Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[capt_oats]

23 minutes ago, CoF said:

The indifference towards a potential european place decider is something else isn't it? Is it:-

-Because you are bored of European football. 

-Because we are absolutely shite the now

-Because even if we quality we'll still be absolutely shite 

- Hapoel and Stjarnan 

- any other reason? 

Being shite and expecting to still be shite for me. I wondered briefly if our 'frequent' (relatively speaking) qualifications has taken some of the fun out of it, alongside some fairly uninspiring recent European performances but nope - absolutely not. Some of my best memories as a well fan were the wee runs through 2008 - 2014. I'd be 100% into any qualification but my god, I can't shift this feeling that even if we are in Europe next season it'll be an absolute non event. 

This isn't how it should feel is it? 

Little bit of column A, little bit of column B....and so on.

Tbf, I don't think the Hapoel and Stjarnan results are comparable at all.

MyPa 47 and Stjarnan? Absolutely.

Edited April 28, 2022 by capt_oats

[welldaft]

26 minutes ago, CoF said:

The indifference towards a potential european place decider is something else isn't it? Is it:-

-Because you are bored of European football. 

-Because we are absolutely shite the now

-Because even if we quality we'll still be absolutely shite 

- Hapoel and Stjarnan 

- any other reason? 

I read recently the various issues around Passport delays and knew my passport was due to expire mid July 2022. So I have hastily applied for renewal. I was tempted not too as it is a sure fire way of jinxing any chance we have of qualification. Then I realised our shite defence and bizarre tactics will likely do that anyways.

I will be honest and say I hate UEFA with a passion. Their not so hidden approach of ensuring all the bigger clubs are seeded / protected and have umpteen safety nets is quite frankly pathetic. So even if we do qualify we will never get to the Group stages as we will end up playing Arsenal or Marseille in a play off round. 

That and the fact we tend to get shite draws. I remember the time we drew the Russian team Krasnodar. There were something like 30 potential opponents including Brugge, Estoril, PSV etc and I said I would go to all games bar 3. One being the Russian team and hey presto .

All that said I would be rather happy to be able to watch Motherwell play in Europe again. Too many fun trips to look back on and frustration that we were unable to watch the two games in Northern Ireland.

[ZX1886]

Hapoel were a decent side, not only that, we played them in a one off game away from home.

We couldn’t beat Stjarnan over 210 minutes, made even worse by the fact we surrendered a 2 goal lead at home.

[Handsome_Devil]

1 hour ago, CoF said:

The indifference towards a potential european place decider is something else isn't it? Is it:-

-Because you are bored of European football. 

-Because we are absolutely shite the now

-Because even if we quality we'll still be absolutely shite 

- Hapoel and Stjarnan 

- any other reason? 

 

Being shite and expecting to still be shite for me. I wondered briefly if our 'frequent' (relatively speaking) qualifications has taken some of the fun out of it, alongside some fairly uninspiring recent European performances but nope - absolutely not. Some of my best memories as a well fan were the wee runs through 2008 - 2014. I'd be 100% into any qualification but my god, I can't shift this feeling that even if we are in Europe next season it'll be an absolute non event. 

This isn't how it should feel is it? 

All of column B for me. I find European football great, I really don't understand people being meh abou it. it's just the fact it's something different to yet another league game with Hibs, cup tie with Morton etc. Plus it makes a bucket of cash and should you make the away leg you get a belting trip.

So even if we're shite now, even if we're still shite in July, I'd be happy to make it.

But when we're so, so bad, usually so negative, often with an inexplicable team selection and plan...it's very hard to get excited about anything.

It's nearly May and we've won twice away in the league all season. One win in 14 in the league (I think - I'm struggling to keep up), one clean sheet in 18 (again I think) in all comps...it's an embarrassing reflection on the league we're anything other than relegation fodder never mind 'chasing Europe'.

And I also know that I/we will be going mental with frustration/rage on Saturday (and a week on Saturday) at blowing an absolutely glorious chance...who really looks forward to that?

[ropy]

I have no understanding of what version of Motherwell will start next season.  I would not be writing off an August European trip on the basis of the April 2022 version.

Edited April 28, 2022 by ropy

[Busta Nut]

I'm just not getting ahead of myself cos we are fucking rotten right now.

[Kapowzer]

Yeah, team with best record outwith the OF, granted 6 of their 19 were against us for a 3-1 victory with 10 men and a penalty that was never a penalty at FP.

Dundee Utd, scoring first in game after game but not consolidating. I'd certainly like to have a lead and try to add and/or protect it than constantly chasing games to gain something.

4 points get Euro football, that's the long and short of it. 

[YassinMoutaouakil]

I mean if we get back to that thing of giving the opposition 72% of possession and winning 2-0 every week we could end up in the Group Stages no bother. Scottish sides seem to have found out Alexander's "give the ball away" strategy but the continent will have no idea what's hit them.

[CoF]

1 hour ago, ZX1886 said:

Hapoel were a decent side, not only that, we played them in a one off game away from home.

We couldn’t beat Stjarnan over 210 minutes, made even worse by the fact we surrendered a 2 goal lead at home.

2 hours ago, capt_oats said:

Tbf, I don't think the Hapoel and Stjarnan results are comparable at all.

MyPa 47 and Stjarnan? Absolutely.

Aye fair points on Hapoel. Definitely a much better side -  my overwhelming memory was that we chucked the game away with some daftness at the back, and watching a game played in an empty stadium while sitting alone in my flat didn't exactly etch the event in my mind but it probably wasn't the complete damp squib (whatever that is) that I'm making out. 

[boozyBJ]

18 minutes ago, CoF said:

Aye fair points on Hapoel. Definitely a much better side -  my overwhelming memory was that we chucked the game away with some daftness at the back, and watching a game played in an empty stadium while sitting alone in my flat didn't exactly etch the event in my mind but it probably wasn't the complete damp squib (whatever that is) that I'm making out. 

Daftness at the back was Declan Gallagher 

[well fan for life]

 

[welshbairn]

bump

[AdamMFC]

I would much rather have some European games against a team from somewhere like Luxembourg or Gibraltar to look forward to than face Morton and Accies in the League Cup yet again. I personally think we'll get 4 points from the remaining games: A draw against County then beat Hearts who I'm hoping will have an eye firmly fixed on the Scottish Cup final and therefore will be resting players/start a mostly reserves team so fingers crossed that somehow it's enough to get us at least 5th and we can get the passports looked out

['WellDel]

The fact we're absolute pish and horrible to watch just now is 100% the reason for the apathy towards a European place.

The chance of a trip to a foreign ground, possibly a country or city you may not ordinarily visit is a big draw and an opportunity for a nice wee jolly with your mates. We've had a few and another experience to add to the list would be great.

The flip side at the moment is going a 2,000 mile round trip just to watch Kaiyne Woolery click his heels on the bench, while Joe fucking Efford blunders around doing his thing, chasing aimless diagonals from the back all day to the usual, predictable outcome. Not quite the memory you want on your long, hungover flight home.

[Swello]

I've had some great trips over the years - I would like more of them please - but it never really feels like we are in Europe to compete in any meaningful way.  We had one season under Craig Brown where we didn't feel like the equivalent of the League 2 team in the league cup groups - we've been easy beats against teams that should beat us easily.

The European dream died when the Panathanikos directors were actually cheering and hugging when they drew us

[Handsome_Devil]

11 minutes ago, Swello said:

I've had some great trips over the years - I would like more of them please - but it never really feels like we are in Europe to compete in any meaningful way.  We had one season under Craig Brown where we didn't feel like the equivalent of the League 2 team in the league cup groups - we've been easy beats against teams that should beat us easily.

The European dream died when the Panathanikos directors were actually cheering and hugging when they drew us

Starting early and getting a 'run' makes a big difference. I was actually disappointed we'd start at Q2 not Q1 if we squeak in this time.

The consecutive summers of Llanelli-Flamaturi-Steaua and Breidablik-Aalesund-Odenese were great fun and much better than starting unseeded at a higher level and getting an instant papping.

[eliphas]

I'm still entirely convinced Dundee Utd and Ross County are as equally as shit as us and we will finish in a Euro spot. 

We're pretty poor to watch I'd agree but I'd rather we were are poor to watch and playing in Europe than poor to watch and playing in the league cup. 

No apathy from me.

Everyone just seems in a big huff at the moment. I've relaxed into - much more enjoyable.

[thisGRAEME]

There is something quite fitting about this Motherwell side making Europe because Dundee United's players are shagging each other's wives and falling out.

[Swello]

11 minutes ago, thisGRAEME said:

There is something quite fitting about this Motherwell side making Europe because Dundee United's players are shagging each other's wives and falling out.

If only it could have been Tony Watt doing the shagging, it could have made this season a classic.

[Allroy for Prez]

Lamie for POTY?

I don’t have a strong opinion on it. Maybe there should be a roll over?