capt_oats Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 (edited) 7 minutes ago, Gianfranco said: Did Carroll do that much wrong? I’ve honestly blanked most of this season from my memory but I don’t remember him standing out in a bad sense. Toby has been fine. I’d like to see him at centre back to see if he’s any good. I just checked. The last start Carroll had was the 4-1 against Killie - Toby's started and played the full 90/120 mins in the 6 games since. I'd initially thought Alexander might just have been wanting to give him minutes but he seems keen on the idea that if you're in the team and do well you keep the jersey. Edited May 2, 2021 by capt_oats 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ropy Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 11 minutes ago, Gianfranco said: Did Carroll do that much wrong? I’ve honestly blanked most of this season from my memory but I don’t remember him standing out in a bad sense. Toby has been fine. I’d like to see him at centre back to see if he’s any good. Centre back options of Lamie, Mugabi and McGinley, will that be strong enough. Hussain is battling away at Brechin, I haven’t heard anything about how he is doing but he is getting games. Maybe we need a Nolan to make up the squad. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swello Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 29 minutes ago, Gianfranco said: Did Carroll do that much wrong? I’ve honestly blanked most of this season from my memory but I don’t remember him standing out in a bad sense. Toby has been fine. I’d like to see him at centre back to see if he’s any good. I assumed the bad game Carroll had at Killie allowed Toby in - and he's been solid 7/10 every game since in a defence that hasn't been conceding. I don't think Carroll is suddenly shite - just that he's now waiting for his chance to get back in (and that is just a function of having a huge squad like ours). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ropy Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 Toby is contracted with us next year but has never had a decent run in the team. This gives us a chance to see him properly and decide whether to encourage him to find a new team in the summer. I hope he stays. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobby Dossar Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 16 minutes ago, ropy said: Toby is contracted with us next year but has never had a decent run in the team. This gives us a chance to see him properly and decide whether to encourage him to find a new team in the summer. I hope he stays. Would like to see him get a game at centre half as I think that is his preferred position 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ropy Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 7 minutes ago, Lobby Dossar said: Would like to see him get a game at centre half as I think that is his preferred position I think that will be pre-season or League Cup group stages. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazylegsjoe_mfc Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 I agree that Foley was good yesterday. He definitely was a bit more robust and had a bit more about him than Maguire and Crawford. Sadly his age, fitness and the fact that was his first start is still making me a sceptic about keeping him. I always thought McGinley was decent enough and it was a bit of a mystery why Robinson played Lamie and Grimmy at left back at various points with him on the bench, unless it was the unsettled at home thing. One obvious area of concern for me is still Lawless being here next season. I can theoretically see why Alexander has tried him as a #10 with his lack of pace, but he’s still yet to do it for me at all since he came back. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim McLean's Ghost Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 I think Foley did a good job along side Campbell. The thing that has to be remembered is that Killie's centre midfiled is done. Foley is younger than Gary Dicker, and Alan Power has lost a step in the last year. Killie came back into the game when Tshibola came on for Power. Can't get carried away with 1 performance. I remember Lee Lucas and Craig Clay strolling a game vs Ross County 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_oats Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 I know everyone's jumped on Alexander's comment about needing to recruit players who can play 40-50 games a season but I'm wary of taking that too literally as with the best will in the world it seems unlikely to me that in the market we're shopping we'll be bringing in a bunch of players with impeccable injury records. There's always going to be a trade-off somewhere. Similarly when he's talking about wanting to run with a smaller squad I take it there's going to be some sort of flexibility there. He's not meaning if we have 22 players then we absolutely can't get a 23rd if someone else is available. Ultimately the way I see it is we'll need two centre backs one to replace Gallagher and probably a version of Eddie Nolan who, on paper at least, ticked a lot of boxes in terms of being left sided and experienced. Do we keep Charlie Dunne on as a hype man? IDK. Again, I'm hesitant about Foley having a good game and shouting for him to get another year however what I'd say is pretty undeniable is the difference that having someone who can play the Donnelly role made to our midfield 3 - if nothing else it reinforced the extent to which O'Hara isn't suited to that role. I'm conflicted with Hastie, I like him and think there's a pler in there but he's made 5 starts all season and barely made an impression. I still reckon the best move for his career would be to drop down a league and get a full season at a level where he knows he's capable of playing and getting regular games in the same way Shankland and Nisbet have. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazylegsjoe_mfc Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 There’s definitely arguments both sides, if he turns in another two good performances before the summer. He can offer us leadership in there that has previously been missing. However, a creative midfielder who can pick a pass in attacking areas is probably top of my signing list along with an experienced centre-back and if we’ve already got Maguire, O’Hara, Crawford and Donnelly signed up, we could end up overloaded with central midfielders again, but none that fit that profile. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capt_oats Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, crazylegsjoe_mfc said: There’s definitely arguments both sides, if he turns in another two good performances before the summer. He can offer us leadership in there that has previously been missing. However, a creative midfielder who can pick a pass in attacking areas is probably top of my signing list along with an experienced centre-back and if we’ve already got Maguire, O’Hara, Crawford and Donnelly signed up, we could end up overloaded with central midfielders again, but none that fit that profile. Absolutely agree with that. I mean, it looks nailed on that Polworth's away so I'd say he's someone we absolutely have to replace. The fact that our form has been as good as it has without him shouldn't hide the fact we're lacking creativity in that area. Talking purely in numbers terms we've probably got 6 spaces in the midfield 3. 3 starters, with 3 back ups I'd be very hesitant to go into next season without having replaced Polworth or if we were looking at Lawless to be that guy. Tbh, ideally I'd like more than one creative midfielder to choose from in the squad I'd hoped Semple might be one of those options but he seems to be nowhere near the matchday squad so could well be a bust. This is who's under contract, 14 in total: This is who's out of contract: Fox, Chapman, Dunne, Gallagher, Campbell, Polworth, Semple, Cornelius, Foley, Long, Seedorf, Robinson, Cole These loans expire: Kelly, Nolan, Magloire, Hastie, Smith, Roberts Assuming Alexander's squad preference is around 22-24 bodies then we're looking at trimming 9 or 10 off what we currently have on the books without replacing any. Instinctively you'd point to Chapman, Seedorf, Robinson, Nolan, Magloire, Polworth and Smith as 7 definite to be cut loose/return to their parent clubs with Gallagher and Campbell two we'd probably like to keep but will move. So it's probably from Kelly, Fox, Dunne, Foley, Long, Cole, Hastie and Roberts as to whether we might as a question of. I'd guess Cornelius will definitely be offered a deal as he's been around pretty much every matchday squad and is ML1 as f**k, less sure about Semple. We know we've been in discussion with Kelly and Cole about sticking around that probably leaves around half a dozen or so spaces to fill (if they confirm). Edited May 2, 2021 by capt_oats 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanFan Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 9 hours ago, Swello said: There's no rivalry - it's just quite funny that we've finished above a team that are ostensibly very similar to us for 3 decades straight when almost everyone else has finished above us - and if we did it again during this train wreck of a season, it would remain funny. Tin pot stuff like this keeps Scottish football going and I for one am happy to fully endorse it. Oh, I think it's cool, just didn't know if something had happened a decade ago where one club stole the other's manager or something. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanFan Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 9 hours ago, welldaft said: I once had a bet with a St Mirren fan over whose team would win a league match a few seasons back. We did 2-0. St Mirren fan decided not to honour the bet. Kinda pissed me off at the time. I have nothing against St Mirren as a club but I am also quite happy to see them make a mess of things when they start to get ahead of themselves. I have taken to noising them up recently, usually when I have had a whisky or two late into the evening. It is quite childish I admit but it gets a few bites from their amateur posters. It is not something I will continue with. Just a phase I am going through... I think you should keep it going as long as possible 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ropy Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 19 minutes ago, AmericanFan said: Oh, I think it's cool, just didn't know if something had happened a decade ago where one club stole the other's manager or something. That was Aberdeen 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Well Well Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 (edited) I really dont see a lot of these players staying and just because Alxander has one or two playing better. The vast majority appeared to have downed tools under the previous manager and that doesn't sit right with me, they could have got us relegated. I want the vast majority shown the door. I would get rid of the following:- Fox, Chapman, Dunne, Gallagher, Polworth, Semple, Cornelius, Foley, Long, Seedorf, Robinson, Nolan, Magloire, Hastie, Smith, Roberts I would try anything to get Kelly back and I really dont think Campbell and Cole will be here come the first day back My count that's 18 out the door and if I could think of more they would go as well. I assume that the manager will have his own players in mind come the new season and I do not think any of the above 18 will be there come the first day back although I hope Campbell and Cole stay Edited May 2, 2021 by Well Well 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ropy Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 As much as Kelly has excelled we have been able to pick up good Keepers in the past so there will be other options. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmericanFan Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 19 minutes ago, ropy said: That was Aberdeen You stole theirs or vice versa? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ropy Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 Just now, AmericanFan said: You stole theirs or vice versa? They had two of ours, neither worked out for them 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim McLean's Ghost Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 3 minutes ago, AmericanFan said: You stole theirs or vice versa? We don't steal managers from scottish clubs. We don't even take their cast offs. The last time a motherwell manager was employed as another Scottish club's boss before managing us was in the 1980s. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacksgranda Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 (edited) 24 minutes ago, ropy said: They had two of ours, neither worked out for them One by a fair margin was not as bad as the other. Whether that's "worked out" or not, I don't know. Obviously didn't work out for you either after you re-hired the other one following a sabattical in Englandshire Edited May 2, 2021 by Jacksgranda 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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