Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[ropy]

Are there any other ex-St Mirren players we could sign just to mess with their heads?

[Arch Stanton]

1 hour ago, Phillips455 said:

And there it is.

 

Can play anywhere across the back three.

[crazylegsjoe_mfc]

He’s the type of signing I’d be absolutely fine with if we were looking for a right-back.

However, when we have two players who can competently play there, with a potential third waiting in the wings, especially when the chat of a smaller squad is rife and there are three or four other positions I’d have strengthened first, I begin to question it. 

Maybe departures in the coming days / weeks might see it make more sense.

[Kapowzer]

Carlsberg don’t do shitey weeks for SOD ……

Ramsey to Liverpool joining Patterson on Merseyside. Ralston decent showing in the Internationals and of course playing for one of the OF. So future Scotland involvement seems numbered.

Then if reports today are true, an older player recruited for the exact same position and rumours Alexander is offering him a walk if you want.

A year ago he was made club captain and had £100m man Jack Graelish in his hippy.

[RandomGuy.]

Just now, Kapowzer said:

Carlsberg don’t do shitey weeks for SOD ……

Ramsey to Liverpool joining Patterson on Merseyside. Ralston decent showing in the Internationals and of course playing for one of the OF. So future Scotland involvement seems numbered.

Then if reports today are true, an older player recruited for the exact same position and rumours Alexander is offering him a walk if you want.

A year ago he was made club captain and had £100m man Jack Graelish in his hippy.

He was linked with Celtic just yesterday.

[Busta Nut]

Just now, RandomGuy. said:

He was linked with Celtic just yesterday.

No he fuckin wasn't

[Kapowzer]

Just now, RandomGuy. said:

He was linked with Celtic just yesterday.

You’re at the fucking wind up?

[capt_oats]

15 minutes ago, Kapowzer said:

You’re at the fucking wind up?

Tbf, he's not but the Tweet(s) that was linking him absolutely *were* a wind up.

Edited June 22, 2022 by capt_oats

[Pettywulliegrew-2]

McGinn is obviously the “housewives choice “finally a replacement for Las 

[Derry Alli]

Solid (but unspectacular) signing in McGinn. 

[welldaft]

Somewhat random but I suddenly realised we are at page 1886 on our P&B Thread.

The very year we were founded. This can only mean that Paul McGinn is a sign of what is to come…

[Kapowzer]

40 minutes ago, welldaft said:

Somewhat random but I suddenly realised we are at page 1886 on our P&B Thread.

The very year we were founded. This can only mean that Paul McGinn is a sign of what is to come…

Unlike some others, we don't use the earlier foundation date of 1877 when Glencairn was established and adopted all their honours. However, we had integrity and recognised that club is dead and only credit our achievements and silverwear over the last 136 years.

[Allroy for Prez]

I’d rather we’d signed a competent left back so hoping the master plan/bigger picture will become clearer soon.

Still need another midfielder and a striker. 

[Londonwell]

Solid signing but not one that gets the heart racing, as others have said.

The rationale behind it must surely either be that Sod’s is offski or that Alexander wants to play with a back 3/5 more often this season. Having McGinn to play RCB and/or cover at RWB would be fine with me in that scenario. 

Edited June 22, 2022 by Londonwell

[steelman1991]

3 hours ago, RandomGuy. said:

He was linked with Celtic just yesterday.

FFS who? Grealish

[Swello]

I've spent a long time wondering what SOD was doing at the club and then I watched him at County in his natural position.

[Kapowzer]

Based on the results at the tail end of the season and Swello's point, are we now transitioning a 5-3-2 full on opposed to a 4-3-3 to death regardless of opposition, form or success?

---------------Kelly-------------- Bench: Fox

-----McGinn--Sol/Bevis--Lamie---- Bench: Ojala

-SOD--------------------McGinley- Bench: Johnson, Carroll

----Spittal--Slattery--Cornelius---- Bench: Tierney, Maguire, Goss, Mahon

----------KVV--Shields----------- Bench: Woolery, Efford

Obviously one glaring issue with this plan, McGinley is the Dr Pepper  ... "ahh f**k it, what's the worst that can happen?". Also, possibly all this talk of SOD or McGinn is premature, it could be to make our right flank cast iron and impenetrable.

Anderlecht performance team putting in a few extra hours tonight.

Edited June 23, 2022 by Kapowzer

[capt_oats]

8 hours ago, crazylegsjoe_mfc said:

He’s the type of signing I’d be absolutely fine with if we were looking for a right-back.

However, when we have two players who can competently play there, with a potential third waiting in the wings, especially when the chat of a smaller squad is rife and there are three or four other positions I’d have strengthened first, I begin to question it. 

Maybe departures in the coming days / weeks might see it make more sense.

I don't disagree in so much as Paul McGinn probably wouldn't have been high up on my shopping list (or necessarily on my shopping list at all) but it's interesting that he's been presented as "versatile defender" Paul McGinn rather than "right back". That "versatile" is carrying a lot of weight IMO.

Taking a step back and being objective about it;

• Motherwell fans: our defensive record last season was a shambles, we need to do something about it.
• Graham Alexander: our defensive record last season wasn't good enough, we need to look not just at individuals but the "system".

Framed like that, us signing a "versatile defender" who spent his time at Hibs last season playing RWB/RCB shouldn't seem that surprising.

As I said yesterday, given we pivoted to a 3412 at the tail end of last season and, to the surprise of no one, it actually got the best out of SOD playing in his actual position then if this is the direction we're going in it's an entirely sensible signing.

As @thisGRAEME also pointed out yesterday you can see Carroll fitting in that gap at LCB/LWB (McGinley too IMO) while I suppose there's also a chance Johnston's loaned out again for development in the absence of Reserves football and for all big Bev did us a turn at RB last season I don't think anyone's looking at him as being viable as a RWB.

Edited June 23, 2022 by capt_oats

[Gianfranco]

Looking at that maybe McGinley is the back up for Lamie in the back 3?

I’m hoping for a left back/wing back and a starting striker minimum.

If I’m being greedy another centre back and a midfielder that’s better than we’ve got as well. We may have to move a few people on to achieve that.

If it were possible I’d punt Joe, possibly Goss, not going to happen but McGinley and unless he’s in better shape in pre season then Ojala too.

[capt_oats]

1 hour ago, Gianfranco said:

Looking at that maybe McGinley is the back up for Lamie in the back 3?

I’m hoping for a left back/wing back and a starting striker minimum.

If I’m being greedy another centre back and a midfielder that’s better than we’ve got as well. We may have to move a few people on to achieve that.

If it were possible I’d punt Joe, possibly Goss, not going to happen but McGinley and unless he’s in better shape in pre season then Ojala too.

Aye, I mean, I'm not saying that is/isn't happening it just seems like a vaguely plausible direction for us to go.

As far as the midfielder goes, I guess if there was anything in the chat that we were interested in speaking to Davis in the event Rangers didn't want him it suggests we might be looking at that area. Granted that may have been an "opportunity" thing and we were looking at him in a player/coach capacity but still.

Either way apparently "we still have work to do with the squad",

Whether that's enough to stop a very specific subset of usual suspects living in the club's mentions who just "call things as I see them" having to wring out their underwear because we haven't signed an entire new squad inside 12 days of the transfer window opening remains to be seen (I expect not).

Edited June 23, 2022 by capt_oats