson's chucked it with Johnson. 

I'd be happy if we saw some folk getting a chance before the end of the season when things don't really matter. 

Donnelly's a weird one. Earlier in the season he became N.Ireland's record appearance holder at u21 level, captained them and was tucking away penalties against Spain. On the face of it he ticks loads of boxes for the type of signing we'd make. I'm pretty sure both Robinson and Craigan both worked with him in the NI set up however for whatever reason he looks absolutely no where near it for us.

Despite him having been here almost a full season it's still not particularly clear where we see him fitting in. RB? CB? DM?

Whether it's a case of injuries meaning he's not settled or it's an application thing and simply a case of not stepping up a level (as has been hinted at with Johnson) IDK. Having said all that I think there's more chance of Donnelly sticking around as cover than Johnson.

It's difficult to imagine that playing in the Reserves with our u18s was what we sold Johnson after a 20 goal season with Gateshead and unless we're planning on reverting to playing 2 up front then next season will be a case of Johnson getting splinters. Ultimately if we could find a taker for Bowman with 14 goals in 86 games then I'm sure someone in League 1 or 2 would take a punt on Johnson with 7 in 27.

Given the number of bodies we've got out of contract I think a clear out is pretty inevitable and that's not necessarily a bad thing. I'm sure Robinson wouldn't welcome another full scale re-build but equally with budgets being what they are this is where Robinson gets the opportunity to reshape if he wants as we're not going to be able to just burn money and cut folk loose while they're under contract.

It's been quite an accelerated rate of evolution in terms of style for Robinson in the 2 years he's been manager.

We've gone from pragmatic shitfest to keep us in the league to a point at which there's a bit more balance between what the manager is comfortable doing and the fans want to see. The direct football that worked last season clearly didn't have the same impact this season and as we've seen the past few months the 433 can work well against against 2/3s of the league but has been largely ineffective against the top 4 or 5.

Will be worth keeping an eye out to see whether Donnelly and Johnson are turning out for the reserves later this afternoon.

Edited April 8, 2019 by capt_oats

[Desp]

I think we will end up seeing another clear-out/rebuild in the summer.   Listening to Robinson in his recent interviews, I am beginning to wonder if he's got the stomach for it again.  If we do manage to get 7th, he may decide he's done his bit and seek a new challenge. 

FWIW, I can see the following departing in the summer

McHugh, Aldred, Hartley, Cadden, Main, Frear, Ariyibi, Newall, Sammon, Johnson, Hastie & McCormack.

That's 12 players, and you'd say four or five of them are regulars in the first team.  It's going to be a big job for the manager in the summer, as it'll be tough to get anywhere near a 100% success rate when you're bringing in 10+ players.

[MJC]

The rebuilding job this summer will be every bit as big if not even bigger than Robinson's first summer transfer window in 2017. We will almost certainly be parting company with several first team players and it is absolutely crucial that he gets it right over all, as he and we as a club cannot go a repeat of last summer's shambles. We need a left back, a left sided midfielders,a central midfielder and at least two forwards in. If rumours are to be believed we have already got Declan Gallagher tied up so that will be one defender in, but we'll need at least one more in that position and very possibly a new goalkeeper.

The pressure on Robinson is massive this summer.