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Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons


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1 hour ago, Busta Nut said:

I'd still like to stand behind the "not giving a f**k if two guys go out to take the corners" still. I think the deliveries from them have been pretty decent.

I saw one of the teams doing it at the Euro’s.  Following the ‘Well.

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Seems the big stud has signed. Seems to have pedigree which would suggest a starter. One goal in every 7 appearances probably due to him being 6'3".

Word from Scandinavia, his scoring rate from corners needs deliveries from a single man rather than a duo .......

However at both his previous clubs he managed what seems like a season's worth of appearances or less over two year contracts. No context as to why. Being 32 you'd hope he has the nous to guide a younger player beside him whither it be Mugabi or O'Connor.

So therefore expecting an 18 month injury vs Hibs. #standard

In the meantime I'm off down to the Garrion Bridge with Rohypnol and some pickled fish to lure him out.

Edited by Kapowzer
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On the face of it Ojala ticks all the boxes as a Gallagher replacement:

International? ✅
Experienced? ✅
Right sided? ✅

As far as I can see he hasn't done time for leathering a boy's skull with a baseball bat but I'd say that one's probably optional rather than a requirement and tbh, top flight experience in Denmark, Switzerland and Russia along with playing in the Europa Group stages (and CL qualifiers) is probably a fair trade off for him not having had a Gallagher-style "career break".

This one's for @crazylegsjoe_mfc...it seems your boys Coventry were interested in him a while back: https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/football-news/who-coventry-city-target-juhani-11736885

I know some folk don't get too hung up on this but it's something I definitely think is a thing, should big Juhani sign going by his Transfermarkt he's a right footer which would still leave Lamie (and nominally McGinley) as the only left footed option(s) at CB.

Mugabi, O'Connor and Devine (I think) are all right footed as well. 

Either way, assuming he does sign up I'd say that there's still room for a left sided CB that's not Lamie and preferably good in the squad.

Maybe it's wishful thinking on my part but Alexander was talking about needing at least 4 or 5 to add to the "senior" group.

Since then we've signed our boy Mich'el on a 6 month deal and has been heavily managed in terms of expectations of where he fits in the squad. Hopefully that means we've still a good few bodies to add specifically in midfield but with some spare change numbers-wise for the defence as well.

Edited by capt_oats
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24 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

On the face of it Ojala ticks all the boxes as a Gallagher replacement:

International? ✅
Experienced? ✅
Right sided? ✅

As far as I can see he hasn't done time for leathering a boy's skull with a baseball bat but I'd say that one's probably optional rather than a requirement and tbh, top flight experience in Denmark, Switzerland and Russia along with playing in the Europa Group stages (and CL qualifiers) is probably a fair trade off for him not having had a Gallagher-style "career break".

This one's for @crazylegsjoe_mfc...it seems your boys Coventry were interested in him a while back: https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/sport/football/football-news/who-coventry-city-target-juhani-11736885

I know some folk don't get too hung up on this but it's something I definitely think is a thing, should big Juhani sign going by his Transfermarkt he's a right footer which would still leave Lamie (and nominally McGinley) as the only left footed option(s) at CB.

Mugabi, O'Connor and Devine (I think) are all right footed as well. 

Either way, assuming he does sign up I'd say that there's still room for a left sided CB that's not Lamie in the squad.

Maybe it's wishful thinking on my part but Alexander was talking about needing at least 4 or 5 to add to the "senior" group.

Since then we've signed our boy Mich'el on a 6 month deal and has been heavily managed in terms of expectations of where he fits in the squad. Hopefully that means we've still a good few bodies to add specifically in midfield but with some spare change numbers-wise for the defence as well.

I do remember that summer for Cov. Mowbray tried to sign every man and his dug and failed. 

If Ojala can stay fit, he has the makings of a cracking signing. It does slightly concern me that he’s 32 and he’s played so few games across his career, but I guess a player of international pedigree has to have a downside if he ends up with us. Hopefully he is a leader too. Mind you, I’m still scarred by thinking Eddie Nolan was a great signing, so I’ll wait and see him in action.

With McGinley, I get the impression Alexander now sees him exclusively as a left-back, even if he did arrive at us as a left centre-back. He had all that patter about wanting to rotate his centre backs but he didn’t have anyone fit to replace them, before proceeding to bring McGinley in at left back. No doubt after me writing this he’ll end up playing centre half today 😆

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So it seems that we have our experienced centre back and a midfielder joining in next couple of days. 

That would mean we have 4 CB with O Hara and McGinley who could fill in as emergency cover.  For me I would like another starting CB so that Lamie and Mugabi are next in line, but I suspect that may be that and it will be Lamie and OJala. Like others have said we need him to stay fit as he seems to have the required pedigree to make a big difference in central defence. Probably take him several weeks however to get up to speed 🤷‍♂️.

If we could get Jordan Roberts and / or James Scott that would be a good piece of business and leave us another one or two before we have our complete squad for the season. Even then I would still have worries over quality of squad v our peers. Hopefully enough to steer clear of a relegation battle but top 6 would be a fanciful notion….

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55 minutes ago, crazylegsjoe_mfc said:

I do remember that summer for Cov. Mowbray tried to sign every man and his dug and failed. 

If Ojala can stay fit, he has the makings of a cracking signing. It does slightly concern me that he’s 32 and he’s played so few games across his career, but I guess a player of international pedigree has to have a downside if he ends up with us. Hopefully he is a leader too. Mind you, I’m still scarred by thinking Eddie Nolan was a great signing, so I’ll wait and see him in action.

With McGinley, I get the impression Alexander now sees him exclusively as a left-back, even if he did arrive at us as a left centre-back. He had all that patter about wanting to rotate his centre backs but he didn’t have anyone fit to replace them, before proceeding to bring McGinley in at left back. No doubt after me writing this he’ll end up playing centre half today 😆

Tbh, I think that Coventry Telegraph article explains the gap in his appearances relative to his age:

Quote

After two seasons in Switzerland, Ojala moved to Russian Premier League side Terek Grozny for an undisclosed fee.

However, his time in Russia was disrupted by knee problems and a ruptured crucial ligament which ensured the Finnish international made only 24 appearances across three seasons.

In order to regain his fitness following a long-term injury layoff, Ojala returned to Helsinki for a second spell with HJK, this time on a short loan deal, where he made four appearances for the club, before he was released by parent club Terek Grozny.

He has spent time over the summer on trial with Kaiserslautern but is now in with the Sky Blues.

Link

He moved to Terek from Young Boys in 2015 so...that injury was a while ago and by all accounts he made 25 appearances for Vejle last season.

As you say he's 32 and while I'm not a keen follower of Danish football (or at all) I'd guess he's more a squad option for Vejle. Otherwise I doubt they'd be fine with one of their players jumping over to Lanarkshire for a trial. https://www.bold.dk/fodbold/nyheder/medie-vejles-ojala-proevetraener-i-skotland/

To that point though, I saw someone on Motherwell Twitter getting bent out of shape about how "we have done well over the years making big money on players and making large profits on them, its time we started re-investing that money in the squad properly to improve us than bargain basement freebies who are let go by clubs for a reason!"

Aside from a massive eye-roll and quick 'mute' from me it's worth pointing out that Kelly was still contracted to QPR and in this case big Juhani is still contracted to Vejle.

Like, part of the reason we're it's taking longer to get players in this Summer is because players who aren't "bargain basement freebies" are more difficult deals to complete and on the face of it that's what we're trying to do rather than go with Robinson's strategy of filling the squad early with "bargain basement freebies" who were good enough to take care of lower league opposition in July but who he ended up having to chap up the board in January to replace.

Edited by capt_oats
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11 minutes ago, Busta Nut said:

I like the look of that. Good prospect who's career has stuttered.

Where in midfield does he play, anyone?

Well...that's a question.

Going by FM21's page (I know, but there's not a lot to go on given he's not played a lot of first team football)...it appears he's best as an attacking midfielder.

1047604928_ScreenShot2021-07-24at09_54_40.thumb.png.193218861cfe93b27831701590ef42a9.png

However, going by this report from Football League World (again, I know...really there's not a lot to go on) this is how he was described while he was on loan at Gillingham last season:

Quote

"He’s started five games for the Gills so far and has only been subbed off late on in two of them, with him helping them to good wins over Accrington and Crewe, as well as draws against Sunderland and Rochdale.

Indeed, watching him play you can see he adds an extra bit of steel to the Gills’ midfield, as well as real quality on the ball in moving it up the pitch.

He provides a solid base on which Gillingham’s attackers can then look to spring from with him capable of operating in a deep midfield two or at the base of a diamond, protecting his defenders with good physicality and aggression but also then being able to pick a pass and get the Gills playing."

Link

So who do you believe? FM21 or Football League World (or Steve Evans being able to play him in his best position).

Edited by capt_oats
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8 minutes ago, capt_oats said:

Well...that's a question.

Going by FM21's page (I know, but there's not a lot to go on given he's not played a lot of first team football)...it appears he's best as an attacking midfielder.

 

So who do you believe? FM21 or Football League World (or Steve Evans being able to play him in his best position).

If this guys is a fucking defensive midfielder I might just go to the pub. f**k me man.

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1 minute ago, Busta Nut said:

If this guys is a fucking defensive midfielder I might just go to the pub. f**k me man.

If it helps he's wearing a #10 playing for England.

#numberpolis

Edited by capt_oats
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