Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[Ya Bezzer!]

On 25/05/2017 at 18:33, BigTamMuller said:

Take it for what you will, but some guy on the BT Sport live question show on Facebook just there kept asking for Stephen Craigans opinion on a Liam Brown he believes we've signed from Queens Park. Like I said, take it whichever way you like.

 

I go along and watch Queens Park a couple of times a season.  I missed Liam Brown this season as he didn't play in the games I attended but when I have seen him he's always really stood out and that was when he was just a 17 year old.

Got the potential to be a really, really good footballer.  Not the finished article by any means but he's got the natural ability to make the grade at pro level and maybe even beyond.

 

Edited May 26, 2017 by Ya Bezzer!

[ropy]

He mentioned upgrading the PA system, for those in other parts of the ground, is it worth hearing?

[mjw]

He mentioned upgrading the PA system, for those in other parts of the ground, is it worth hearing?

Some of the playlists that are posted from our matches look quite decent. I sit in the East though and it just sounds like tinnitus.

[capt_oats]

I know Robinson's already wasted no time in saying that the some of the players at the club weren't/aren't good enough but I found it interesting that Flow comes very close to saying the same thing, though in a much more tactful way.

His various points about recruitment are, to me, tacit acknowledgments that we signed a lot of dross last season. In fact his mention of the miles Robinson is putting in scouting is notable especially in light of the speculation around McGhee's back & forth to Brighton. The fact we ended up just promoting our 3rd senior keeper to 1st choice last season seemingly on the basis that he was the only one left suggests a lack of...effort in the approach last season too.

That he's essentially said that we need to recruit better players is encouraging as well. If it's the case that we've underestimated the level of player required or simply that budget has dictated that aspect then an acknowledgement that we're re-appraising our approach is quite welcome.

[Desp]

Good interview from Alan Burrows. The predictive responses from the usual uneducated folk was sad. Sad on their part of of course. Well done to Alan for not hiding away from that kind of nonsense.

I think it's fair to say there's a large chunk of fans out there who simply are jealous of the role he finds himself in. They'll be type of people who blame everyone else for their life's woes even though they don't get off their arse to actually do anything for themself. Never mind the quite ridiculous hours Alan has put in over the last decade, which even caused him serious health issues.

Positive words regarding transfers, and he's certainly appears to be giving the new manager full backing for a major rebuilding job.

Exciting summer ahead, I think.

[MJC]

A good interview indeed and it's going to be an interesting and massive summer for us.

I always enjoy listening to Alan Burrows and I think it's good that he communicates with the support in the way he does. He gets a lot of criticism, some of it grossly unfair and personal IMO, but he gives his absolute all for Motherwell FC and you know that he loves the club. An absolute dyed in the wool Motherwell diehard supporter and no one can deny him that.

Edited May 27, 2017 by MJC

[capt_oats]

Aye, there seems to be a bizarre notion amongst some that Alan Burrows is the sole reason that a billionaire hasn't stepped in and bought the club. Completely ignoring that Boyle spent over a decade trying to sell up with no joy.

Seriously, if your initial reaction to the COO giving an honest appraisal of the past season and outlining plans for the club going forward in a FIFTEEN minute interview is "f**k that guy" then I'm utterly at a loss.

It doesn't help that the hard of thinking seem completely incapable of joining the dots in terms of us having good enough players to finish 2nd and haemorrhaging money at the same time.

There are plenty of legitimate criticisms of course but there just seem to be a number whose default setting is "utterly fucking seething" no matter the circumstance.

Edited May 27, 2017 by capt_oats

[Swello]

 

20 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

It doesn't help that the hard of thinking seem completely incapable of joining the dots in terms of us having good enough players to finish 2nd and haemorrhaging money at the same time.

It has always mystified me how any Motherwell supporter can have unrealistically high expectations or want the club to splash the cash, given the evidence of the past 15 years. When we overspend, it leaves us is a worse position despite any short term boost on the pitch - it really is that simple. We are still paying Boyle back as a consequence of his own  recklessness and we are now in hock to Les Hutchinson as a consequence of trying to recover from the overspending and short-termism in the "successful" years under Dempster. 

It will be interesting once the dust settles on the current financial year if we've managed to break even, despite a really disappointing year in the league. To me, that will be the acid test of the current stewardship of the club and the entire fan ownership thing. We have clearly spent our limited budget really badly this past year and there have been a lot of mistakes (and it was heartening to hear Alan Burrows talk openly about "lessons learned"), but if we have managed to live within our means despite everything, then I will a lot more enthusiastic about fan ownership than I've been so far and would be willing to commit more to it financially.

[dezz]

I would hope we've at least broken even this season.

If the board are to be believed that we are now budgeting for 10th with no cup runs or players sales, then the sale of Marvin Johnson (apparently around £650k), finishing 9th and televised cup games away from home against both the Old Firm should hopefully see a bit extra in the coffers.

[capt_oats]

I would hope we've at least broken even this season.

If the board are to be believed that we are now budgeting for 10th with no cup runs or players sales, then the sale of Marvin Johnson (apparently around £650k), finishing 9th and televised cup games away from home against both the Old Firm should hopefully see a bit extra in the coffers.

When he was on the MFC Podcast talking about Project Brave Burrows was saying that financially there were no gaps to plug until the end of next season at least (IIRC he said it was the first time we'd been in that position for something like 12 years) & we were sat with cash in the bank. Fir Park's also held the Challenge Cup final since then so I'd imagine there would have been some extra revenue from that.

As Swello says, this really is the acid test. If we're able to break even/turn profit off a mediocre league season on the budget we're on then it'd be a positive step.

The last season we actually posted a profit was 2010/11 I think;

2010/11 - £541,863
2011/12 - -£600,000
2012/13 - -£184,500
2013/14 - -£184,854
2014/15 - -£1,150,000
2015/16 - -£412,000

[YassinMoutaouakil]

If it turns out Moult has played his last game for Motherwell then I think I'm right in saying he'll have scored against literally everyone he's played against for us.

St Johnstone x2
East Fife x1
Kilmarnock x2
Ross County x3
Morton x1
Inverness x2
Hearts x1
Dundee x3
Celtic x4
Hamilton x7
Cove Rangers x 1
Partick Thistle x3
Dundee United x 1
Aberdeen x 1
Annan x 2
Rangers x 2

[ropy]

Lots of pressure in that opening league fixture away to Hibs before his deadline day departure.

[capt_oats]

2 years ago today. It will never get old.

 

Edited May 28, 2017 by capt_oats

[Richie]

Will never ever get old.
Was one of the lucky 950 to get a ticket after queueing for 2hrs on the bank hol Monday.
That 3rd goal...ended up sprawled all over the seats - thought I had put my hip out celebrating.

[mjw]

Will never ever get old.
Was one of the lucky 950 to get a ticket after queueing for 2hrs on the bank hol Monday.
That 3rd goal...ended up sprawled all over the seats - thought I had put my hip out celebrating.

I was back shift the day of the match.
Probably the most unproductive 4 hrs I've done without a hangover.
Sharing a train carriage with Chris Graham and his hangers on after the match was fun.

[Del_Superwell]

Daily Record has us in for a guy called Craig Tanner who is a winger that has spent the season on loan at Plymouth from Reading of all places.   I wonder if the fact he's a winger would suggest that Ainsworth is away.

[Gianfranco]

Daily Record has us in for a guy called Craig Tanner who is a winger that has spent the season on loan at Plymouth from Reading of all places.   I wonder if the fact he's a winger would suggest that Ainsworth is away.

The Reading part means fingers crossed it's bullshit

[YassinMoutaouakil]

I see Reading missed out on Promotion today. Shame, Zak Jules would have shone in the Premiership imo.

[capt_oats]

8 hours ago, Del_Superwell said:

Daily Record has us in for a guy called Craig Tanner who is a winger that has spent the season on loan at Plymouth from Reading of all places.   I wonder if the fact he's a winger would suggest that Ainsworth is away.

From the look of it he's actually spent the past 2 seasons on loan at Plymouth. Played 80 games for them in total, 50 last season and 30 in the season just finished. Going by the highlights that are up on YouTube he looks like he plays a lot more centrally than as an out and out winger, more of a #10. To be honest though a 5ft 7" winger from Reading doesn't exactly seem like he should be top of our list of priorities at the moment.

[mjw]

Anyone from Reading should probably be bottom of our list of priorities just now.
Because its Reading.