Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[Casagolda]

I agree with the Capt, if it’s being announced today I can’t see it being Simo. 

Doesn’t really seem like something we’d do, announcing we’re pinching another clubs manager on the day of a big European game for them. Even if we’d agreed it in principle, I’d imagine we’d hold off till tomorrow. I mean Hammell would still be in charge on Saturday either way so it’d make little difference to us. 

If it’s being announced today when the final interview was supposedly yesterday, I can only really see it being Hammell for it to be concluded so swiftly. 

[capt_oats]

In fairness, the article from McGarry kind of just reads like he's taking a bit of a flier based on the timeline. Interviews finished yesterday = expected to announce today.

I feel like I can talk myself round to pretty much anyone other than Hammell and that's nothing against him.

This feels like a situation where we need a degree of management experience and handing it to Hammell is the equivalent of doing nothing and it doesn't seem like it'd end well for anyone - it's not even like a Robinson scenario where he'd been on our bench as an assistant for years. I've said it before but it feels like Hammell's role at the club until now has been strategic.

Simo - never managed in the UK let alone Scotland and I'm not sure when the last time he set foot in a Scottish fitba' stadium was but he's got 300+ games as a manager, he has experience of managing in European competition (I imagine he'd have had us prepared for Sligo Rovers rather than a half arsed mess), he has experience of different dressing rooms, has a definite style of play he wants to coach (which now seems to be a *thing* for us), he'd get buy in from fans of a certain vintage and...he really, really, really seems to want the job given he's on his 3rd application or whatever.

Healy (if he's one of the other 2) - His experience is managing one of the *big* teams in NI (*the world's most successful club*, no less) so it's up for debate whether he's actually a good manager or not and it's the only club he's managed so he's no experience of trying to change the culture of a club mid-season (which although it's still early is where we are). That said he's been in the post for 7 years and has been successful in what he's been asked to do - you can only beat what's in front of you etc, he's been involved in Scottish football more recently than Valakari and he's got a strong playing background, knowledge of UK football, has been linked with other UK jobs and wouldn't need a work permit/visa.

Mystery box guy - I mean all 3 of the other options have pros and cons. There's no outstanding obvious option.

To the point about there being no really obvious options this has 100% been one of the weirdest managerial processes I can remember.

Edited August 11, 2022 by capt_oats

[stu92]

Real sickener for Simo if he still doesn’t get it this time. 

[Ron Aldo]

I'll be suitably underwhelmed if it's Hammell.

[thisGRAEME]

6 minutes ago, Ron Aldo said:

I'll be suitably underwhelmed if it's Hammell.

 I said a while ago, I could totally get behind it, I reckon.

In terms of positive/negative, yes he's inexperienced, but also, he absolutely knows the state we're in, and a good idea of what was wrong before and presumably has an idea of how to fix it. 

Alternatively, you get a rando who comes in and does a Baraclough to ask why we can't win the league before ultimately getting bodied off Morton. 

[wellboy1991]

10 minutes ago, thisGRAEME said:

 I said a while ago, I could totally get behind it, I reckon.

In terms of positive/negative, yes he's inexperienced, but also, he absolutely knows the state we're in, and a good idea of what was wrong before and presumably has an idea of how to fix it. 

Alternatively, you get a rando who comes in and does a Baraclough to ask why we can't win the league before ultimately getting bodied off Morton. 

I get that aswell. My concern re Hammell is potentially his lack of contacts in the game for making signings etc.

if we are relying on the current recruitment team then I think we might be in trouble on that front. 

[ZX1886]

Real sickener for Simo if he still doesn’t get it this time. 

Tbf, if he doesn’t it’ll probably be financial, not sure how long he has left on his current contract. Of all the names mentioned he’s definitely my preferred candidate.

[thisGRAEME]

3 minutes ago, wellboy1991 said:

I get that aswell. My concern re Hammell is potentially his lack of contacts in the game for making signings etc.

We're a decade later still waiting on Mark McGhee's much vaunted german contacts tbf.

I'd be unsurprised to see a couple of signings almost immediately when a manager is appointed. 

[Busta Nut]

ach this is shite. club just need to announce who it is. I canny be fucked

 

Edited August 11, 2022 by Busta Nut

[welldaft]

I still think I would like to see Hammell be assistant to whomever we appoint.  Assuming of course it is NOT Hammell himself that is appointed.

As Hammell has the inside track and a new Manager hopefully the experience and contacts for players etc.  A win win. Of course that means the club then need to find a replacement for Hammell.  But could that not be simply promoting the likes of Kerr and Clarkson etc.

I also think Hammell would be amenable to that as he is surely aware his lack of experience counts against him at such a crucial time / appointment. 

I would be happy with that and I think most fans would also be amenable. I get that a new Manager often brings his own assistant or certainly wants too. But again I would be happy with such a scenario unfolding.

 

 

 

[wellboy1991]

4 minutes ago, welldaft said:

I still think I would like to see Hammell be assistant to whomever we appoint.  Assuming of course it is NOT Hammell himself that is appointed.

As Hammell has the inside track and a new Manager hopefully the experience and contacts for players etc.  A win win. Of course that means the club then need to find a replacement for Hammell.  But could that not be simply promoting the likes of Kerr and Clarkson etc.

I also think Hammell would be amenable to that as he is surely aware his lack of experience counts against him at such a crucial time / appointment. 

I would be happy with that and I think most fans would also be amenable. I get that a new Manager often brings his own assistant or certainly wants too. But again I would be happy with such a scenario unfolding.

 

 

 

Would assistant not be a sideways/ step down from his current job tbh. 

I think it would be. Get the impression it’s manager or stay where he is.

[Swello]

If we are going to appoint someone today (or even tomorrow) - the lack of ITK or the fact that hacks seemingly don't have a clue at this very late stage is interesting.

[baseless speculation] If it was Simo, something would have leaked from Finland - if it was Hammy or another well known Scottish fitba person, it would have been known to the hacks here. I'm going mystery box 3 - someone that has not been involved in Scottish Football before [/baseless speculation]

[stu92]

4 minutes ago, Swello said:

[baseless speculation] 

The best kind imo. 

[Joey Jo Jo Junior Shabadoo]

This has all the hallmarks of Theodore Long being announced as GM during the first 5 minutes of the next home match. 

[capt_oats]

36 minutes ago, Swello said:

If we are going to appoint someone today (or even tomorrow) - the lack of ITK or the fact that hacks seemingly don't have a clue at this very late stage is interesting.

[baseless speculation] If it was Simo, something would have leaked from Finland - if it was Hammy or another well known Scottish fitba person, it would have been known to the hacks here. I'm going mystery box 3 - someone that has not been involved in Scottish Football before [/baseless speculation]

Aye, I've mentioned this before but what I've been surprised by is the fact that we don't seem to have seen any names from the particular pool we usually recruit (or are often linked with). For example, last time out the names reported to have been interviewed were Tommy Wright, Alexander, Lasley and Simon Grayson.

For me Alexander was the fairly obvious choice in terms of profile, experience etc. Tommy Wright never looked like a fit for "Motherwell manager" regardless of what Eric Nicolson thought but Grayson fits in that kind of English L1 manager who's had a couple of big jobs in the past that we've not heard a peep from this time round and I honestly don't think that the job is any materially less attractive right now than it was when we were joint bottom of the league having been scudded 3-0 by Accies.

It kind of makes me wonder whether the Graham Alexander Experience has caused a board-level rethink about what we're actually looking for.

Edited August 11, 2022 by capt_oats

[YassinMoutaouakil]

18 minutes ago, Swello said:

If we are going to appoint someone today (or even tomorrow) - the lack of ITK or the fact that hacks seemingly don't have a clue at this very late stage is interesting.

[baseless speculation] If it was Simo, something would have leaked from Finland - if it was Hammy or another well known Scottish fitba person, it would have been known to the hacks here. I'm going mystery box 3 - someone that has not been involved in Scottish Football before [/baseless speculation]

This is what I find mad about folk seriously discussing Lennon as a potential option, do you really think *nobody* apart from Stephen Craigan would have caught wind of the possibly?

[Swello]

Just now, YassinMoutaouakil said:

This is what I find mad about folk seriously discussing Lennon as a potential option, do you really think *nobody* apart from Stephen Craigan would have caught wind of the possibly?

Exactly - I would imagine we could 100% rule out anyone with any sort of OF connection (that's why we know it's not Lambert, Ferguson, Thomson) - there is literally no chance that would be kept secret, never mind one of the highest profile Celtic people. 

[Desp]

1 hour ago, ZX1886 said:

Tbf, if he doesn’t it’ll probably be financial, not sure how long he has left on his current contract. Of all the names mentioned he’s definitely my preferred candidate.

It'll not be a financial aspect, IMO.  If we're going to the bother of interviewing him (again) for the gig, we'll know the details of what it costs to get him out of his current role, the cost of work permit applications and wages etc.  That will have to have been ok'd by the board before they got to this point.

If Simo's the best person out of those applying, he'll be appointed.  If he, with all of his managerial experience, is unable to outshine an Academy Director and some other c**t during an interview process, then he's simply not worth the expense. 

I'm looking forward to whoever is appointed.  At least it won't be Graham fucking Alexander.

[MP_MFC]

Hammell appointed. 

 

Massive, MASSIVE risk. 

[capt_oats]