Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[Al B]

The squad size is just a result of Robbo's 2020/21 approach of "Hi Alan....really sorry mate, it turns out he's shite as well, we'll need another one".

"Hi Alan, haha...yeah me again, erm...well, thing is..."

Not a huge amount Alexander can do about those players then being happy to sit about picking up a guaranteed wage during Covid.

[crazylegsjoe_mfc]

I'm happy with the signing of Nolan - looks exactly the fit that we were looking for in an experienced centre-half to come in. Magloire might not play as much I guess, but it means it will at least keep the likes of Mugabi on his toes and avoid the use of Lamie, but even still, I think our numbers there are now excessive. Maybe we did try to get McGinley or Lamie out of the door, but there were no takers.

I'm completely and utterly underwhelmed with the signing of Roberts. What's his role? Is he Lawless' understudy? As bad as Hastie may have been, I can't see this guy being an upgrade on him. I got laughed at on this thread for suggesting that although it was time for him to go, we hadn't signed a winger better than Elliott Frear since. We're now signing his understudy for the subs bench in the Championship FFS.

I would've said we need a centre-half, a right footed winger (to perhaps give us the option of 4-4-2) and a creative midfielder yesterday. Don't get me wrong, the latter two aren't easy to find, but I do feel we've bloated the squad for the sake of it to an extent.

At least, Lawless aside, none of these signings are for longer than the end of the season. Having enough to keep our heads above water this season is the main thing.

 

[ropy]

Can McIver go out on loan again if he has played for us and Morton?

[Marinello]

54 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

As far as I'm aware we can bounce folk out on loan to the Championship and below all through February. Folk like Semple have been training at the club through the season anyway so I'd think Alexander would be able to have had a look at all of them. Loaning Semple to a team at the other end of the country in a fucking pandemic seems fucking daft in hindsight.

From that squad you could easily imagine Semple, Cornelius, Devine, MacIver, Devine (and Hussain) all being loaned out once the lower leagues start up again.

In terms of winners and losers this window I don't know if there are many of the former but bringing in 2 wingers and a couple of centre backs doesn't seem like a vote of confidence for Seedorf, Hastie and Lamie (or McGinley to a lesser extent).

Overall though while I'd imagine folk are quite underwhelmed by the names:

Kelly = upgrade on Chapman
Lawleff = upgrade on Seedorf/Hastie
Smith = not Jordan White
Foley  = our only real cover in midfield had been Maguire and Cornelius
Roberts = not Seedorf/Hastie
Nolan = not Ricki Lamie

If Magloire ends up signing then yeah, "also not Ricki Lamie".

Either way this window has definitely been an admission that we absolutely fucked it in the summer.

However underwhelming the ' window' may have been I do feel it's important to remember a few things;

* Retained Dec, SOD and Campbell. 

* Guys signed are upgrades on what was at the club.

* These guys are only here until May as per loans.

* We have several players injured . Their positions needed covered.

* Most importantly, these signings are all geared towards securing our safety.

Set in this context I'm satisfied. 

Also, give the guys a chance 

 

[Archie McSquackle]

Anyone else getting vibes of Bara trying to throw a whole of shit against the wall and hoping some of it will stick? Like him, I'm sure it will be a mixed bag - some of these players will do ok and some will hardly be seen. Unfortunately none of them will be a Johnson style gem that we'll have beyond the end of the season.

[Gianfranco]

Can McIver go out on loan again if he has played for us and Morton?

Alan Preston on Sportsound said the only two clubs rule has changed for this season so yes. There was a player in the championship already on his third club.

[welldaft]

8 hours ago, capt_oats said:

Assuming we sign the boy who's faster than Mbappé this is how the squad looks including all injured outfield players and recalled #YoungMotherwell

I am fuming we don’t have 3 players for the full back positions. What kind of amateur outfit are we running these days. 

 

[Luke92]

I'm pleased we have got some fresh faces in, it really was much needed. At the very least it will keep some of the boys in the first team on their toes.

To me Nolan looks like the pick of the bunch, I'm hoping for some no nonsense Tom Aldred vibes. The rest I'm not sure about but I'm not going to pre judge. The boy from Hearts clearly has talent judging by the goal he scored against us for Caley so atleast there is something there to work with.

Overall our transfer strategy seems to be extremely short-term, older players/loans. It is very much get to the summer, stay up and reassess. To be honest though when you look across other clubs thats most of the business getting done so I'm not going to grumble in this current climate.

My only concern is the squad being too big, it's never good to have too many bodies as it inevitably leads to unhappy players. I'm quite hopeful that we might see a few mutual consents for the likes of Seedorf, Robinson, Chapman and co.

Edited February 2, 2021 by Luke92

[Swello]

I'm really enjoying the "Wetherspoons drinker disturbed during his 10am pint" energy of this. 

[capt_oats]

8 hours ago, well fan for life said:

I mean it's a bit...flabby.

I mean, yeah it is. As @Kyle was pointing out...the squad (as it stands) looks fucking massive.

In a sense though it's been bloated by us seemingly recalling a bunch of players (Semple, MacIver, Robinson) and including someone like Charlie Dunne who, with the best will in the world, probably won't kick a ball for us again (this season at least).

Going by the first team squad page on the official there are 34 bodies (soon to be 35 if we announce the other new guy this morning).

Of those 35 - Carson, Fox and probably Dunne won't kick a ball again for us this season.

Donnelly is a long term injury who hasn't played since August and is still over a month away from being able to play a game.

Devine, Semple, Cornelius, Robinson and MacIver are essentially players who ordinarily would be in the Reserves. Looking at our numbers there's a fair chance most (if not all) could/should be loaned out in the next couple of weeks.

Edited February 2, 2021 by capt_oats

[well fan for life]

FWIW I wouldn't be surprised if there are a couple of folk move out either through loans when the lower leagues get started up again or a couple of folk getting mutually consented. The squad is a bit flabby but hopefully there's enough quality in there to see us alright. 

Either way it's nice that we've got a defender who isn't Lamie.

 

[Archie McSquackle]

Although we don't know much about the signings, at least we've brought some fresh faces in. The teams around us either haven't done much or have possibly even been weakened (Ross County).

[thisGRAEME]

13 minutes ago, Swello said:

I'm really enjoying the "Wetherspoons drinker disturbed during his 10am pint" energy of this. 

What I took from it was his nose going in about three different directions, which for a centre-half, is mainly what I'm looking for.

[dezz]

Our squad is fucking massive now. Clearly gearing up for the big teams getting Colts in the lower leagues. 

Seriously though, I'd expect a few of the younger/fringe players to head out on loan and we might even be able to convince one or two of the no-hopers to cancel their contracts.

Clearly the plan is to finish the season as a Premiership club then tear the whole thing up and start again. Hopefully the new faces will bring a bit of freshness and kick us on for the final few months of the season. 

I've seen people complaining about the singings of Foley and Nolan due to their age but I'm quite glad we've managed to get a couple of experienced guys in. If I'm not wrong, Carson is the only player in our squad who's in his 30's and he's obviously injured. A bit of experience and know-how is likely to come in handy if we are in a relegation battle come the split. 

[capt_oats]

11 minutes ago, dezz said:

I've seen people complaining about the singings of Foley and Nolan due to their age but I'm quite glad we've managed to get a couple of experienced guys in. If I'm not wrong, Carson is the only player in our squad who's in his 30's and he's obviously injured. A bit of experience and know-how is likely to come in handy if we are in a relegation battle come the split. 

I've not seen any of the comments but I am absolutely not surprised they exist. To me it's pretty fucking mental if folk aren't able to get their head round bringing in some experienced players is a good thing. Bringing in some older heads is exactly what we should have been doing in this window.

Even someone like Roberts who may (probably will) end up being pish but he has more games under his belt than Hastie and Seedorf combined.

It's one of the things that stood out to me compared to a Robinson window where we'd pick up boys in their early, mid-20s then have a wee moan about us having "a young team who haven't been streetwise enough" when they lose.

Edited February 2, 2021 by capt_oats

[gullane]

I am glad we have made a number of signings - all in the areas a lot of us have said we need. I'm assuming if GA says Nolan can play anywhere in the back four, that includes right back. We should now have a subs bench that can influence a game.

I suspect the squad will look less bloated in the coming weeks. Players available for loan - Devine, Hussein, Cornelius, Semple, Robinson, McIver, Johnston. Release - Seedorf, McGinley. I don't know if Hastie's loan can be cancelled. I think Lamie and Chapman will remain as cover. That's a potential nine players.

I suspect the next few months aren't going to be pretty, but we do look stronger than a lot of the SPL. If Livingston can go on a big unbeaten run, why can't we?

COYW

[Casagolda]

3 minutes ago, dezz said:

I've seen people complaining about the singings of Foley and Nolan due to their age but I'm quite glad we've managed to get a couple of experienced guys in. If I'm not wrong, Carson is the only player in our squad who's in his 30's and he's obviously injured. A bit of experience and know-how is likely to come in handy if we are in a relegation battle come the split. 

Aye, people have complained all season we lack 'leaders' and bemoaned the departures of Tait & Hartley- who apparently turned into prime Cafu and Baresi during lockdown going by some of the comments I've seen since they've departed. 

I'm happy enough with Nolan and can see the logic in Foley, a bit of experience in the spine of the team and all that. Kelly was a cracking bit of business we desperately needed, Lawless was a clear upgrade on Seedorf/Hastie and the boy Smith in his brief cameos looks a more competent lump than White.

As others have said, I'm lost a bit at Roberts. Don't get me wrong he's exactly the kind of guy I could see us taking a punt on in other circumstances, however when we already have an abundance of -pacey, anywhere across the front 3 types- you wonder what he's bringing to the table we don't already have. Likewise this young centre back from Blackburn, when we already have three International centre backs on the books. Can only assume after having had a chance to have a look at everyone, Alexander is seriously not impressed with squad he inherited outside the starting 11 or so- which is absolutely fair.

Given we held on to SOD's, Gallagher and Campbell, plus added a competent keeper, winger and a bit of experience, I'd say we look stronger now than when the window opened. However as has been mentioned, that squad is fucking massive and there's a lot of short term fixes there.

It's hard to see anything but another complete overhaul in the summer. 

[Tony Wonder]

8 hours ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

We should get Omar Daley and Usain Bolt on the pitch at half time to race this Magloire boy

That'd make sense if Neilson hadn't managed to get other players playing well on the wing.  Roberts has slipped behind Frear in the pecking order, and he is hopeless. It's not Robbie's fault Roberts has absolutely no heart or desire.

[well fan for life]

2 minutes ago, Tony Wonder said:

That'd make sense if Neilson hadn't managed to get other players playing well on the wing.  Roberts has slipped behind Frear in the pecking order, and he is hopeless. It's not Robbie's fault Roberts has absolutely no heart or desire.

Don't tell me Elliot Frear's turning out to be a shitebag with hamstrings made out of wet cardboard? Nobody could have seen this coming. 

Fortunately our attacking options we've signed on loan from Hearts over the years have usually worked out well. Can't see how this could go wrong.

[supermarv]

2 hours ago, ropy said:

Tomorrow nights bench will be interesting.  Who gets bombed out. Maybe too early for all the new guys.  It also means we have folk that have never previously been overawed at a Celtic team.  An element of a special team for that game perhaps.

Don’t think anyone should be overawed by playing against Celtic any way especially at the moment.