Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[well fan for life]

Just now, Ron Aldo said:

The League Cup semi final against Rangers along with the Scottish Cup games against Hearts and Aberdeen are comfortably within the top 10 best games I've been to.

If Robinson adopts thunderdome at St Mirren it could be interesting (or brutal) to see how it compares against Alexander's murderball.

Binning Aberdeen out of both cups (big up Joe Lewis) was tremendous value. Was good to see Glass bringing them back to being absolutely shit scared of us this season. 

However I will never, ever, ever tire of watching that League Cup semi against Rangers. The peak of Thunderdome right there. 

[well fan for life]

Just reading on the AGM there http://www.motherwell-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/motherwell_in_good_hands__agm_116_961968/index.shtml

Quote

While a sub-committee investigates the possibility of a long term move to the Ravenscraig site there remains the need for substantial work on the Fir Park pitch.  For years there have been patchwork repairs to the suface and the grounds staff have worked wonders.  However a major and expensive renovation is needed this summer and plans are in preparation to use the renewed hybrid pitch as a revenue earner.  Details are likely to be revealed in the coming weeks.

If this is hinting at Alexander's brand of football on a plastic park I'll need to contact my GP for some serious medication to get me through Saturday afternoons. 

[Desp]

I still can't believe how comfortable we were in the last 20 minutes of that Rangers game.  Every Motherwell fan there knew Rangers simply weren't getting back into that game.  It was bizarre, but brilliant.  

I have to say though, the Aberdeen cup tie in the round before was one of my favourites.  An absolute classic cup tie under the Fir Park lights and the atmosphere was top notch.  So much so I had the Kipres song stuck in my heid for days.  Joe Lewis having one of his Joe Lewis nights was wonderful, as well.

[YassinMoutaouakil]

Robinson going to St Mirren really has provided an interesting dynamic to the rest of this season. If they end up pipping us to Top Six then a lot of folk will be using it as a cudgel against Alexander.

Fwiw I'm still broadly a big GA fan, I don't particularly care about what style of play we employ as long as it gets results, all I ask is that he starts playing Slattery again and sorts out the away form sooner rather than later.

[Swello]

7 minutes ago, well fan for life said:

Just reading on the AGM there http://www.motherwell-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/motherwell_in_good_hands__agm_116_961968/index.shtml

If this is hinting at Alexander's brand of football on a plastic park I'll need to contact my GP for some serious medication to get me through Saturday afternoons. 

Chairman Flao explicitly ruled out a plastic park. There was some talk about some new pitch type that was "sewn together" - I can't remember the details....

[Pettigrew]

1 minute ago, Swello said:

Chairman Flao explicitly ruled out a plastic park. There was some talk about some new pitch type that was "sewn together" - I can't remember the details....

Chat was about a hybrid surface that meant the real grass would be more durable and therefore capable of having more games on it. 

[MP_MFC]

Just reading on the AGM there http://www.motherwell-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/motherwell_in_good_hands__agm_116_961968/index.shtml

While a sub-committee investigates the possibility of a long term move to the Ravenscraig site there remains the need for substantial work on the Fir Park pitch.  For years there have been patchwork repairs to the suface and the grounds staff have worked wonders.  However a major and expensive renovation is needed this summer and plans are in preparation to use the renewed hybrid pitch as a revenue earner.  Details are likely to be revealed in the coming weeks. If this is hinting at Alexander's brand of football on a plastic park I'll need to contact my GP for some serious medication to get me through Saturday afternoons. [\quote] [\quote]

It’ll be the same kind of surface that hearts, murrayfield and I think now even Celtic have by the sounds of it.

Much more interested in the ravenscraig move. With the proposed freight terminal seemingly kicked into touch there is going to be a large area up near craigneuk running all the way near the water at Dalziel Park freed up. We really do need to move for the future.

[Swello]

9 minutes ago, Desp said:

I have to say though, the Aberdeen cup tie in the round before was one of my favourites.  An absolute classic cup tie under the Fir Park lights and the atmosphere was top notch.  So much so I had the Kipres song stuck in my heid for days.  Joe Lewis having one of his Joe Lewis nights was wonderful, as well.

The feeling when a knackered Moult rattled the third in was one of the highlights of that season for me.

[welldaft]

8 minutes ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

Robinson going to St Mirren really has provided an interesting dynamic to the rest of this season. If they end up pipping us to Top Six then a lot of folk will be using it as a cudgel against Alexander.

Fwiw I'm still broadly a big GA fan, I don't particularly care about what style of play we employ as long as it gets results, all I ask is that he starts playing Slattery again and sorts out the away form sooner rather than later.

This is pretty much it for me. We have been left bewildered by the team selection on many occasions this season. He is the Manager and knows how they train and their attitude between games.

But almost to a man / woman the fans have been asking how McGinley never got dropped despite some below par performances. The same goes for Donnelly and Goss. Neither have great games yet Slattery sits on the bench week after week. It simply does not add up. 

Is this a case of a player being better the more he does not play. Not to me. His performances early in the season were more than decent. A battling midfielder that can play and score goals. For me it had to be OHara, Slattery and 1 other. 

The reality is the next two months will shape his future. Most sensible fans acknowledge that losing to Hearts, Rangers, Celtic and even DDee Utd is hardly surprising. But if we fail to pick up 7-10 points from the last 5 pre split games and finish bottom 6 with a downward spiral then the hostility will get louder and louder. 

I am still a fan of GA and he has shown before that for every bad run we go on a decent run. Hoping for more of the same after this weekend. 

[Busta Nut]

I am dreading the day we move to the Ravenscraig. It's a soul-less shitehole.
There is more about the parts that nature has taken over than there is about parts with the homes etc built on them. It's windy and if/when a lego Stadium is thrown up there will be nothing round about it.

[Desp]

As long as they sort the transport links to it (I wonder if they can get a train station sorted in the area?) then it should be alright.  You've got to remember we're probably still in the very early days of Ravenscraig.  Plans of schools, shopping centres etc will enhance the place over the next 10-20 years.

If they were building it in the space next to where the College sits just now, it's what, a 15-minute walk from where Fir Park is just now?  Given where they are planning to building that access from the roundabout at the polis station, stick a path/walkaway alongside it and you're 10/15 minute walk from the New Century nae bother.  

I love Fir Park, but I'd rather we built the new one sooner rather than later.  As long as Alan Burrows is still in charge, I'm certain we won't have a soulless lego stadium like St. Mirren.

[Pettigrew]

14 minutes ago, welldaft said:

This is pretty much it for me. We have been left bewildered by the team selection on many occasions this season. He is the Manager and knows how they train and their attitude between games.

But almost to a man / woman the fans have been asking how McGinley never got dropped despite some below par performances. The same goes for Donnelly and Goss. Neither have great games yet Slattery sits on the bench week after week. It simply does not add up. 

Is this a case of a player being better the more he does not play. Not to me. His performances early in the season were more than decent. A battling midfielder that can play and score goals. For me it had to be OHara, Slattery and 1 other. 

He was asked about this last night and paraphrasing slightly but Alexander was quick to highlight that this is Slattery’s first full season in senior football and in his view he needed to adjust to the demands both physically and in terms of defensive discipline. 

[capt_oats]

35 minutes ago, welldaft said:

This is pretty much it for me. We have been left bewildered by the team selection on many occasions this season. He is the Manager and knows how they train and their attitude between games.

But almost to a man / woman the fans have been asking how McGinley never got dropped despite some below par performances. The same goes for Donnelly and Goss. Neither have great games yet Slattery sits on the bench week after week. It simply does not add up. 

Is this a case of a player being better the more he does not play. Not to me. His performances early in the season were more than decent. A battling midfielder that can play and score goals. For me it had to be OHara, Slattery and 1 other. 

Tbh, I think this is kind of a knock on from the way we've leaned into being secret squirrel about everything team-related under Alexander. I'm sure it has its practical benefits but also leads to a shit ton of questions from fans about why such and such isn't playing.

We know there was a Covid outbreak over Christmas/winter break but we only found out about that after the fact and Ross Tierney popping up in a video interview saying he had the 'vid.

We (as fans) don't necessarily need to know that and it's been notable that unlike other clubs who've put out statements we've just seemed to keep things on the QT but let's say Slattery was one, it'd explain him not starting after the winter break if he'd missed training.

Similarly the last games he's started: Hearts - we lost 2-0, St Mirren - we drew 1-1, Celtic - we lost 4-0, United - we lost 2-0.

The games we've won ie: Morton and Aberdeen - he didn't start.

That's not putting losing those games exclusively on him, tbh I think Slattery is probably our best midfielder and a couple of his recent starts were in that whacky 5221 shape we tried then aborted but it also feels like he's kind of been a victim of Alexander trying to shift things about and find some sort of new balance in compensating for Watt having fucked off - see also Liam Shaw.

Edit: @Pettigrew's point above makes sense and doesn't seem particularly controversial to me.

Edited February 22, 2022 by capt_oats

[YassinMoutaouakil]

David Martindale must be fucking raging btw. Finally looking like he might be able to build a team and then Stephen Robinson comes back up the road to no doubt sign half his squad again.

[Handsome_Devil]

1 hour ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

Robinson going to St Mirren really has provided an interesting dynamic to the rest of this season. If they end up pipping us to Top Six then a lot of folk will be using it as a cudgel against Alexander.

Fwiw I'm still broadly a big GA fan, I don't particularly care about what style of play we employ as long as it gets results, all I ask is that he starts playing Slattery again and sorts out the away form sooner rather than later.

Nothing to do with Robinson but if St Mirrren pip us to sixth it's not unfair questions are asked just what on earth happened. 

When we beat Livi on Boxing Day we were fourth and six points clear of United in seventh. If they'd caught us fair enough but at that point we were in a position where anything other than a massive collapse would see us no worse than there. St Mirren at this time were 12 points behind us with 13 games to play to the split. 

Whether or not we finish sixth or seventh - dull financial reasons apart - doesn't bother me too much, arguably being best of the rest is a much more fun ending to the season than being tonked in the upper half anyway.

But in a season where you've got to a superb position among the dross at Christmas with the target of fifth for probably Europe, it's a hell of a opportunity missed...even bumbling along on a point a game average since NY would not only have us safe in the top six but looking exceptionally good for getting the passports out. 

Perhaps it's just because we normally actually take these chances (in the league at least, don't mention the cups) when they come up that I'm so annoyed with us throwing it away this time whereas a regular dull midtable season doesn't wind me up at all.

[Gianfranco]

I remember some of the football under Robinson being dreadful. I wouldn’t have complained if we binned him in the December before we got Gboly/Turnbull/Hastie better football. The highs were tremendous under Robinson so I’m going to lookout for the highlights of that Aberdeen game mentioned further up the thread.

I don’t know much about hybrid pitches but I can tell you Murrayfield and Parkhead both currently have hybrid pitches.

[YassinMoutaouakil]

13 minutes ago, Handsome_Devil said:

Nothing to do with Robinson but if St Mirrren pip us to sixth it's not unfair questions are asked just what on earth happened. 

When we beat Livi on Boxing Day we were fourth and six points clear of United in seventh. If they'd caught us fair enough but at that point we were in a position where anything other than a massive collapse would see us no worse than there. St Mirren at this time were 12 points behind us with 13 games to play to the split. 

Whether or not we finish sixth or seventh - dull financial reasons apart - doesn't bother me too much, arguably being best of the rest is a much more fun ending to the season than being tonked in the upper half anyway.

But in a season where you've got to a superb position among the dross at Christmas with the target of fifth for probably Europe, it's a hell of a opportunity missed...even bumbling along on a point a game average since NY would not only have us safe in the top six but looking exceptionally good for getting the passports out. 

Perhaps it's just because we normally actually take these chances (in the league at least, don't mention the cups) when they come up that I'm so annoyed with us throwing it away this time whereas a regular dull midtable season doesn't wind me up at all.

Oh yeah I totally agree with most of this, I just think the narrative of St Mirren appointing Alexander's predecessor when they're one point behind us at this point of the season is an interesting wee sidestory.

I still think we'll just about manage to keep our noses in front at the split. If we do we'd potentially have Hearts, Rangers and United as our home games which I think would suit us fairly well for a European tilt.

[Handsome_Devil]

10 minutes ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

Oh yeah I totally agree with most of this, I just think the narrative of St Mirren appointing Alexander's predecessor when they're one point behind us at this point of the season is an interesting wee sidestory.

Aye fair enough. Though tbh because I really like Robinson I would actually now begrudge St Mirren pipping us a lot less than previously. A certain team in dark blue contributing to our ongoing collapse mind would irritate me considerably more!

[Allroy for Prez]

27 minutes ago, Handsome_Devil said:

Nothing to do with Robinson but if St Mirrren pip us to sixth it's not unfair questions are asked just what on earth happened. 

When we beat Livi on Boxing Day we were fourth and six points clear of United in seventh. If they'd caught us fair enough but at that point we were in a position where anything other than a massive collapse would see us no worse than there. St Mirren at this time were 12 points behind us with 13 games to play to the split. 

Whether or not we finish sixth or seventh - dull financial reasons apart - doesn't bother me too much, arguably being best of the rest is a much more fun ending to the season than being tonked in the upper half anyway.

But in a season where you've got to a superb position among the dross at Christmas with the target of fifth for probably Europe, it's a hell of a opportunity missed...even bumbling along on a point a game average since NY would not only have us safe in the top six but looking exceptionally good for getting the passports out. 

Perhaps it's just because we normally actually take these chances (in the league at least, don't mention the cups) when they come up that I'm so annoyed with us throwing it away this time whereas a regular dull midtable season doesn't wind me up at all.

Agree with all of this. 

As you say, even a meagre hall of points from the start of the break would see us comfortably in the top 6. As it is I’m surprised there hasn’t been louder grumblings about us in all likely hood about to take 3 points from a possible 24! There’s no way to dress that up as anything other than utterly appalling. 

It now puts us under massive pressure to take maximum points from the next few allegedly easier teams to try and offset the shit show that went before.  

[Swello]

1 hour ago, Busta Nut said:

I am dreading the day we move to the Ravenscraig. It's a soul-less shitehole.
There is more about the parts that nature has taken over than there is about parts with the homes etc built on them. It's windy and if/when a lego Stadium is thrown up there will be nothing round about it.

 

1 hour ago, Desp said:

As long as they sort the transport links to it (I wonder if they can get a train station sorted in the area?) then it should be alright.  You've got to remember we're probably still in the very early days of Ravenscraig.  Plans of schools, shopping centres etc will enhance the place over the next 10-20 years.

If they were building it in the space next to where the College sits just now, it's what, a 15-minute walk from where Fir Park is just now?  Given where they are planning to building that access from the roundabout at the polis station, stick a path/walkaway alongside it and you're 10/15 minute walk from the New Century nae bother.  

I love Fir Park, but I'd rather we built the new one sooner rather than later.  As long as Alan Burrows is still in charge, I'm certain we won't have a soulless lego stadium like St. Mirren.

I really didn't get the impression that there was much imminent with this other than letting supporters know more generally that it's being looked at - this will be years/decades away if it happens.

I'm a total fir park fanboy and would hate to leave it but I would guess the problem becomes when we are one of the very few established top flight teams to be left with a relic of a ground. The money that we spend to keep the main stand compliant and to keep the pitch playable is money that our competitors can theoretically be spending on their football dept. 

From a supporters point of view - it will always come down to what can realistically be funded (probably a bog-standard Barr) Vs what we'd like to see (one of those nice wee fully enclosed jobs from Scandinavia)