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Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons


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I think some folk are getting a bit carried way here.

When folk say things like "If we were decent to watch then fair enough". It doesn't mean that they would accept a run like Alexander's.
I am sure you should be reading those types of comments as "It's frustrating we're losing but in playing well there is a chance something could change and results could go our way." Cos that's what I've meant anytime I've said something similar.

No one would be happy losing but being great until the most fundamental point in football.

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Hmmm. It's maybe too short / mental a spell to judge. Plus, we had a good start to the league (one defeat in 13 and consistently 5th or above) and a decent europa run. From what I recall the football was generally good to watch and the results themselves were decent enough. 
As an aside, looking back at that season have we ever had a more successful transfer window? In:- Jennings, Humphrey, Coke, Hateley, Ruddy, Jutkiewitz (+Moutouakil and Scanlon after the window shut I think?). Imagine bringing in six players of the quality now.  
Who the hell was Scanlon? I know my memory is not what it was but I have no recollection of him at all?
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4 minutes ago, Archie McSquackle said:
56 minutes ago, CoF said:

 

Who the hell was Scanlon? I know my memory is not what it was but I have no recollection of him at all?

I've no recollection either - don't think he ever played a first team game but you can buy a mug with his face on it here.  

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2 hours ago, rowsdower said:

I googled Simo Valakari preferred formation, and it is 3-4-2-1

Here is a recent game from his team against the bottom team in the league. I believe this is what you call a "comprehensive scouting report"

Pretty sure I posted this before years ago but here's Simo in discussion with fans when he'd just taken over at Tromsø. Tbh, I'd imagine this is pretty much his spiel for a job interview.

He speaks well and again, talks fondly of his time at Motherwell. For some reason I also found myself with an urge for a thirst-quenching Fanta.

Edited by capt_oats
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3 hours ago, Gallus Numpty said:

We finished bottom in 2003, but It was still a joy to watch Faddy every week.

That was a weird season, lots of highlights and lowlights.

I think the improvement the following season in signing Craigan and Marshall probably tells you a lot of it was down to the fact we didn’t have a keeper and the 4th slot in defence was taken up by either a diddy or a youngster - Ramsay, Cowan, Kinniburgh, Vaughan or Sengewald. 

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That 2002/3 season was my first season supporting Motherwell. The only two games I made were a 1-0 win away vs Killie in the Scottish Cup and a 2-2 home draw with Dundee United - Charlie bloody Miller. I remember watching us on the telly a lot. We beat both sides of the old firm and were 2-0 up at Tynecastle before eventually losing.

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4 minutes ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

I might send him one with my face on it

 

In case you wondered, here's what he's up to these days - 

Personal trainer Enfield
Natural Bodybuilder men’s physique
2bros regionals placed 4th🏅
2bros British finals placed 5th🏅

(courtesy of instagram)

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9 hours ago, Handsome_Devil said:

Flow's comments that Motherwell is a very difficult job did not go nearly far enough imo. Even the 'realists' in our support, who don't demand top six or cup runs every year expect it what, once or twice every five years? That's essentially at least winning the league of our peers - despite claiming we spend less on wages - and/or hauling a city club that spend comical amounts more.   

You've to do this while making enough in transfer fees to keep the club going and bringing through youths to maintain our identity. Short-term contracts mean building a team beyond two years is impossible. Oh and we're now getting picky about how the football looks while you do it.

I'm not saying these goals are unreasonable - our continual position in Scottish football suggests they're about right - but churning it out must be bloody hard indeed. It's no wonder even our best managers tend to end in failure.

So with that in mind, if we have a talented, motivated candidate with experience I'd be tempted to chuck them a blank canvas and let them approach it as they see fit. GA was a 'results only' man, knew the risks and paid the price. The next guy might struggle to define failure in advance but we'll all know it if we see it!

Bits of this for me, what I'd like to see is progression from year to year to firmly establish us as Scotland's 7th biggest team ahead of Kilmarnock. Consolidation when we do good and improving the quality/standards. Looking back over that league placing spreadsheet I done, getting a run of consistent top 6 finishes can be done. While Tommy Wright got consistency we we've been a bit yo-yo and fell off a cliff as McCall was punted.

image.png.9801f34e16adb33598c6421d91694c11.png

You just have to get the mix right. Progression is multifaceted:

  1. It's the academy repeatedly producing talent you otherwise couldn't afford, get access to them for a bit before they make you money to strengthen.
  2. It's good business in the transfer market where you get more success' than duds.
  3. A manager making the best of what they inherit, setting up based on their strengths rather than thinking it'll all come good when they get their first window.
  4. Finally the commercial side of things and modest increases demanded year upon year on attendances/season tickets to fund the above.

When I think back to Alexander's reign, yes it conveyed it was a long term buy in with major changes to our strategies on all fronts:

  1. Cornelius was the only academy breakthrough but he'd kinda been around the first team for quite a while. Not many more of note but maybe there wasn't many more to pick from. Kian Spiers was someone Hammell was probably lobbying for but it took him to get the caretaker gig for recognition.
  2. The summer business was generally well received, I'm sure @capt_oats did a summary where it was seen as about 40% success (that's good at our level). January was nothing other than poor and this summer we entered the Sligo game arguably weaker than we finished the season 7 weeks prior.
  3. Alexander seemed to do well initially of making a silk purse out of a sows ear but as you point out he was a results man, 3 points come hell or high water. It was also no room for a consensus, it was his way and anyone who dissented was frozen out. I think in the end a good number of our squad wouldn't have given that wee bit extra for him that you need at our level.
  4. We've never appeared to have a strong strategy to attract the lapsed, fair weather, new to the area or those who were never attracted to it fan to FP. Certainly no targets or focus from the club.

My criticism is we've often not taken advantage of the good times as much as we could or should have. Success on the park and the extra revenues you get from that is often felt like it is frittered away. 3rd-2nd-2nd, Two cup runs in 2017/18, 3rd and Europa 2020, 5th and ECL 2022. But successful teams are often pillaged especially it can be relatively cheap to hoover up our best performers.

With respect to the most recent windfall, everything seems to point (from bits here and there in various interviews) that some of the money we amassed most recently was being redirected to cover an overspend to accumulate during the previous 12 months.

Edited by Kapowzer
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