Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[dezz]

We're about to have the most handsome team in the league this season, and that's the real prize. 

Edited August 26, 2021 by dezz

[boozyBJ]

5 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

Well...I see the Motherwell IG has a new follower lads.

Tease 

[thisGRAEME]

2 hours ago, crazylegsjoe_mfc said:

Without knowing that much about him, on paper I reckon I would take Matty Kennedy. However, it does seem like the kind of player you'd say you would take that invites an onslaught of posts saying why we shouldn't sign him.

We've already got one winger-that-can't-play-as-a-winger to carry thank you very much.

[Luke92]

Admittedly I've been too lazy to read the New York Times article but I'd be surprised if it was very easy to get a work permit for Sondre Johansen.

Ojala had caps but from the limited research I've done on this boy he has played with a relegation fighting Norweigan team for a number of years.

Can anyone shed any light, i know there i some type of points system based on the league he is coming from etc?

Edit: Just to add, I'm fully on board with the Scandinavian Shagger signing policy. Even if we get pumped atleast he will look good doing it.

Edited August 26, 2021 by Luke92

[dezz]

11 minutes ago, Luke92 said:

Admittedly I've been too lazy to read the New York Times article but I'd be surprised if it was very easy to get a work permit for Sondre Johansen.

Ojala had caps but from the limited research I've done on this boy he has played with a relegation fighting Norweigan team for a number of years.

Can anyone shed any light, i know there i some type of points system based on the league he is coming from etc?

Edit: Just to add, I'm fully on board with the Scandinavian Shagger signing policy. Even if we get pumped atleast he will look good doing it.

I didn't read the NYT article either, but I noticed St Johnstone have just about managed to get a work permit for a Finnish guy who was playing in the top tier over there but only had a handful of U21 caps for his country. I read a few things saying its taken weeks to get over the line though. Maybe @RandomGuy. can expand? 

I know (purely from my FM-playing days) that international caps play a part in the process but I've no idea what other factors come into play - hopefully being a big handsome shagger gets him some extra points.

[well fan for life]

I believe this signing has been formally signed off by The Thread™ so it's all down to the media team to get the photos of this big handsome nutcase sorted out. 

[Neil86]

39 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

Well...I see the Motherwell IG has a new follower lads.

As someone who doesn't have instagram, fancy elaborating, please?

[capt_oats]

50 minutes ago, Luke92 said:

Admittedly I've been too lazy to read the New York Times article but I'd be surprised if it was very easy to get a work permit for Sondre Johansen.

Ojala had caps but from the limited research I've done on this boy he has played with a relegation fighting Norweigan team for a number of years.

Can anyone shed any light, i know there i some type of points system based on the league he is coming from etc?

Edit: Just to add, I'm fully on board with the Scandinavian Shagger signing policy. Even if we get pumped atleast he will look good doing it.

The summary of the issue laid out in the NYT article is here:

Quote

"Britain’s biggest teams face no such hurdles. The current system grants an immediate work permit to any player who has featured in at least 70 percent of competitive games over the last two seasons for any one of soccer’s top 50 national teams. That means any player who has also been a regular for a successful club team in one of Europe’s better leagues is almost certain to be given a pass — or, to use the technical term, a Governing Body Endorsement. It is in these rich waters that clubs in the Premier League tend to do much of their fishing."

"Clubs in Scotland, at the moment, have access to an appeal system. They can apply to the Scottish Football Association for an exemption, making an appointment to press their case as to why a player who has fallen short would still be a worthwhile signing."

"That, though, is only the first step. If the authorities grant a Governing Body Endorsement on appeal, the player — assisted by the club — must then apply for a work visa: filling in an online form, followed by booking a biometrics appointment at a visa application center, run by a number of outside companies to whom the job has been outsourced by the British government. Only once that is complete is the player granted a visa, and the transfer signed off by the government."

My reading of that is that the points system fucks any chance of getting the work permit immediately for all but 2 Scottish teams. However the appeal system means that you can apply for an exemption....it just makes it more time consuming with paperwork and you have to argue your case. From the above if/when you get the GBE you then have to apply for the work permit which I'd guess is the situation United were/are in when they announced their Finnish boy at the weekend.

I could be misreading it but I'd guess if the player is granted the GBE then the actual permit side of things is just procedural (and it's helpful that there's an international break coming up in that respect).

Also, given Norway appear to be on the "Green List" I take it any isolation aspect would be minimal? Unlike big Juhani coming from Denmark which is currently on the "Amber List".

Big Sondre was playing for Mjøndalen at the weekend (they drew 1-1 with Stabæk) so if it is happening it's been this week. Alternatively I suppose there's the chance it's a pre-contract type situation like Hibs have done with Mueller given the Norwegian league is still running.

Either way us having been reported as being in with a 'bid' last week and now him following the club IG (and El Presidente following him) is all a bit of a coincidence eh?

Edited August 26, 2021 by capt_oats

[dezz]

It's happening lads...

Edit: I also noticed AB is following big Sondre on IG now too. 

Edited August 26, 2021 by dezz

[Ron Aldo]

Are we signing that big handsome Norwegian guy who was mentioned on here the other week?

[Gianfranco]

It’s weird seeing big handsome being mentioned and it’s not John Sutton.

What position does the Norwegian shagger play?

[capt_oats]

32 minutes ago, dezz said:

It's happening lads...

Edit: I also noticed AB is following big Sondre on IG now too. 

Aye, I clocked El Presidente was following him last night before I saw the big man had started following the club account this morning.

Based on that though, it sounds like potentially 3 in. Which is interesting...assuming Sondre is one of them then maybe a midfielder and a forward as the others?

Looking at the squad numbers as well you'd think we'll maybe see a couple going out on loan. +3 in takes us to 29 bodies, you'd imagine 25 or 26 would be more in line with the sort of number Alexander was talking about when he said we might run with a few more than he normally would.

Quote

“We want to carry, maybe, two or three more players than we first planned because of the issues with Covid - they are not going away."

Link

 

2 minutes ago, Gianfranco said:

It’s weird seeing big handsome being mentioned and it’s not John Sutton.

What position does the Norwegian shagger play?

Left sided centre back. The Lamie Role.

Edited August 26, 2021 by capt_oats

['WellDel]

1 hour ago, well fan for life said:

I believe this signing has been formally signed off by The Thread™ so it's all down to the media team to get the photos of this big handsome nutcase sorted out. 

Are they still running with the 'Our Town' vibe for the photo shoots? Are there any graffiti'd/gritty urban backdrops left that they've not used yet?

[capt_oats]

4 minutes ago, 'WellDel said:

Are they still running with the 'Our Town' vibe for the photo shoots? Are there any graffiti'd/gritty urban backdrops left that they've not used yet?

Nah, it's just an animated video with a really awkward "Hi, Everybody" (Hi Dr Nick) follow up story. See the Juhani one as an example...

 

[ropy]

17 minutes ago, 'WellDel said:

Are they still running with the 'Our Town' vibe for the photo shoots? Are there any graffiti'd/gritty urban backdrops left that they've not used yet?

I am expecting the big boy to rise out of Strathclyde loch and toss his mane of hair back with the sun shining through the droplets.

[Rod]

[well fan for life]

41 minutes ago, 'WellDel said:

Are they still running with the 'Our Town' vibe for the photo shoots? Are there any graffiti'd/gritty urban backdrops left that they've not used yet?

I'll set up a load of burner accounts to be Grant Russell Reply Guys suggesting he takes photos involving various curry houses in the ML1 area. 

[ropy]

6 minutes ago, well fan for life said:

I'll set up a load of burner accounts to be Grant Russell Reply Guys suggesting he takes photos involving various curry houses in the ML1 area. 

Sondre, outside, tossing his pakora in the air and catching it in his mouth as it drops

[steelman1991]

2 minutes ago, ropy said:

Sondre, outside, tossing his pakora in the air and catching it in his mouth as it drops

Is that what Daffy's doing? I wondered.

[Archie McSquackle]

I am expecting the big boy to rise out of Strathclyde loch and toss his mane of hair back with the sun shining through the droplets.

And the algae, don't forget the algae.