Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[capt_oats]

37 minutes ago, Handsome_Devil said:

I'm not a football snob by any means so was happy with Alexanderball as long as it worked. What I find utterly bizarre though is GA signed the players he did to then play the way he did...if you're only interested in running, tackling and safety first, having Goss, Spittal, Tierney, Morris etc is mighty odd.

As for the bellweather thing, it's too early to tell. For ages I thought the squad was underperforming and a new manager would get a tune of them. By the time of Sligo - and the two Saints games after - I'd decided I was wrong. Maybe I'm wrong I was wrong...

Aye, to sign a bunch of players then actively make a choice to play in a way that doesn't play to any of their strengths is a bold move for sure.

To be clear I'm not losing the run of myself after one good performance but I was reading a lot of furious Aberdeen reactions (in itself very funny - 100% recommend) along the lines of "this is the same team that lost to Sligo Rovers".

I mean, that's factually true, but we lost to Sligo at a point where we were obviously undercooked, hadn't played a competitive game and had a manager who on top of having never managed in a European competition had seemingly also turned Colonel Kurtz on us.

In as much as it's too early to judge what's going to happen with Hammell, it also feels a bit too early for the Sligo debacle to define the direction of travel for the season given we've taken the step of emptying the manager early (which we didn't do with McCall after Stjarnan).

Edited August 15, 2022 by capt_oats

[CoF]

1 hour ago, Archie McSquackle said:

1 hour ago, CoF said:

He also skinned a man not on the highlights. 

There's been talk of an offside Efford nodding in a goal-bound shot but that wasn't on the highlights.

Haha, forgot about that! My first reaction was f**k sake Joe, but he really couldn't have done much about it. 

[Gallus Numpty]

1 hour ago, Handsome_Devil said:

He blocked it almost on the line rather than nodding it in himself...at least I think it was going in, would have been right at the post. From SSJ, I think, but in fairness he could hardly have got out the way.

Was given offside. so wouldn't have counted even if he did.

[Pepper]

11 minutes ago, Gallus Numpty said:

Was given offside. so wouldn't have counted even if he did.

efford.mov

It was given offside because he touched it and would have been a goal if he  got his clumsy backside out the way!

[Self-raising Lazarus]

47 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

Aye, to sign a bunch of players then actively make a choice to play in a way that doesn't play to any of their strengths is a bold move for sure.

To be clear I'm not losing the run of myself after one good performance but I was reading a lot of furious Aberdeen reactions (in itself very funny - 100% recommend) along the lines of "this is the same team that lost to Sligo Rovers".

I mean, that's factually true, but we lost to Sligo at a point where we were obviously undercooked, hadn't played a competitive game and had a manager who on top of having never managed in a European competition had seemingly also turned Colonel Kurtz on us.

In as much as it's too early to judge what's going to happen with Hammell, it also feels a bit too early for the Sligo debacle to define the direction of travel for the season given we've taken the step of emptying the manager early (which we didn't do with McCall after Stjarnan).

I will now only think of Alexander as Kurtz

[capt_oats]

5 minutes ago, Self-raising Lazarus said:

I will now only think of Alexander as Kurtz

[Self-raising Lazarus]

2 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

Get Cornelius to track him down in 6 months time.

[crazylegsjoe_mfc]

5 hours ago, stu92 said:

Mugabi is definitely a confidence player and we know he can be better than he’s currently showing. We’ve yet to see anything better from Sol. 

I don't know if it's as much confidence as it is style. I'm beginning to think he looked decent under Alexander because his objective was to win the ball and get rid of it, which played directly to his strengths. 

I think he is badly exposed and as a result, struggles when he's part of a team which has a lot of possession of the ball, which we've seen so far this season.

I also think, as I said a few pages back on this thread, when at right back last season, he was out of harms road from making critical errors.

[Handsome_Devil]

1 minute ago, crazylegsjoe_mfc said:

I don't know if it's as much confidence as it is style. I'm beginning to think he looked decent under Alexander because his objective was to win the ball and get rid of it, which played directly to his strengths. 

I think he is badly exposed and as a result, struggles when he's part of a team which has a lot of possession of the ball, which we've seen so far this season.

I also think, as I said a few pages back on this thread, when at right back last season, he was out of harms road from making critical errors.

That's undoubtedly true but a a team playing football can just about survive with one non-playing diddy out of two at centre back, it cannot survive at all these days if both full backs can't handle at least the basics of possession. Remember Lamie at left back etc. 

If we're going full blown Hammellball, SOD and McGinn are the only options at full back until we sign another. Lamie and a new centre back - one we would call top notch - should be first picks in the middle with SSJ and Mugabi back-up. And we're looking to huckle Carroll, McGinley and Ojala out the door as soon as is politely feasible. 

[ropy]

1 hour ago, Gallus Numpty said:

Was given offside. so wouldn't have counted even if he did.

Duck!

[Mr Hahn]

2 hours ago, Handsome_Devil said:

 

As for the bellweather thing, it's too early to tell. For ages I thought the squad was underperforming and a new manager would get a tune of them. By the time of Sligo - and the two Saints games after - I'd decided I was wrong. Maybe I'm wrong I was wrong...

 

Feel the exact same as this. I was convinced through our shite patch last season and even into the start of this season that our squad really wasn't bad and we had some really decent players but were just being asked to play a horrible system and were low on confidence as a result. On the same timeframe as you, I'd gone from that to thinking that we genuinely need half a new team or we're fucked. Now I don't really know what to think.

Not getting carried away at this point after what was a very promising result and performance but all I can say is that I can't fucking wait to get back to Fir Park this weekend and it's been 18 months (think that was the length of our sentence with Alexanderball) since I've felt that way.

[capt_oats]

6 minutes ago, Handsome_Devil said:

That's undoubtedly true but a a team playing football can just about survive with one non-playing diddy out of two at centre back, it cannot survive at all these days if both full backs can't handle at least the basics of possession. Remember Lamie at left back etc. 

If we're going full blown Hammellball, SOD and McGinn are the only options at full back until we sign another. Lamie and a new centre back - one we would call top notch - should be first picks in the middle with SSJ and Mugabi back-up. And we're looking to huckle Carroll, McGinley and Ojala out the door as soon as is politely feasible. 

To that point, these are the players with 1 year left:

Fox, O'Donnell, Carroll, Ojala, McGinn, Cornelius, Goss, Efford, Mahon

We'll obviously do right by Carroll but beyond that it feels like some are better fits than others for what Hammellball may potentially look like. That's true of the squad in general tbf.

2 minutes ago, Mr Hahn said:

Feel the exact same as this. I was convinced through our shite patch last season and even into the start of this season that our squad really wasn't bad and we had some really decent players but were just being asked to play a horrible system and were low on confidence as a result. On the same timeframe as you, I'd gone from that to thinking that we genuinely need half a new team or we're fucked. Now I don't really know what to think.

I think both things are true tbh. We've got a handful of really genuinely good Premiership level players who were being stymied by what they were being asked to do along with a couple other "do a job" types but we also need another 4 or 5 brought in to actually be any good.

[stu92]

What is the story with McGinley btw? Hammy was quite open with Carroll's injury in his press conference the other day, but very coy about McGinley. I have no recollection of him being injured.

[Handsome_Devil]

8 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

To that point, these are the players with 1 year left:

Fox, O'Donnell, Carroll, Ojala, McGinn, Cornelius, Goss, Efford, Mahon

We'll obviously do right by Carroll but beyond that it feels like some are better fits than others for what Hammellball may potentially look like. That's true of the squad in general tbf.

I think both things are true tbh. We've got a handful of really genuinely good Premiership level players who were being stymied by what they were being asked to do along with a couple other "do a job" types but we also need another 4 or 5 brought in to actually be any good.

I'd try to renew Cornelius right now. We're going to offer him something anyway to guarantee compensation should he leave, so get him down on his two more years to 23 before his form picks up.

Fox I strongly suspect will be retiring to be new gk coach.

Carroll (unless we're doing the 'decent thing'), Ojala and Efford will be out the door if we've not managed to do deals on them by then.

SOD, McGinn, Goss and Mahon get the season to convince us or otherwise.

[capt_oats]

Oh...missed this the other day.

[Swello]

24 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

Oh...missed this the other day.

That would be smashin - getting to see him play for us after all...

[Gallus Numpty]

2 hours ago, Pepper said:

It was given offside because he touched it and would have been a goal if he  got his clumsy backside out the way!

Possibly, but a fair chance he'd still have been given offside for interference. Depends how far out the way he managed to get, and in which direction.

Edited August 15, 2022 by Gallus Numpty

[Kapowzer]

One first team appearance, Wee Al had about 50 at the same stage. The link with Hammy and exposure to competitive games has to be looked upon favourably by Leeds. Why not.

Cornelius, Slattery, Goss and Spittal ran the show on Saturday, if any of them get injured which is a strong possibility, the depth behind them isn't great.

Positions that give me the fear in order are: LB, CH and someone to push/cover/play during KVV's inevitable suspension(s) and exhaustion.

You'd expect Hammy to have a keen eye on what makes a defender a quality addition.

[capt_oats]

The fact that Leeds supposedly want to loan McKinstry out to get him games and Hartley was looking to take him to Hartlepool in L2 a while back meant it seemed a really, really fucking obvious shout especially given what were's missing in the side (natural width).

When Hammell spoke about a couple of "slow burning" deals I wondered if he might be one given he's Leeds player and it's really up to them what happens with him.

Feels like that quote is essentially saying we're not not interested.

Fwiw, this is what he's been up to...

[thisGRAEME]

11 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

Feels like that quote is essentially saying we're not not interested.

It's a fucking weird quote, so I assume he's signing tomorrow.