Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

['WellDel]

Donnelly's woeful mis-kick that skewed straight out for a by kick when he tried to cross, about 10 mins from the end summed up his whole contribution, so why the f**k was O'Hara hooked in front of him?

Ojala headering every ball that comes his way as high in the air as humanly possible is quite a unique defensive approach which I'm starting to get peeved with. O'Donnell's constant long throws to absolutely no-one and his ridiculous wee chipped crosses that fall a mile short are really starting to grate too, and the less said about yet another Van Veen non performance the better.

As individuals, we have a core of players there who should be capable of being coached and set out for playing a relatively attractive style of football and picking up points. As an ever changing Alexander collective though, we are being subjected to some of the most harrowing football I've ever seen, I think we're going to have to start offering counselling for ptsd to everyone who continues to subject themselves to it on a weekly basis.

The managers apologists who were vocal on here on Wednesday after the County game really need to give their heads a shake and reconsider their stance after another appalling performance. I really don't care that we could still theoretically fluke 4th (we most certainly fucking won't) and get a trip to Hampden. No matter what anyone says, the shite we're being served up certainly ain't entertainment. 

[fat_tony]

Hard to argue with a lot of that although I take slight issue with calling out KVV. Yet again he was feeding off scraps but any time he got the ball in and around the box he looked dangerous. Another player who was immediately more involved as soon as Slattery and Tierney came on.

Like someone said above we have some decent players, GA just refuses to play them or play to their strengths.

[thisGRAEME]

40 minutes ago, Kapowzer said:

Wasn’t the chat only a few weeks ago about how Lamie, Mugabi, Watt, etc had all improved significantly under him?

Aye fair play Mugabi was good today, and our 4th choice centre back and third choice left back doesn't cost us a goal a game anymore, I suppose.

 

[ropy]

We didn’t vote for the five subs but it’s the rules and we should use them.  We don’t have a first XI we have a squad of 20+ that rotates, so why not use them on a match day.  It can only be arrogance to think that 50 minutes of not being in the lead means that the team selected today is the best we can do.  The guys we don’t use this week will be used next week, why not give them parts of games both weeks.

[thisGRAEME]

12 minutes ago, 'WellDel said:

O'Donnell's constant long throws to absolutely no-one

This is absolutely sending me berserk. We must've gone for that "throw it long to a big man at the edge of the 6-yard box" about what, 4 or 5 times a game for a year, and we've yet to achieve... anything? For it.

O'Donnell, McGinley, Carroll, Mugabi, they've all had a go and they're all either terrible at it or the percentage play might not actually be a very good percentage play.

I see Goss actually just slinging dangerous in-swinging corners has been outlawed in favour of a return to the one-two-hit-the-first-man routine.

[dezz]

Double post

[dezz]

I wonder what the players think about the ‘style’ they’re being told to adopt. It can’t be much fun to play that way. Surely it’s not what we practice at training all week?l Shelling 60 yard punts about Dalziel, but it seems like the only plan come a Saturday.
It’s grim as f**k.

[ZX1886]

The entire defence were shocking today.
Lamie just wants to get rid of the ball as soon as it comes to him, Ojala hasn’t learned how to take a touch yet and is useless with both his feet and head. Sol and SOD both massive bomb scares.

O’hara has done a job the last few weeks without being exceptional so understandably GA hooks him. Goss and Donnelly absolutely woeful, AGAIN.

I have no problem with the 3 players we started upfront today, I think they’re generally our best 3 but playing high balls and leaving them isolated isn’t working, GA has no plan B.

His times up for me, understandably he won’t be sacked tonight, but if Hibs finish our season next Sunday then I really don’t know where we go from here.

['WellDel]

12 minutes ago, dezz said:

I wonder what the players think about the ‘style’ they’re being told to adopt. It can’t be much fun to play that way. Surely it’s not what we practice at training all week?l Shelling 60 yard punts about Dalziel, but it sends like the only plan come a Saturday.
It’s grim as f**k.

I'm on holiday for a couple of weeks with nothing much planned, I might take a dauner up one morning and see what actually goes on. Wouldn't actually surprise me to see the full backs down one end having a longest throw competition, the forwards down the other trying to pluck balls from the sky that the coaching staff are hopefully launching at them, and Callum Slattery watching on ruefully whilst perfecting the art of bench warming.

Edited March 5, 2022 by 'WellDel

[Alert Mongoose]

Watt’s up lads?

[Londonwell]

2 minutes ago, Alert Mongoose said:

Watt’s up lads?

hahahahahahhaha

[Busta Nut]

The pass backs Liam Kelly has to deal with are unreal.
 

SOD is absolutely terrible. I mean grade A shite.
If Sol was called Steve Johnson he'd be much less revered.
Ojala looks as if he'd be ok but he's made of plastic forks
The left back situation is a farce.

Donnelly gets a game cos he is the only DM in there. He's terrible though.
Goss is a passenger, his delivery isn't worth the empty jersey for the other 87 mins.
O'hara I reckon is serviceable compared to the rest

Woolery get's pass marks. however, why the f**k are we punting 70 balls at his fucking head? The only time he's effective is when he's running at folk.
KVV - He is as average, as I've ever seen. His first name's Kevin and his second is Van Veen. If this useless b*****d would lift his head and play the simple ball he'd be getting on better.
Efford isn't a footballer. He does well with his limited attributes but I imagined he was signed for his pace and to run in behind which doesn't suit our Humpball style.

Slattery should be starting. He isn't the messiah he's portrayed as but when he came on today everything went through him. I'd also start Shaw and Cornelius ahead of our mids that play.

Mugabi should be in the team.

Tierney has a lot to learn but that's to be expected.


The tactics are baffling. I've never seen a team play 3 centre mids and proceed to kick it over them for 90 mins.
Even if we chose to play long ball. Someone needs to be close to the guy we're aiming at. Woolery, KVV and the other all 30 yards apart on the field isn't helping anyone. Often Woolery wins the header and flicks it into 40 yards of space .

It's fucking rubbish watching that every week.

Edited March 5, 2022 by Busta Nut

[JamesP_81]

10 minutes ago, Alert Mongoose said:

Watt’s up lads?

[well fan for life]

I think @thisGRAEME isn't far off it when he says we're a better side than we look at the minute. But whatever Alexander's been telling them to do Monday-Friday is clearly absolutely daft.

Another toothless performance, another completely avoidable goal given away and another anonymous midfield. The endless hoofball approach out of defence that offers absolute zero threat is abysmal to watch. The fact we played 70+ minutes of football without a change today was disgraceful.

Goss isn't worth having in the team for 1 good set piece every 6 games, Donnelly is so far off the pace he's a waste of a shirt. Get Shaw and Slattery in, with Cornelius to come on and give us a bit of energy.

I fucking hate this Motherwell side and the way they play football. So I hope I wake up tomorrow morning and we've emptied this useless big p***k back to Salford.

[Busta Nut]

Graham Alexander is going no where. regardless of what happens this season.

[Jim64]

The team as a whole look nervous and uncomfortable on the ball, the lack of a recognisable starting line up is shocking.How certain individuals maintain a place in the team is beyond me, talk of slattery being the midfield saviour are wide of the mark however Goss should be nowhere near the starting lineup. The football I’ve witnessed apart from two games against Aberdeen one against Hearts and opening day v Hibs would make your eyes bleed.

[Allroy for Prez]

37 minutes ago, Busta Nut said:

Graham Alexander is going no where. regardless of what happens this season.

Sadly you’re right, but just how many games do we have to go without a win and his much worse does it need to get before his emptying would be considered?

[sergie's no1 fan]

It's amazing any time I dip in here it's either Alexander is on top of the ppg stats outside the Old Firm or yous are stuck in a rut and the guys making baffling decisions. Not having a go or trying to start a shit wind up attempt, its genuinely baffling. 

We've discussed it before, with his brand of football if you are scraping a 1-0 win 2 out of every 3 weeks and sitting pretty in 4th life is good, when you start losing and the football is horrific it doesn't take long to get fed up. He doesn't seem the most endearing either. Like when we were in a rut Goodwin could flutter his gorgeous eye lashes at us and sweet talk us round, I don't get that from Alexander.

When was it he signed his new deal? January time?

[Handsome_Devil]

Given we're safe (surely) there's no way we'll bin him soon but I could imagine a delegation of senior players, the football equivalent of men in grey suits, demanding a full and frank exchange of views with him or the board this week.

It's a testament to the awfulness of everyone else that this season could still turn out to be fine and it's that if, if, if which has stopped the atmosphere becoming really toxic. That could be considerably different by next Sunday afternoon though and then the real worries - survival next season - will come into focus and that'll sharpen the minds, and knives, more than a little...

[Kapowzer]

1 hour ago, thisGRAEME said:

Aye fair play Mugabi was good today, and our 4th choice centre back and third choice left back doesn't cost us a goal a game anymore, I suppose.

 

Sarcasm or not, doesn’t take away from the fact all three are better today than they were in January 2021 when Alexander inherited them. Well one was until he moved.

I’d argue SOD has always been mediocre at his best in C&A.

Selection and how they’re being used/asked to play is a different issue.