Motherwell FC - A Thread For All Seasons

[Antiochas III]

Another of our kids leaving before even reaching our senior youth side?

 

[welldaft]

2 hours ago, Busta Nut said:

In our favour? That seems mad and I am pretty optimistic.

OK 30/70% is what I actually meant. 

Probably not too dissimilar to Panathanaikos or S Bucharest away. If I recall they were both 3-0 defeats. We arguably had a better team back then. I don’t think the gulf will be as big this time but they are seeded and not far away from Rangers coefficient/ ranking. So probably the equivalent of playing Rangers away at St Mirren or Kilmarnock stadium in 80+ degree heat. 

Edited September 24, 2020 by welldaft

[capt_oats]

10 minutes ago, Antiochas III said:

Another of our kids leaving before even reaching our senior youth side?

 

[ropy]

13 minutes ago, Antiochas III said:

Another of our kids leaving before even reaching our senior youth side?

 

Can’t say I have heard of him, is this a child trafficking scam?  A bunch of boys from Forgewood finding themselves in English academies.

[Busta Nut]

42 minutes ago, welldaft said:

OK 30/70% is what I actually meant. 

 

Come on! Too negative now!

[crazylegsjoe_mfc]

What a name Nick Mashiter is.

[Desp]

1 hour ago, crazylegsjoe_mfc said:

What a name Nick Mashiter is.

That canny be real  

[YassinMoutaouakil]

https://www.fourfourtwo.com/amp/news/liverpool-leeds-and-brighton-fighting-to-sign-motherwell-teenager-sam-campbell-1600945328000?__twitter_impression=true

Bit odd we've apparently accepted bids if we're also "keen to keep him"?

[Lobby Dossar]

12 minutes ago, YassinMoutaouakil said:

https://www.fourfourtwo.com/amp/news/liverpool-leeds-and-brighton-fighting-to-sign-motherwell-teenager-sam-campbell-1600945328000?__twitter_impression=true

Bit odd we've apparently accepted bids if we're also "keen to keep him"?

The problem is we cannot sign him as a professional until he is 17 

More and more English clubs taking advantage of this 

 

[MP_MFC]

I might be overreacting but I genuinely am now questioning exactly where Rickie Lamie places on the Jules/O Brien scale.

And the answer I am coming up with is not favourable to Livi's 6th best defender.

[Busta Nut]

He's a bombscare

[welldaft]

I guess we have just got to get used to what is becoming increasingly likely to be a rollercoaster of a season. More so than is normal for a Motherwell Team. 

I am genuinely in the dark as to how good or bad we are. 

On the face of it we have a decent squad. But we seem very capable of turning in inept performances littered with defensive mistakes and little attacking threat. Then you have Aberdeen away where to be fair most things went our way, but we were very good and easily bettered a side that look favourites to finish 3rd or 4th at the very least this season. 

Some of our additions in the summer look like they have not got what it takes to be regular starters but are because of injuries. Not naming names as most have been well covered. Even some players who were good last season have been poorer this season. 

Realistically I think we should be aiming for 5th and Europa Conference League. But not convinced we have what it takes. Rangers I expect to beat us as they look stronger than previous seasons and we generally don’t get the rub of the green or luck required to overcome them. I think back to their 0-0 game with Livi away this season. There is NO way we could withstand that pressure without imploding at some point. 

It will be after this weekend where we will get a better understanding of where we are at. When we play kiLmarnock and St Mirren to complete 1st round of fixtures. 

All fun and games......

Edit to add - If Campbell leaves then I worry for us. He is that pivotal to the team and could easily be the difference between top 6 and bottom 6 and relegation battle. 

Edited September 25, 2020 by welldaft

[Gianfranco]

I think we miss Hartley organising us at the back. So many mistakes.

[well fan for life]

2 hours ago, MP_MFC said:

I might be overreacting but I genuinely am now questioning exactly where Rickie Lamie places on the Jules/O Brien scale.

And the answer I am coming up with is not favourable to Livi's 6th best defender.

Zak Jules is the worst I have ever seen. His highlights real is spectacular. 

I think Lamie is better than O'Brien but that might just be the limited sample size. Time will tell. 

[dezz]

Surely with McGinley back fit and Grimmy actually doing okay on the left we’ll see Lamie dropped...please.

If we’re going for a back 3 it’s got to be Gallagher - Bevis - McGinley.

[capt_oats]

1 hour ago, dezz said:

Surely with McGinley back fit and Grimmy actually doing okay on the left we’ll see Lamie dropped...please.

If we’re going for a back 3 it’s got to be Gallagher - Bevis - McGinley.

Historically Robinson's never been shy about making decisions on players.

Samson was never seen again after the Dundee 2-3 game, Jules was kept as far from the side as possible after The Ross County Incident, he never really left Bigi off the hook for making the same mistakes, McCormack lasted 2 games before his "calf injury". There are probably a few others.

Although I thought we were as good as we've been in ages defensively against Aberdeen there's surely been enough about Lamie's performances to put a question mark over him. The penalty against Livi, the short pass back and the fresh air swipe against St Johnstone...Lamie's been an ever present this season but these aren't instances of naive defending like getting caught wrong side they're just flat out mistakes.

Taking all that into account I'd be surprised if the defensive shitshow we've been seeing is something Robinson's oblivious to. I mean, there's only so often you can account for mistakes as being down to naivety. 

It's a question of whether the issues can be ironed out by repetition and players getting better as a unit or whether it's a case of sucking it up and conceding that we've fucked it and the player isn't at the level we need.

Charlie Dunne's someone who started out an absolute bombscare but we polished up enough that he was a completely serviceable first pick centre back I've no idea if McGinley's the answer but you can at least point to the fact that he's not long back from injury and his previous appearances have been at left back or LWB.

Edited September 25, 2020 by capt_oats

[well fan for life]

I don't think we signed Lamie with the intention of playing him every minute of every game. If everyone was fully fit I reckon we'd have him on the bench as a stopgap player but as we're struggling with injuries he's suddenly an ever present. 

 

[Casagolda]

Lamie is a Championship defender at best, just like White is a Championship level striker.

Two signings I could understand in a Covid affected market, where we were desperately looking for cheap squad options. However we put the wheels in motion regarding pre-contracts for both before that was even a thing, so worryingly these were two guys Robinson must have genuinely thought would improve our squad.  

I’d still give McGinley the benefit of the doubt at this stage, although he was miles off it last night. Mainly for the reasons the Capt outlines above, he’s been injured and largely playing out of position. 

Plus, it was our two experienced Scottish Internationals who really sold the jerseys last night anyway. 

[capt_oats]

1 hour ago, Casagolda said:

Lamie is a Championship defender at best, just like White is a Championship level striker.

Two signings I could understand in a Covid affected market, where we were desperately looking for cheap squad options. However we put the wheels in motion regarding pre-contracts for both before that was even a thing, so worryingly these were two guys Robinson must have genuinely thought would improve our squad.  

Aye I mean, I *get* both signings regardless of the 'rona.

I'm largely on the same page as @well fan for life about Lamie, I don't think he was brought to the club with the intention of being a first pick but rather cover who'd be cheaper than Hartley and Tait. Unfortunately with McGinley's injury and the change to a back 3/5 it's meant he's starting every week and we're seeing his limitations on a regular basis.

Same with White, it's been clear that Robinson's wanted a 'lump' for ages and White's that guy. The principle of signing him as less of a 'gamble' than a Manzinga or Petravicius or Newell is reasonable too IMO. It's just a question of whether it actually works in practice.

It's been mentioned before but there are heavy Alex Fisher vibes there - if his header against United and the goal against Hibs both stand then his signing probably looks a bit different.

He's largely been used as much as you'd expect but it feels like it's amplified because Long, Watt and Lang aren't exactly prolific while Hastie, Hylton and Seedorf are effectively redundant now we've switched away from the 433.

I noticed in Robinson's post-match he was confirming that with no Reserve League all the #YoungMotherwell are being loaned out for game time. He name checked Devine, Cornelius and Johnson (who he seems to like a lot). Presumably Hussain will be loaned out too.

If that's the case it leaves us with:
8 defenders for 5 positions (though that 8 includes Dunne and Carroll who are both still injured)
6 midfielders for 3 positions (including Donnelly)
7 forwards for 2 positions

[Busta Nut]

4 hours ago, dezz said:

Surely with McGinley back fit and Grimmy actually doing okay on the left we’ll see Lamie dropped...please.

If we’re going for a back 3 it’s got to be Gallagher - Bevis - McGinley.

Ye say that but when SOD leaves before the window shuts and grimmy goes to RB/RWB what then?