Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[Phillips455]

Borrowing this off of twitter, it looks like we will Play Hearts and Rangers at home  with Dundee United, County and Celtic away.

 

The reason being that ourselves and Hearts currnetly have 1 more sheduled Home game than we should while Dundee United have 2 less home games.

This would switch the away ties to home ties (so a 3rd trip to tanadice) which would easily solve the top half's fixtures. The dates will still be TBD.

[Busta Nut]

2 hours ago, Swello said:

I think we now have a chance to re-think things with next season in mind. I think we’ve got an underperforming squad but there are enough decent players in there if we can move away from the ineffectual, eye bleeding stuff we’ve been subjected to. At this point, I’m more concerned about getting us sorted out for next season rather than The Race for Europe .

 

He's had his summer to re-think. Things got even more eye watering even when we win.

He ain't changing shit.

[ropy]

My mantra in recent weeks has been subs.  This week he got it right.  Cornelius was poor, the half time introduction of O’Hara brought much more energy into the game.  Then some attacking changes, then at the death some defensive changes.  No idea what the formation was in those last 30 seconds but it got us over the line.

[AmericanFan]

On 06/03/2022 at 21:28, AmericanFan said:

Not so sure. You end the pre-split with the worst team in the league, a floundering St. Mirren squad and a Livingston squad that isn't going to be giving anyone the fear (that how you say it?).

You may have been pish the last 6 weeks and you're not going to take anyone to the woodshed, but it's not like you're ending with the OF and Hearts.

Europa Conference League here you come!

[thisGRAEME]

Quite aside from how funny this all was;

O'Hara was the right change as @ropy says, wasn't Deano's day today. Immediately came on and lifted the energy. Not quite sure how much we will or won't miss him long term, but he's the only midfielder we have with that dug-chasing-a-ball energy.

Slattery good. Don't drop him again please.

Sol is all over the place just now, unsure if he's struggling for fitness or just struggling, presumably O'Donnell missing forced Bevis out of the centre again. 

Shields... is difficult to judge, for me. He was absolutely terroring the Livi full-back and that clipped ball towards the corner all day, but I lost count of how many times he lashed the cross into a Livi player.

Efford starting over Woolery remains a mystery to me.

[JamesP_81]

5 minutes ago, ropy said:

My mantra in recent weeks has been subs.  This week he got it right.  Cornelius was poor, the half time introduction of O’Hara brought much more energy into the game.  Then some attacking changes, then at the death some defensive changes.  No idea what the formation was in those last 30 seconds but it got us over the line.

Definitely got his subs right today , as much as I love Dean he had a shocking first half.  Tierney and woolerey double change had a big impact as well and a good 10 mins sooner than his usual #changes. Had to love it after our equaliser went in , my boy was asking why they weren't kicking off yet and that's when I noticed livi had switched to a 0-0-10 formation for the kick off ! 

[ropy]

Where will the points come from if Aberdeen are bottom six?  Why even have a KVV?

[JamesP_81]

1 minute ago, ropy said:

Where will the points come from if Aberdeen are bottom six?  Why even have a KVV?

Now we're in the top 6 GA will stop trolling us with the shit of the last 4 months and let Slattery and Tierney loose resulting in convincing wins every game. 

[capt_oats]

So that was the final weekend of R3 (...and again no one wins the big cash prize)

To finish this off:

R1:
01/08 - Hibs (h) 2-3 (L) = 0
08/08 - St Johnstone (a) 1-1 (X) = 1
21/08 - Livingston (a) 1-2 (W) = 3
28/08 - Dundee (h) 1-0 (W) = 3
11/09 - Aberdeen (h) 2-0 (W) = 3
19/09 - Rangers (a) 1-1 (X) = 1
25/09 - Ross County (h) 2-1 (W) = 3
02/10 - Hearts (a) 2-0 (L) = 0
16/10 - Celtic (h) 0-2 (L) = 0
23/10 - Dundee Utd (a) 2-1 (L) = 0
27/10 - St Mirren (h) 2-2 (X) = 1

Total = 15 points - P 11 W 4 D 3 L 4 F 14 A 15

R2:
31/10 - Rangers (h) 1-6 (L) = 0
06/11 - Aberdeen (a) 0-2 (W) = 3
20/11 - Hearts (h) 2-0 (W) = 3
27/11 - Dundee (a) 3-0 (L) = 0
30/11 - Dundee Utd (h) 1-0 (W) = 3
04/12 - Hibs (a) 1-1 (X) = 1
12/12 - Celtic (a) 1-0 (L) = 0
18/12 - St Johnstone (h) 2-0 (W) = 3
26/12 - Livingston (h) 2-1 (W) = 3
18/01 - Ross County (a) 3-1 (L) = 0
01/02 - St Mirren (a) 1-1 (X) = 1

Total = 17 points - P 11 W 5 D 2 L 4 F 13 A 16

R3:
26/01 - Hibs (h) 0-0 (X) = 1
29/01 - Hearts (a) 2-0 (L) = 0
06/02 - Celtic (h) 0-4 (L) = 0
09/02 - Dundee United (a) 2-0 (L) = 0
19/02 - Aberdeen (h) 1-1 (X) = 1
27/02 - Rangers (a) 2-2 (X) = 1
02/03 - Ross County (h) 0-1 (L) = 0
05/03 - Dundee (h) 1-1 (X) = 1
19/03 - St Johnstone (a) 2-1 (L) = 0
02/04 - St Mirren (h) 4-2 = 3
09/04 - Livingston (a) 2-2 = 1

Total = 8 points - P 11 W 1 D 5 L 5 F 11 A 19

Spoiler

On 20/03/2022 at 15:04, capt_oats said:

Did this a while back but since we're now 9 games into R3 of fixtures...

We're 8 points down compared to the results against Aberdeen, County, Dundee and St Johnstone from the first round of games.

R1:
01/08 - Hibs (h) 2-3 (L) = 0
08/08 - St Johnstone (a) 1-1 (X) = 1
21/08 - Livingston (a) 1-2 (W) = 3
28/08 - Dundee (h) 1-0 (W) = 3
11/09 - Aberdeen (h) 2-0 (W) = 3
19/09 - Rangers (a) 1-1 (X) = 1
25/09 - Ross County (h) 2-1 (W) = 3
02/10 - Hearts (a) 2-0 (L) = 0
16/10 - Celtic (h) 0-2 (L) = 0
23/10 - Dundee Utd (a) 2-1 (L) = 0
27/10 - St Mirren (h) 2-2 (X) = 1

Total = 15 points - P 11 W 4 D 3 L 4 F 14 A 15

R2:
31/10 - Rangers (h) 1-6 (L) = 0
06/11 - Aberdeen (a) 0-2 (W) = 3
20/11 - Hearts (h) 2-0 (W) = 3
27/11 - Dundee (a) 3-0 (L) = 0
30/11 - Dundee Utd (h) 1-0 (W) = 3
04/12 - Hibs (a) 1-1 (X) = 1
12/12 - Celtic (a) 1-0 (L) = 0
18/12 - St Johnstone (h) 2-0 (W) = 3
26/12 - Livingston (h) 2-1 (W) = 3
18/01 - Ross County (a) 3-1 (L) = 0
01/02 - St Mirren (a) 1-1 (X) = 1

Total = 17 points - P 11 W 5 D 2 L 4 F 13 A 16

R3:
26/01 - Hibs (h) 0-0 (X) = 1
29/01 - Hearts (a) 2-0 (L) = 0
06/02 - Celtic (h) 0-4 (L) = 0
09/02 - Dundee United (a) 2-0 (L) = 0
19/02 - Aberdeen (h) 1-1 (X) = 1
27/02 - Rangers (a) 2-2 (X) = 1
02/03 - Ross County (h) 0-1 (L) = 0
05/03 - Dundee (h) 1-1 (X) = 1
19/03 - St Johnstone (a) 2-1 (L) = 0

Total = 4 points - P 9 W 0 D 4 L 5 F 5 A 14

  Reveal hidden contents

Edited April 9, 2022 by capt_oats

[For Your Pies Only]

4 hours ago, Allroy for Prez said:

Should a manager be keeping his job with that record and the actual football we’ve suffered just because we somehow scraped into the top half of the table?

I don't think anyone on here would argue that the football under GA has been good to watch, or that our form since Christms has been anything but woeful. But realistically a top six finish is probably more than the club hierarchy (and fans) were expecting him to achieve at the start of the season.

 

Simply put, he's just earned the club a minimum of 250k extra in prize money compared to finishing 7th. If we shithouse our way to 5th or even 4th, that would go up to about 750k-800k I think. That's without considering matchday income, ticket sales, tv money etc we'll earn from the top six fixtures. For a club with a business model like ours, that is a significant bonus. So aye, even though we have mugged our way into the top half purely by the virtue of being marginally less awful than Aberdeen, Livi and Hibs, he deserves to keep his job.

 

[well fan for life]

We're not winning another game this season so I look forward to the seethe from whatever mob finishes below us with more points.

[YassinMoutaouakil]

I'm genuinely quite sad about Marky Mark going.  He's probably literally the most average midfielder in the league but I've always had a soft spot for him.

Don't get me started on Lamaldini.

[Jim McLean's Ghost]

All the questions about why we have been shit since the winter break. And it seems obvious that we lost Tony Watt and didn't properly replace him.

It is that simple.

We still made top 6. We are still in the race for Europe.

[Kapowzer]

3 hours ago, Phillips455 said:

Certainly Ross County will have form and home advantage over their rivals for 4th spot. We have the toughest task looking at what will probably materialise but a lot will depend on the dates of the fixtures when it comes to momentum. Definitely can't rely on GD unless we avoid an OF hosing and they don't.

Praying for Arabs on the last day, Tony concedes a penalty and gets a red. Walking off Chairman Flao on the sidelines gives it ......

3 hours ago, thisGRAEME said:

Slattery good. Don't drop him again please.

Sol is all over the place just now, unsure if he's struggling for fitness or just struggling, presumably O'Donnell missing forced Bevis out of the centre again. 

Shields... is difficult to judge, for me. He was absolutely terroring the Livi full-back and that clipped ball towards the corner all day, but I lost count of how many times he lashed the cross into a Livi player.

Efford starting over Woolery remains a mystery to me.

Agree with all of that, the defence is a shadow of the unit that invited teams to attack in the first 15 games after Tony nicked our goal. No member of it should consider themselves safe if they have a modicum of self awareness. Shields crossing is bad and as you say repeatedly fails to go beyond the first man but in general all our stuff beyond 15 yards is rotten. Lamie punted no shortage of diagonals to the opposite wing which I kind thought we were doing away with. Woolery must be champing at the bit, slowly improves over the first half, since Xmas has been the standout in two games but recently pushed aside for a guy in the door in January and not seemingly not offering anything better. Another headscratcher.

29 minutes ago, Jim McLean's Ghost said:

And it seems obvious that we lost Tony Watt and didn't properly replace him.

We did replace him, the big gallus Dutch shithouser. He just arrived 6 months before Tony departed. 

[Handsome_Devil]

4 hours ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

Don't get me started on Lamaldini.

From what I hear there might be a second coming.

Which I'm not unhappy with per se but if Ojala isn't fit enough to be a regular pick, we need a new leader at the back. Lamie, Mugabi and even SSJ, despite his form doing a SOD, all strike me as being fine as the second CB if they have someone talking them through it - combining two of the three isn't working though.

[Yorky]

9 hours ago, ropy said:

However, if St Mirren get a run of results against the diddies of the bottom six they could exceed our points total in the top league for the first time since 1989.

Surely motivation enough to take points from United and County.

That would simply be because of the different level of opponents and as such does not count. 

[ropy]

Bevis Mugabi is ungainly.

[MP_MFC]

So that was the final weekend of R3 (...and again no one wins the big cash prize)
To finish this off:
R1:
01/08 - Hibs (h) 2-3 (L) = 0
08/08 - St Johnstone (a) 1-1 (X) = 1
21/08 - Livingston (a) 1-2 (W) = 3
28/08 - Dundee (h) 1-0 (W) = 3
11/09 - Aberdeen (h) 2-0 (W) = 3
19/09 - Rangers (a) 1-1 (X) = 1
25/09 - Ross County (h) 2-1 (W) = 3
02/10 - Hearts (a) 2-0 (L) = 0
16/10 - Celtic (h) 0-2 (L) = 0
23/10 - Dundee Utd (a) 2-1 (L) = 0
27/10 - St Mirren (h) 2-2 (X) = 1
Total = 15 points - P 11 W 4 D 3 L 4 F 14 A 15
R2:
31/10 - Rangers (h) 1-6 (L) = 0
06/11 - Aberdeen (a) 0-2 (W) = 3
20/11 - Hearts (h) 2-0 (W) = 3
27/11 - Dundee (a) 3-0 (L) = 0
30/11 - Dundee Utd (h) 1-0 (W) = 3
04/12 - Hibs (a) 1-1 (X) = 1
12/12 - Celtic (a) 1-0 (L) = 0
18/12 - St Johnstone (h) 2-0 (W) = 3
26/12 - Livingston (h) 2-1 (W) = 3
18/01 - Ross County (a) 3-1 (L) = 0
01/02 - St Mirren (a) 1-1 (X) = 1
Total = 17 points - P 11 W 5 D 2 L 4 F 13 A 16
R3:
26/01 - Hibs (h) 0-0 (X) = 1
29/01 - Hearts (a) 2-0 (L) = 0
06/02 - Celtic (h) 0-4 (L) = 0
09/02 - Dundee United (a) 2-0 (L) = 0
19/02 - Aberdeen (h) 1-1 (X) = 1
27/02 - Rangers (a) 2-2 (X) = 1
02/03 - Ross County (h) 0-1 (L) = 0
05/03 - Dundee (h) 1-1 (X) = 1
19/03 - St Johnstone (a) 2-1 (L) = 0
02/04 - St Mirren (h) 4-2 = 3
09/04 - Livingston (a) 2-2 = 1
Total = 8 points - P 11 W 1 D 5 L 5 F 11 A 19
Spoiler

[\quote]

Interesting to see maybe our third period wasn’t quite as bad as it seemed. Don’t get me wrong, it was eye bleeding stuff but from looking at the above it we didn’t actually lose a massive amount of different matches then each other round, we just didn’t win - still picking up points as we went. Yes, it felt bad and ‘not won since Boxing Day’ was horrendous but looking at the actual stats doesn’t seem THAT bad now we’re on the other side of it?

[Casagolda]

14 hours ago, Allroy for Prez said:

Should a manager be keeping his job with that record and the actual football we’ve suffered just because we somehow scraped into the top half of the table?. 

Not being funny(cause it’s not just you) but what’s the obsession with judging him over 13 games by the way? 

What about over 12 months last year when we had the most points of any team outside the OF in the entire calendar year? That’s despite us being bottom, having not won a game in 2 months when he arrived in January.

Not by a small margin either, Hibs were the only other team who got within 14 points of Alexander’s total in 2021. We’ve went on our first proper poor run this year and questions can definitely be asked but even still, we’ve lost less than half of those 13 games stated and have lost back to back league games once since October. It’s been disappointing considering where we were on Boxing Day but we’ve hardly been in total free fall. 

So yes, Alexander can very much expect to keep his job. He’ll be getting judged on the job he’s done since he took over by those in power and top 6 I imagine will very much be seen as a successful season in their eyes- only our 3rd top half finish in the last 8 seasons btw.

Put it this way, if Alexander did leave Fir Park tomorrow, he’d leave the club and team in an immensely better position than he found it in. 

[capt_oats]

4 minutes ago, Casagolda said:

Not being funny(cause it’s not just you) but what’s the obsession with judging him over 13 games by the way? 

What about over 12 months last year when we had the most points of any team outside the OF in the entire calendar year? That’s despite us being bottom, having not won a game in 2 months when he arrived in January.

Not by a small margin either, Hibs were the only other team who got within 14 points of Alexander’s total in 2021. We’ve went on our first proper poor run this year and questions can definitely be asked but even still, we’ve lost less than half of those 13 games stated and have lost back to back league games once since October. It’s been disappointing considering where we were on Boxing Day but we’ve hardly been in total free fall. 

So yes, Alexander can very much expect to keep his job. He’ll be getting judged on the job he’s done since he took over by those in power and top 6 I imagine will very much be seen as a successful season in their eyes- only our 3rd top half finish in the last 8 seasons btw.

Put it this way, if Alexander did leave Fir Park tomorrow, he’d leave the club and team in an immensely better position than he found it in. 

100% this btw.