Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[capt_oats]

[rowsdower]

A fair bit of whinging going on around the socials about the amount of people leaving the club. Other than Lasley, which is different because he's been associated with us for over 20 years, the other are just normal churn, no? If GA just "forced" las out to be the COO at another prem club, then people will be lining up to piss him off.

Not getting the O'Connor love in either, he seemed a nice guy, and is funny, but he barely played for us. He seemed to hit the sweet spot where he played a handful of games and wasn't terrible, but wasn't exposed to the fans enough to get the treatment. So now he's the one that got away. I mind the same with Adam Cummins. He may turn out to be good, but we can't keep everyone, and I have to believe that we're looking at someone experienced but not crocked to settle that defence.

I assume hinchcliffe leaving is due to GA bringing in his own folk, or just because there was a better paying gig at Utd. I'm sure we'llnfind another competent goalie coach.

[thisGRAEME]

4 minutes ago, rowsdower said:

Not getting the O'Connor love in either, he seemed a nice guy, and is funny, but he barely played for us. He seemed to hit the sweet spot where he played a handful of games and wasn't terrible, but wasn't exposed to the fans enough to get the treatment. So now he's the one that got away. I mind the same with Adam Cummins. He may turn out to be good, but we can't keep everyone, and I have to believe that we're looking at someone experienced but not crocked to settle that defence.

Saw O'Connor for Queen's (A team relegated from the league below without so much of a whimper, for those keeping track) a couple of times and he looked very elbowy. 

Folk did the same with Lawless for years, and insisted he was never given a chance, which was true, but was never given a chance because we had better players than him, then lo and behold he was hopeless on his return.

Have absolutely zero doubt that Lasley will be back at us at some point in the future, but those roles are rarely available, so crack on.

[Kapowzer]

I think with O'Connor the pedigree of the academy he came from probably tainted a few opinions then and now. Seemed he wanted to stay around, maybe realised he really is a Scottish 2nd tier player.

Wee Al's Luton papped out the hunt of the Premiership tonight by Jordan Rhodes. Remember him? Was scoring for fun 10 years ago at Huddersfield and earned a move to Blackburn where he kept the scoring going, then injury and the hot streak cooled. Seems to have coincided with his move to Middlesbrough. Either that or Craig Levein calling him up for Scotland which cursed him.

[well fan for life]

O'Connor seems like a good lad. Seemed alright in the league cup but we've barely seen him since. I'm not sure I get the outcry tbh.

[Busta Nut]

I haven't paid attention to any moaning about O'Connor leaving but I'd have kept him over Ojala. He's shit.

['WellDel]

1 hour ago, well fan for life said:

O'Connor seems like a good lad. Seemed alright in the league cup but we've barely seen him since. I'm not sure I get the outcry tbh.

 

1 hour ago, Busta Nut said:

I haven't paid attention to any moaning about O'Connor leaving but I'd have kept him over Ojala. He's shit.

Agree with the opinion over O'Connor's release. Seemed like a genuinely decent guy, but what have we actually seen of him to suggest he could be the answer to our defensive issues? Couple of so-so appearances in the league cup group games and looking no' bad in a team which spent almost the entire season marooned at the bottom of the Championship?.

Not saying he won't make it, and genuinely hope the boy does, but although he'd obviously be at the lower end of the wage scale and possibly worth another year to see how he progressed, it's hardly a huge shock to see him cut free.

As @Busta Nut says though, I'd have been inclined to take the cheap option and punt on him, and jettison Ojala. He's utter gash.

[capt_oats]

The O'Connor stuff just has the same energy as folk who were raging that we released Dan Twardzik. It's Luke Watt Syndrome.

In a broader sense it feels like people moving on has become the new stick to beat Alexander with because he did actually get into the Top 6 and managed to qualify for Europe so they can't have a moan about that now.

Special shout out to the brainiac who thinks that our GK coach moving to United is a sign that Alexander's going to "destroy our club". It must be fucking exhausting being this stupid.

I'm shocked to find yer man also had a take on Darragh O'Connor...

Edited May 17, 2022 by capt_oats

[18May1991]

51 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

The O'Connor stuff just has the same energy as folk who were raging that we released Dan Twardzik. It's Luke Watt Syndrome.

In a broader sense it feels like people moving on has become the new stick to beat Alexander with because he did actually get into the Top 6 and managed to qualify for Europe so they can't have a moan about that now.

Special shout out to the brainiac who thinks that our GK coach moving to United is a sign that Alexander's going to "destroy our club". It must be fucking exhausting being this stupid.

I'm shocked to find yer man also had a take on Darragh O'Connor...

Whilst I do agree with this, it was only a few short weeks ago that pretty much everyone thought GA was an imposter and wanted rid. ‘Tis a fickle game indeed…. 

[Ron Aldo]

I will never get used to this.

[capt_oats]

1 hour ago, 18May1991 said:

Whilst I do agree with this, it was only a few short weeks ago that pretty much everyone thought GA was an imposter and wanted rid. ‘Tis a fickle game indeed…. 

Aye, I mean don't get me wrong, 1 win in 15 raises very legitimate questions that need to be addressed if not to the wider support then certainly to the board. It's the nature of the business I'd imagine that's true of any club and any sport, not just Motherwell. I'm interested to see how/if that informs our summer.

That said, there's a definite and very specific section of Lovejoys in our support. The mental gymnastics and hand-wringing over a goal keeper coach moving after 5 years at the club or a 5th choice centre back who'd made 5 appearances at the start of the season not being kept on is indicative of that.

Like I say it must be fucking exhausting.

Edited May 17, 2022 by capt_oats

[Handsome_Devil]

Pat Nevin (!) once said on the fringes of an AGM, in the context of a couple of then high profile youths being released with little or no first team games, he could never understand Motherwell fans saying 'X didn't get a chance'. His two-fold point was one, we are not good enough that anyone remotely competent won't get a first team shot at some point and secondly, players get a chance every single day just not in the public eye. DOC had a whole season, including first team games with us, god knows how much training and bounce games, and then however many games with QotS, all of which will have been watched in detail by someone at the club. Had he been deemed good enough for another year, fine, but I'm amazed anyone is bothered it's gone the other day.

In my now 35 years of supporting Motherwell I don't think there's been one player,  be it a youth or senior, who we've voluntarily released which turned out to be a big error. If DOC turns out to be the guy who changes that fair play to him but I wouldn't put a lot of money on it.

 

[tonicg]

From my elevated position in the South Stand watching the early rounds of the LC my abiding memory was that DOC wasn't actually that good and was as slow as big Ojala on the turn. Granted I think he probably connected with some crunching tackles but simialrly to Adam Cummins, you need more than that these days.

[Swello]

Dom's Rule states that the less a player is selected, the better he becomes.

[welldaft]

14 hours ago, fat_tony said:

20 hours ago, welldaft said:

I am just reading this thread as I received a text to say 
“Your new passport has been printed, and will be transferred to our delivery supplier in the next few days. When it's ready for delivery, they will contact you with a tracking reference.” 
Delighted as I only applied a few weeks ago after reading stories of 10 weeks +. Let’s hope I get a chance to use it assuming we get a Welsh or NI side in QR2. 

This gives me hope as I've just renewed mine today, old passport off in the post tomorrow.

Sent off application on 27th April and old passport the next day. I am being told I will receive passport today. So all in about 3 weeks

[welldaft]

3 hours ago, capt_oats said:

The O'Connor stuff just has the same energy as folk who were raging that we released Dan Twardzik. It's Luke Watt Syndrome.

In a broader sense it feels like people moving on has become the new stick to beat Alexander with because he did actually get into the Top 6 and managed to qualify for Europe so they can't have a moan about that now.

Special shout out to the brainiac who thinks that our GK coach moving to United is a sign that Alexander's going to "destroy our club". It must be fucking exhausting being this stupid.

I'm shocked to find yer man also had a take on Darragh O'Connor...

What is more baffling is he seems to have a decent CV judging by his Twitter bio. But fully agree both wild takes .

I am hardly happy when we lose, play poorly and lack cohesiveness as was the case for many games this year. But to get in such a rage over something quite innocuous is baffling. Now giving an extension to McGinley on the other hand…….just kidding Nathan

[capt_oats]

See, as far as DOC goes I'm almost certain that had this been a typical Robinson summer where we'd finished the season with like, 12 players contracted and 14 out of contract or whatever, there would be a fair chance he'd be getting extra year as an easy way to pad out the squad and we'd see if he'd develop any further (and if he didn't we'd either cut him loose or sign someone else the following January).

As it stands though we've 19 players contracted and 9 outfield players heading OOC. That's naturally going to have to be trimmed so we probably have space for 5 players in (that's before any resolution on Lamie and Donnelly). The manager's also on record as saying he feels we need to look to improve the squad.

As @Handsome_Devil and @Swello's posts highlight it's not an exclusive thing with this circumstance. Folk get bent out of shape on an annual basis with weird takes about relatively young players we've not seen much of getting released but to go back to a post @crazylegsjoe_mfc made the other day, if you were paying attention as to what was going on with the squad it seemed clear that O'Connor was primarily signed as a body to get us through the early stage of competitive games (and that's not a slight on him at all, I thought he was absolutely fine).

He's also at a stage in his career where he needs to be playing games on a regular basis.

With all that in mind it just feels weird that anyone's actually surprised that O'Connor's being let go, let alone people actually kicking off about it.

1 hour ago, welldaft said:

What is more baffling is he seems to have a decent CV judging by his Twitter bio. But fully agree both wild takes .

I am hardly happy when we lose, play poorly and lack cohesiveness as was the case for many games this year. But to get in such a rage over something quite innocuous is baffling. Now giving an extension to McGinley on the other hand…….just kidding Nathan

Tbf, anyone who willingly self-defines as an entrepreneur is 100% OFTW in my book. I mean, I checked his TL to see if it was maybe an ironic bit he was doing but no, he just seems to be a seething mess about Alexander. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Edited May 17, 2022 by capt_oats

[Kapowzer]

2 hours ago, Handsome_Devil said:

Pat Nevin (!) once said on the fringes of an AGM, in the context of a couple of then high profile youths being released with little or no first team games, he could never understand Motherwell fans saying 'X didn't get a chance'. His two-fold point was one, we are not good enough that anyone remotely competent won't get a first team shot at some point and secondly, players get a chance every single day just not in the public eye. DOC had a whole season, including first team games with us, god knows how much training and bounce games, and then however many games with QotS, all of which will have been watched in detail by someone at the club. Had he been deemed good enough for another year, fine, but I'm amazed anyone is bothered it's gone the other day.

In my now 35 years of supporting Motherwell I don't think there's been one player,  be it a youth or senior, who we've voluntarily released which turned out to be a big error. If DOC turns out to be the guy who changes that fair play to him but I wouldn't put a lot of money on it.

 

I always felt Nicky Devlin was one.

Not a world beater but better than some of the players we’ve had since in his position. 

[santheman]

I would imagine(or hope mibbe) that Alexander has already been given his budget for next season and he knows exactly who he's after backroom and playing staff wise and how much it'll cost and he's had to cut his cloth accordingly. If that means letting a few fringe players go then fine with me as long as it improves the club and the team.

As always time will tell.

Edited May 17, 2022 by santheman

[crazylegsjoe_mfc]

16 minutes ago, Kapowzer said:

I always felt Nicky Devlin was one.

Not a world beater but better than some of the players we’ve had since in his position. 

Whilst I agree Devlin is doing well at Livi now, when he left us he went to Stenhousemuir for a season, followed by Ayr for three seasons - before he ended up down South in League One.

That tells me we would probably have had to wait four years and a few loan spells roughly for him to get to the required level to be a first team regular.