Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[Busta Nut]

"David, yer a fat useless f**k right now, we think you have a bit of talent but we need to offer you a basic wage based on yer fat b*****dness."

[capt_oats]

5 hours ago, Casagolda said:

On this, clocked yesterday that David Vanecek claimed we tried to sign him during the summer when he was hunted by Hearts. 

 

Fair enough I suppose. 

A 6’4 target man though, guess that would kind of tie in with the kind of striker Robinson was/is looking for. 

Thoroughly tickled by that. Absolutely fair enough from the big man.

I know Robinson's spoken about it on numerous occasions in interviews but our recruitment profile is quite transparent.

It's interesting (to me at least) that the bulk of the January signings have been loans - of the 6 new signings Main has been the only permanent (although Hartley's loan was made permanent in January as well).

Hartley, Aldred, Main, Ciftci, Sammon, McCormack, Ariyibi, Sloth, Cole and O'Hara all fall in the bracket of players who had fallen out of favour or had been told they had no future at their club (some more so than others).

Both Gallagher and Polworth slightly bucked the trend in so much as they were known players with a bit of profile and were playing regular first team football (Fisher had a fall out at ICT and had been frozen out IIRC). In Polworth's case he was playing in the Championship and in Gallagher's case he had a certain amount of...baggage. Both of them supposedly knocked back better paid offers from other clubs on account of us selling the club and the strategy and the players buying into it - in fairness, we've been good on our word.

I've stuck a list of Robinson's signings in the spoiler below with the clubs they were signed from and a rough idea of the level they had been playing at before they arrived here eg: Tanner signed from Reading but had been loaned out to Plymouth in League 2.

Spoiler

2017/18
Alex Fisher - (ICT - relegated to SPFL Championship)
Gael Bigirimana - (Coventry - League 1 relegated to League 2)
Craig Tanner (Reading - loaned out to Plymouth L2)
Trevor Carson (Hartlepool - relegated to National League)
Andy Rose (Coventry - League 1 relegated to League 2)
Russell Griffiths - (Everton u23s - loaned to Motherwell)
Charles Dunne - (Oldham - League 1 - 17th)
Cedric Kipré (Leicester u23s)
George Newell - (Bolton Wanderers u23s - Loaned to AFC Fylde, National League North 2 apps)
Ellis Plummer - (Manchester City u23s)
Rohan Ferguson - (Airdrieonians)
Deimantas Petravicius (Zagłębie Lubin)
Liam Grimshaw (Preston North End - loaned to Chesterfield - League 1)
Gennadios Xenodochof (Unattached)
Curtis Main (Portsmouth - League 1 - 9 apps 1 goal)
Peter Hartley (Blackpool - League 1 (2 apps) - Loan made permanent to Motherwell)
Nadir Ciftci (loan) - (Celtic - Loaned to Plymouth L1 - 8 apps 0 goals)
Tom Aldred (loan) - (Bury - League 1)
Stephen Hendrie (loan) - (Southend - League 1)

2018/19
Mark Gillespie (Walsall - League 1)
Liam Donnelly (Hartlepool - National League)
Danny Johnson (Gateshead - National League)
Aaron Taylor Sinclair (Plymouth Argyle - League 1)
Alex Rodriguez Gorrin (Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe - Romanian Liga 1)
Christian Mbulu (Millwall u23s - loaned to Braintree Town)
Connor Sammon (loan) - (Hearts - loaned to Partick Thistle)
Tom Aldred (loan) - (Bury - loaned to Motherwell)
Ross McCormack (loan) - (Aston Villa - loaned to Central Coast Mariners)
Gboly Ariyibi (loan) - (Nottingham Forest - loaned to Northampton Town)

2019/20
Declan Gallagher (PCA) - (Livingston)
Liam Polworth (PCA) - (ICT)
Jake Carroll (PCA) - (Cambridge United - League 2)
Casper Sloth (PCA) - (Silkeborg - Danish Nordicbet Liga - hadn't played a competitive game since 16/09/18)
Jermaine Hylton - (Solihull Moors - National League)
Christopher Long - (Blackpool - League 1 - 17 apps 2 goals)
Sherwin Seedorf - (Wolverhampton Wanderers u23s - loaned to Bradford - League 2)
Christian Ilic - (TSV Hartberg - Austrian Bundesliga)
Christy Manzinga - (Royal Châtelet-Farciennes Sporting Club - Belgian Amateur Division)
Ross MacIver - (Ross County Reserves)
Bevis Mugabi - (Yeovil Town - relegated to National League)
Devante Cole (loan) - (Wigan Athletic - loaned to Burton Albion - League 1)
Mark O'Hara (loan) - (Peterborough United - loaned to Lincoln City - League 2)

By my count that's 42 players (Aldred appears twice). Only Dunne, Carson, Hartley, Ferguson and Grimshaw are still at the club from the first tranche of signings. Gillespie and Donnelly the only ones from last season.

Edited January 12, 2020 by capt_oats

[RandomGuy.]

Daily Record has you "battling" Hearts for Barnsley winger Jordan Green on loan.

[uberbernie]

Linked with winger from barnsley

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-transfer-news/jordan-green-transfer-race-heats-21267098

[capt_oats]

A rapid midget? Not what I was expecting us to be linked with tbh.

[Swello]

The standard of football in that highlights reel is fucking abysmal from all concerned - congrats to whoever put that together.

[supermarv]

If true he could prove to be an excellent signing. Same kind of player as Ariyibi with flair and lightning quick that creates loads of chances. Would add that more quality in the wide areas I suggested earlier I think. Won’t get too overly excited but we aren’t linked with players usually so never know shall wait and see what happens this week regarding signings.

[CSmith]

Everyone loves a good winger, however the reality is that we probably just don’t need another one, leading me to believe that unless one is on the way out (also unlikely) then this isn’t happening and it’s in the news because we’re all bored. I do think we need a striker, as I’m sure most of us would agree, however if we don’t do any business in this window I don’t think I’ll be left too disappointed. A few players coming back from long term injury, in addition to maybe some youngsters getting more game time, would be similar to new signings anyway.  Whilst we’re not under threat from relegation, I’m just a very meh level of content, and happy to trust the squad we have I suppose.

[capt_oats]

The thing with yer man Green is that he seems to be a Stendelboi. His last appearance for Barnsley was Stendel's last game in charge. He's not been seen since - which puts him squarely in that 'kindly f**k off' bracket I was talking about earlier. Hearts were reported to be in for him a few days ago so it'd be a turn up if he patched them and the manager who signed him for Barnsley to pitch up at Fir Park. And also quite funny.

Being generous and assuming he's better than that video has to offer, it's still hard not to think that while he clearly ticks Robinson's box of being 'absolutely fucking rapid' we already have versions of that in Hylton and Seedorf. I definitely think there's room for another wide option in the squad but I'd have said what we're lacking is a bit of experience in the wide areas - which could make all the difference.

I think it was maybe @thisGRAEME who was talking about leaders on the park on one of the Terraces and the more I've thought about it lately in a sense that's sort of what we've missed in the final third. You look at Hartley and Gallagher at the back, Campbell in the midfield and they bring that. Turnbull's another. Long may have the potential to bring a snide element but looking across the options we've had in the front three this season whether it's Scott, Cole, Seedorf, Hylton, Ilic or Long we don't really have someone up there who'll take the game by the scruff in the same way a Moult or a McDonald did.

We're shopping in a limited market but someone who could bring that sort of quality would be smashing IMO.

Edited January 13, 2020 by capt_oats

[one m in Motherwell]

That’s Ndjoli confirmed on loan.

Presumably putting an end to any Griffiths rumours, albeit he’s a straight replacement for Cole which would mean there’s still a spot for the ‘proven’ goalscorer we were talking about in the summer.

[capt_oats]

There's yer Mikael Ndjoli signed on loan.

[Nadroj]

Hahahahahahah unlucky. 
 

He can score screamers but can’t control a ball. 

[YassinMoutaouakil]

I like his jacket

[RandomGuy.]

Daily Record has you mentioned in a statement about Jordan White of ICT maybe leaving them this window.

[welldaft]

Lets be honest probably all we can afford and probably not any worse than Cole. At least I would hope not. 
Who knows maybe he is more mature since his time with Killie. 
This is what happens when some ner do wells suggest Leigh Griffith is rumoured as a possibility. 
That Omar Bogey chap would have had me more excited. 
Hey ho we will get give him our support. 

[weemac]

On 10/01/2020 at 16:34, weemac said:

Rumours on twitter we are signing a forward on loan from Bournemouth, the name being mentioned (by one guy) is former Kilmarnock loanee Mickael Ndjoli. 

No idea if there is any substance to it but its at least a name to discuss. 

I would henceforth like to be known as ITKmac for at least the duration of today but preferably to the end of the transfer window if possible

[MJC]

I don't get the Ndjoli signing at all. We need a goalscoring forward and he isn't one. But it should be any surprise as Robinson hasn't signed a goalscoring forward since he's been here.

[capt_oats]

1 hour ago, RandomGuy. said:

Daily Record has you mentioned in a statement about Jordan White of ICT maybe leaving them this window.

I wouldn't be surprised by that at all. Robinson's spoken a fair bit about us not having an "option" to go direct which I'd imagine is a bit of a niche role unless we're able to bring in a complete package as a #9, which is going to be tricky in the January window on our budget.

If we can't get a "name" in (Hiya Kyle, Hiya Leigh) as our centre forward then a 6ft 4 'option' who's been top scorer for both Livi and ICT at Championship level probably ticks a lot of our boxes. Polworth's worked out well for us as a pick-up from ICT and White also played with Gallagher at Livi.

I have a feeling we were linked with White years back although there's every chance that was a daft rumour off Steelmen or something.

As far as big Mikael goes, no harm to him but it feels like our original targets have fallen through (which in a way they clearly did with Cole going back to Wigan) so we've called in a favour from Bournemouth to get a body in until the end of the season. Which is honestly fine.

Edited January 13, 2020 by capt_oats

[YassinMoutaouakil]

1 hour ago, RandomGuy. said:

Daily Record has you mentioned in a statement about Jordan White of ICT maybe leaving them this window.

His mum was my high school headteacher. Got a few ideas for derogatory chants about the declining quality of our Ofsted reports under her watch.

[Sir Tarmo Kink]

I wouldn't be surprised by that at all. Robinson's spoken a fair bit about us not having an "option" to go direct which I'd imagine is a bit of a niche role unless we're able to bring in a complete package as a #9, which is going to be tricky in the January window on our budget.
If we can't get a "name" in (Hiya Kyle, Hiya Leigh) as our centre forward then a 6ft 4 'option' who's been top scorer for both Livi and ICT at Championship level probably ticks a lot of our boxes. Polworth's worked out well for us as a pick-up from ICT and White also played with Gallagher at Livi.
I have a feeling we were linked with White years back although there's every chance that was a daft rumour off Steelmen or something.
As far as big Mikael goes, no harm to him but it feels like our original targets have fallen through (which in a way they clearly did with Cole going back to Wigan) so we've called in a favour from Bournemouth to get a body in until the end of the season. Which is honestly fine.

Polworth was one of our best players. White is absolutely honking, take him please.