Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[Swello]

2 hours ago, crazylegsjoe said:

Interesting to see this article by Graeme McGarry, interviewing Marc Fitzpatrick about Hastie's time at Airdrie.

Most of the time, when a youngster has a sudden rise to prominence, you have people who previously coached them in the paper lauding themselves as visionaries and declaring they knew they'd hit the top the first time they set foot on the training ground, so it's refreshing to see a more honest account of things.

Essentially, it seems a reasonable account of a lot of the posts on here.

He didn't look a cut above at Airdrie, his pace was good for the level, he wouldn't have looked at him as "Rangers material" and he believes working on physicality has got him where he is.

https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/17590368.jake-hasties-former-coach-pinpoints-the-two-things-that-marked-him-out-for-success-ahead-of-rangers-move/?ref=twtrec

 

 

Interesting piece that - more so as Fitzpatrick himself understands what it's like to come through and get your wee bit of hype (one of the best jumps ever, thank Marc)...

[DukDukGoose]

16 hours ago, RandomGuy. said:

Not sure Aberdeen fans should be commenting on teams laughably overpricing players, when you're seemingly wanting over £7m for McKenna...

#obsessed. Two posts Aberdeen on a Motherwell thread.

 

Have a day off.

[ONeils4Oyarder]

16 hours ago, The_Kincardine said:

 Lots of Motherwell fans of my age also 'liked' Rangers 

If you're still in contact with these weirdos, could you please tell them to take a run and f**k to themselves. Cheers

[MJC]

4 hours ago, Desp said:

There's still a few of the younger generation kicking about, tbf.  Have been known to enjoy a pint or two in The War Office.

Plenty of the 'pretend' Motherwell fans at the Cup Final as well. 

There was plenty of 'pretend' Motherwell fans at the home leg of the Playoff too.

4 hours ago, crazylegsjoe said:

100% this.

I'm also far from keen on the fact that some in the end section of the East Stand will plagiarise scummy Rangers songs when Celtic visit Fir Park and vice versa.  Hate sinking to their level, songs about Bobby Sands have no place at Fir Park. 

Yip, it's pretty embarrassing but it's nowhere near the levels that it used to be 10/15/20 years ago. 

4 hours ago, well fan for life said:

The folk singing Flower of Scotland were a fucking minter that was off the scale.

The minter of all minters that whenever it's sung. It was bad enough losing a Cup Final and listening to Celtic fans 'political' party tunes and demonstrations but for some of our fans to come out with that garbage just put the tin lid on it.

4 hours ago, Desp said:

Oh aye, of those who go regularly then my view is 99% of them are Motherwell first and last.  That's it.

Certainly, from when I was a kid in the early 90s, it didn't seem like it was a pro-Rangers thing as such, it seemed more like an anti-Celtic stance.  Thankfully, that sort of nonsense has disappeared from Fir Park. 

Echoing @well fan for life the FOS at Hampden was toe-curling stuff.  I didn't fuss me that we couldn't sell 15,000 or whatever it was on the day.  I'd much rather just take the 4000-5000 regulars and be done with it. 

As I said it's died down alot over time, but back in the 90s and early 00s in that section it, nothing sung or shouted would have surprised you. The most cringeworthy thing I've heard in recent times apart from Flower of Scotland are the chants about Jimmy Savile and paedophile stuff whenever Celtic are in town. Just leave it out ffs!

As far as the wider discussion goes, I've yet to meet the Motherwell fan who has a genuine liking for either of the Glasgow clubs, but there are some who through personal experience will, maybe not so much 'prefer' one of them, but definitely find one or the other more or less tolerable than the other or hate one more than the other. I certainly fall into that category and have never made any attempt to hide it, but that doesn't mean that person is more of or less of a Motherwell fan. It's human nature, everyone has their own outlooks and everyone has their own experiences and there is no common ideology when it comes to supporting Motherwell as far as I'm concerned, the only thing common is that you support Motherwell. I therefore never have and never will subscribe to the theory that as a Motherwell fan you must "hate both halves of the Old Firm equally" and in truth I struggle to believe that anyone actually does.

Edited April 24, 2019 by MJC

[Busta Nut]

9 minutes ago, MJC said:

 I therefore never have and never will subscribe to the theory that as a Motherwell fan you must "hate both halves of the Old Firm equally" and in truth I struggle to believe that anyone actually does.

hmmmmmmmmm

 

 

I didn't know this was a rule.

[capt_oats]

Noticed this via Viva Motherwell who reads the papers so you don't have to.

Frear's been speaking to the Motherwell Times...

Quote

“Obviously there’s guys out of contract and hopefully that gets sorted in the next coming weeks.

“Of course I would like to stay at Motherwell.

“I’ve been here a long time now.

“It’s not a case that I want to leave.

“It’s just whether I want a change of lifestyle.

“I love the club, I love being here.

“I love playing for the manager, the boys are excellent here.

“I just want to sit down and have a chat with my family."

I mean, fair enough tbqh.

[RandomGuy.]

1 hour ago, Merkland Red said:

#obsessed. Two posts Aberdeen on a Motherwell thread.

 

Have a day off.

Aye two posts about Aberdeen in the past month is me obsessed with you lot. 

[Swello]

31 minutes ago, MJC said:

As far as the wider discussion goes, I've yet to meet the Motherwell fan who has a genuine liking for either of the Glasgow clubs,

Over the years, I've known/sat near (older) Motherwell supporters who were pretty openly pro-Rangers (and their patter when we played Celtic was indistinguishable from a Rangers supporter) - but it has never been close to being widespread. Like a lot of stuff (voting for brexit, giving a toss about what minor royals are up to, getting all your opinions from the Daily Record), it's definitely a generational thing  and is dying out, as I've genuinely never met anyone of my age or younger like that. 

It's probably something that is worth celebrating more than we do that given where we are from, that there is vanishingly little sectarian drivel associated with the club over the years.

[well fan for life]

15 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

Noticed this via Viva Motherwell who reads the papers so you don't have to.

Frear's been speaking to the Motherwell Times...

I mean, fair enough tbqh.

Can't really argue with that. He's been cracking for us at times and has managed to pick up injuries at all the wrong times. 

I won't be heartbroken if he leaves, though. 

[capt_oats]

21 minutes ago, well fan for life said:

Can't really argue with that. He's been cracking for us at times and has managed to pick up injuries at all the wrong times. 

I won't be heartbroken if he leaves, though. 

That's it really. The position he's taken there is a bit "it's not you, it's me".

I've a feeling that the deal we'll be offering will be reduced in comparison to what he's on at the moment since he's hardly nailed on as a starter and while I reckon Robinson likes him enough I don't see him being the sort of player we'll be pulling out the stops to keep.

I can imagine that we've offered him a deal that reflects his squad status and have said that if he's able to get better elsewhere then that's absolutely fine too.

One of the more low key aspects of Hastie's emergence (and Ariyibi to a lesser degree) is that whether Hastie stays or goes it's given Robinson a template of what works in that wide area. He's physical, powerful and direct. Pretty much everything that Frear...isn't.

I suppose one of the other things is, he's not a Robinson signing.

I have no real strong feelings on Frear. He's by no means been a disaster but equally he never really filled the gap left by Marvin.

Edited April 24, 2019 by capt_oats

[MJC]

47 minutes ago, Busta Nut said:

hmmmmmmmmm

 

 

I didn't know this was a rule.

Of course it isn't, but that doesn't stop some coming out with it, especially online. Anyone who has read forums like this, steelmenonline, FPC over the years will have seen it posted regularly.

 

[Desp]

46 minutes ago, Swello said:

Over the years, I've known/sat near (older) Motherwell supporters who were pretty openly pro-Rangers (and their patter when we played Celtic was indistinguishable from a Rangers supporter)

I know exactly what you mean, but I described it as being anti-Celtic rather than pro-Rangers (you could argue if there's an actual difference, really).  I can't recall anyone singing Rangers songs, for example, but there was definitely anti-Celtic (or to be more precise, anti-Catholic) songs being sung and insults of that nature being flung about.  I'm fully aware Rangers fans sang many a song like that, but then they were never really about football, were they?

Like you say though, I agree it's a generational thing and is, in the main, dying out. 

As for MJC's thing about not liking Rangers and Celtic equally, I'm not part of that one.  I dislike Rangers far more than I like dislike Celtic.  I went to Primary School in the 90s, all through the 9IAR years.  Other than the lads who supported Motherwell, the other boys "supported" Rangers, and by that I mean they got the new strip every year or two but would probably struggle to pick out Govan on a map.  They then lorded it over diddy Motherwell every time Laudrup or Gazza stuck a couple in at Fir Park.

The seethe from their demise in 2012 was fucking glorious and it'll never, never stop making me have a wee smile.  They believed they were untouchable and have somehow transferred themselves into full blown victim mentality within a few short years.  It's now been 8 years since a Rangers side won a major trophy.  I hope it continues for as a long as possible. 

[crazylegsjoe]

42 minutes ago, well fan for life said:

Can't really argue with that. He's been cracking for us at times and has managed to pick up injuries at all the wrong times. 

I won't be heartbroken if he leaves, though. 

Yeah, I feel the same.

We'd have struggled to stay up in 2016/17 without his goal and 7 assists in the last fifteen games when he came into the team. 

He has since been unfortunate with the system and injuries. He's certainly not a like for like with Hastie, given I've yet to see Hastie put a cross in and Frear's game is all about crossing. 

Why don't we play him on the left, with Scott at centre forward for the last four games? See how many chances he can create and see if any of them can get Scott going.

[Busta Nut]

I don't really have preference of who I hate more out of Celtic and Rangers.

I must be some sort of enigma.

 

It probably depends on who has been most detestable that week.

[thisGRAEME]

49 minutes ago, crazylegsjoe said:

Yeah, I feel the same.

We'd have struggled to stay up in 2016/17 without his goal and 7 assists in the last fifteen games when he came into the team. 

He has since been unfortunate with the system and injuries. He's certainly not a like for like with Hastie, given I've yet to see Hastie put a cross in and Frear's game is all about crossing. 

Why don't we play him on the left, with Scott at centre forward for the last four games? See how many chances he can create and see if any of them can get Scott going.

Mental isn't it. I thought I'd posted this following saturday but apparently not. Who's chips did Frear pish on that he finally gets a start, against a team he set alight last time he played them, but gets stuck out on the right?

I'm not a big Frear fan, but that's just ridiculous.

I'm aware I'm in the minority, but  Old Firm fans who've snuck in the main stand this season have been some laugh with our last minute equalisers. 

[well fan for life]

1 minute ago, thisGRAEME said:

Mental isn't it. I thought I'd posted this following saturday but apparently not. Who's chips did Frear pish on that he finally gets a start, against a team he set alight last time he played them, but gets stuck out on the right?

I'm not a big Frear fan, but that's just ridiculous.

I'm aware I'm in the minority, but  Old Firm fans who've snuck in the main stand this season have been some laugh with our last minute equalisers. 

The ones sneaking out after Lionel scored in the play off at Fir Park were really the cherry on top of what was already a delicious cake.

[MJC]

52 minutes ago, Desp said:

I know exactly what you mean, but I described it as being anti-Celtic rather than pro-Rangers (you could argue if there's an actual difference, really). 

See, this outlook is something that drives me up the wall and all the more so that so many people, often intelligent people, fall for it. It's a very narrow minded outlook that is so prevalent in this part of the world, that if you dislike Celtic then that equates to being pro-Rangers somehow. It's utter nonsense as the two are not mutually exclusive and as I've already said, it comes down to personal experience. To suggest that someone who shows dislike of Celtic is pro Rangers is an example of West of Scotland, Celtic influenced brainwashing.

I personally had the opposite experience from yourself growing up when it came to which lot I was surrounded by, given I attended a school where the majority outwith the handful of Motherwell fans supported Celtic and had that shoved in my face regularly. Their attitude was that if you weren't a Celtic fan you must be a Rangers fan and, to this day, I still get 'acquaintances' who support Celtic who can't get their head around someone who is of Catholic background not supporting Celtic/supporting Motherwell.

All of that made me immensely dislike them from an early age and my hatred of them has only intensified over time. I hate them for their psuedo-pious, holier than thou stance on everything, their 'politicising' of football, their faux-victim mentality which they use to excuse their supports behaviour and their general arrogance.

I will happily belt out "We fucking Hate Celtic" and such like whenever we play them and make no bones of the fact that I hate them far more than Rangers. That is all perfectly reasonable to me, just as it would be perfectly reasonable if someone said the opposite, but the difference is that there is a core of people in this part of the world who frown upon showing an open dislike of Celtic, as to them this is somehow pro-Rangers or even worse, anti-Catholic, which is, to put it mildly, utterly ridiculous.

 

[nsr]

6 hours ago, capt_oats said:

That's it really. The position he's taken there is a bit "it's not you, it's me".

I've a feeling that the deal we'll be offering will be reduced in comparison to what he's on at the moment since he's hardly nailed on as a starter and while I reckon Robinson likes him enough I don't see him being the sort of player we'll be pulling out the stops to keep.

I can imagine that we've offered him a deal that reflects his squad status and have said that if he's able to get better elsewhere then that's absolutely fine too.

One of the more low key aspects of Hastie's emergence (and Ariyibi to a lesser degree) is that whether Hastie stays or goes it's given Robinson a template of what works in that wide area. He's physical, powerful and direct. Pretty much everything that Frear...isn't.

I suppose one of the other things is, he's not a Robinson signing.

I have no real strong feelings on Frear. He's by no means been a disaster but equally he never really filled the gap left by Marvin.

Purely out of curiosity, why do you italicise certain words?

[dezz]

Slight change of topic but was speaking to a mate today and Liam Donnelly was mentioned, someone who I had genuinely forgotten existed. I don’t think he’s played since his injury against Celtic back in the first half of the season.

Anyone have any idea what the script is there? Is he simply not up to it or are injuries holding him back? On the face of it, a guy who is the record U21 cap holder for NI, slots home penalties against Spain and has a couple of seasons first team experience at League 2 level seems like the type of guy who should do a job for us but it’s just not happened for one reason or another.

[capt_oats]

1 hour ago, nsr said:

Purely out of curiosity, why do you italicise certain words?

It's just a tone thing really.

In other news...who's our number 34? Doesn't show in either the first team or reserves list (I'm guessing it's one of the new Academy group who have been featuring for the reserves recently).

Edited April 24, 2019 by capt_oats