Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[Handsome_Devil]

Love articles like that which essentially state the absolutely obvious. Still not convinced about Snodgrass, certainly not pushing the boat out for him though.

[steelmen]

I wonder who qualifies as a fringe player these days...

75% of Alexander’s signings

[Kapowzer]

In these woke times, fringe has replaced pish in the vernacular. But let's not overlook 3 games ago most of us would have driven Goss to the airport.

As for Snodgrass, yes he's 34, has transferred in his career for over £20m, was out of favour at West Brom and helped push Luton on from late Feb when he joined them. Guessing he didn't enjoy the first half of the season last year then his 4 weeks out without a club.

If it was him wanting to come back home and a "come and get me" by his agent then who's in the mix. Aberdeen, Hibs and Hearts have the money. Hibs have been throwing it about mostly on players yet to perform, I doubt the other two would be interested. Dundee United have weighted their team heavily in the +30 category already, wouldn't rule them out though. So out of the rest it is St Mirren, Killie, St Johnstone, Ross County and Livi have the past association. We have money to spend but how many of the other clubs have done their business already and have anything left in the bank?

Bear in mind we've just given our Dutch centre forward who's 32 another year and beyond the 60 minute mark he looks gubbed in every game.

The decision within 24hrs thing would suggest an announcement today. Think it was nothing more than creating urgency or he's itching to get involved this weekend.

[capt_oats]

The fact that Burns has at least put his name on the story means that there's enough to suggest it's a real thing rather than some dweeb in on work experience with a tab of 'free agents' open on transfermarkt and an active imagination churning out some content for clicks.

Which is nice.

Still sceptical it'll happen but if we're chucking an extra wedge at bringing a few more players in it feels like the club/board acknowledge that some extra investment is needed.

Which, again, is nice.

As far as 'fringe' players go IMO it's likely to be players whose game time is going to be limited. In that respect it doesn't seem too difficult to make an educated guess given the areas we're openly looking to strengthen.

Edited August 19, 2022 by capt_oats

[Kapowzer]

14 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

As far as 'fringe' players go IMO it's likely to be players whose game time is going to be limited.

So ....... pish then?

[capt_oats]

Here's Greg Marshall's Snodgrass report.

[Handsome_Devil]

6 minutes ago, Kapowzer said:

So ....... pish then?

I might exclude some youths getting game time on loan from that. But aye, pish.

As for Snodgrass, I won't bother repeating my concerns but from his pov it arguably makes sense if he wants to head up the road. He has (or should have) enough in the bank that he's playing for beer money, we're close to Glasgow where he was born and presumably has family, we obviously have no problem with players/staff swaning off to coaching badges/media work if he's interested in that side and we have a grass pitch which could be a deal-breaker for a soon-to-be 35-year-old with a few injuries in the latter years.  He would also be the biggest fish in our small pond which probably wouldn't be the case at the city clubs who could fund him on posh IPA rather than standard lager should that matter to him.

This is not to say it will happen ofc...but the logical path is definitely there.

[capt_oats]

Hammell's confirmed it's a real thing.

Edited August 19, 2022 by capt_oats

[eliphas]

Snodgrass to give us some needed experience and some moments of magic for a year (in amongst some ageing forward play) would be well ok with me. 

House up the Mearns and not looking to travel too far while he enjoys his last couple of active years playing games. Seems sensible.

[welldaft]

It would be quite some signing tbh.

But I hope we have given him a deadline so we can move on to other targets. I am quite sure the news breaking (intentionally or not) would have unearthed any other potential suitors. The club will know whether we are being taken seriously or being used as bait for other bigger fish. 

Interesting that we are quoted as possibly signing 3 or 4 players. I assume this may be based on one or two moving out. Of course that could be costly also if we have to pay up all or part of remaining contract for any of the “fringe” players. 

[Kapowzer]

We doing a sweep on the social media video pose with the flashy graphics?

McKinstry did head down to look up forced smiling.

My money is on standing, side on arms folded and an easy wink. 

Edited August 19, 2022 by Kapowzer

[Handsome_Devil]

3 minutes ago, welldaft said:

Interesting that we are quoted as possibly signing 3 or 4 players. I assume this may be based on one or two moving out. Of course that could be costly also if we have to pay up all or part of remaining contract for any of the “fringe” players. 

Alexander was initially talking about 5-6 coming in over summer so you need to imagine the budget always had room for another 2-3 regardless. Part of the new manager cost is backing him a bit so that going up to 3-4 would seem perfectly natural to me. We have a big first team squad on paper because we include a handful of kids, in what you'd call the senior squad there's definitely some wriggle room.

Depending on if we manage to huckle a couple out the door, and who, that going to 4-5 by say mid-September - when the last free agents are getting swept up - wouldn't be a massive surprise.

[dezz]

I'm fully behind the Snodgrass campaign. Can't say I've watched him much over the last couple of years but it wasn't too long ago he was playing fairly regularly for a decent West Ham side in the EPL, and helping Luton to the playoffs in the Championship last season. Providing his legs haven't gone off a cliff he should still be more than good enough to significantly improve our team. 

As other have said, it seems like a sensible move for all concerned on the assumption he's happy to earn in a month what he has been earning in a couple of days for most of his career. If he does sign, our midfield and wide options look fairly exciting all of a sudden. Some combination of Slattery, Cornelius/Goss, Spittal, Snodgrass and McKinstry looks like it has some potential, with support from Maguire, Tierney, Shields and, I suppose, Efford.

[Swello]

Either the Sligo games really frightened our board regarding the state of the squad or the background noise about GA not being "trusted" with the full Warchest (^©Daily Record style guide) probably had something in it.

It's pretty obvious that Hammell is being backed to a greater extent than Alexander was latterly given the modest signings we made by the time Sligo came around (and I wouldn't be buying the line that we were always going to suddenly go on a spending spree at the end of August regardless of who was the manager).

 

[capt_oats]

Quotes from Hammell's press conference.

Quote

He said: "I've spoken to Robert. Like I said from the very first day, we're only going to bring people in here that are going to enhance and improve what we're doing, and he's someone we feel fits that.

"He still has a lot to offer, on the pitch and we feel he would be a good addition off the pitch as well. We'll monitor that as we go.

"He would offer a lot of experience, but he's more than that. I know him personally. I think he would enjoy his football here, the way we want to do things, and the environment and culture. He'll fit in to what we're trying to achieve, so we'll see how that goes."

"I think we're always looking for players. What I would say is that the response we've had from the group in here has been excellent.

"We said from day one that we would need to see an improvement from the boys that we've got in here and they've maybe seen me saying 'we need players' but the boys in here have given us absolutely everything.

"Even one or two that we thought wouldn't be as involved as much have really impressed, have really come on.

Link

[Kapowzer]

14 minutes ago, dezz said:

I'm fully behind the Snodgrass campaign. Can't say I've watched him much over the last couple of years but it wasn't too long ago he was playing fairly regularly for a decent West Ham side in the EPL, and helping Luton to the playoffs in the Championship last season. Providing his legs haven't gone off a cliff he should still be more than good enough to significantly improve our team. 

As other have said, it seems like a sensible move for all concerned on the assumption he's happy to earn in a month what he has been earning in a couple of days for most of his career. If he does sign, our midfield and wide options look fairly exciting all of a sudden. Some combination of Slattery, Cornelius/Goss, Spittal, Snodgrass and McKinstry looks like it has some potential, with support from Maguire, Tierney, Shields and, I suppose, Efford.

That midfield list is quite delicious. Funny how a couple of signings makes us look gallus and pretty tasty middle to front.

I'd move Maguire to the "I suppose" list with Efford.

Could Josh Morris be the shortest signing in the clubs history? Have we ever bought and sold someone in the same window?

Edited August 19, 2022 by Kapowzer

[Mr Hahn]

7 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

Quotes from Hammell's press conference.

Quite interested to know who the one or two that Hammell didn't fancy who have impressed are. Given Joe (allegedly) beat a couple of players in the Aberdeen game with stepovers (again allegedly), could he be one that's gotten a wee boost of confidence now he's not needing to control as many balls shelled at him from 60 yards away?

Edited August 19, 2022 by Mr Hahn

[one m in Motherwell]

8 minutes ago, Kapowzer said:

That midfield list is quite delicious. Funny how a couple of signings makes us look gallus and pretty tasty middle to front.

I'd move Maguire to the "I suppose" list with Efford.

Could Josh Morris be the shortest signing in the clubs history? Have we ever bought and sold someone in the same window?

I could 100% be into this.  At best, he'll be Alex Fisher.

[Swello]

2 minutes ago, Mr Hahn said:

Quite interested to know who the one or two that Hammell didn't fancy who have impressed are. Given Joe (allegedly) beat a couple of players in the Aberdeen game with stepovers (again allegedly), could he be one that's gotten a wee boost of confidence now he's not needing to control as many balls shelled at him from 60 yards away?

I don't think Efford's problem has ever been controlling balls, or even beating a man - it's more been that he doesn't seem to know what to do after that. 

[Handsome_Devil]

3 minutes ago, Mr Hahn said:

Quite interested to know who the one or two that Hammell didn't fancy who have impressed are. Given Joe (allegedly) beat a couple of players in the Aberdeen game with stepovers (again allegedly), could he be one that's gotten a wee boost of confidence now he's not needing to control as many balls shelled at him from 60 yards away?

I wondered that too...maybe referring to want-away SOD having second thoughts? Because otherwise there wasn't many obviously brought back in from the cold.