Motherwell return to third with a one goal win over Hearts

[Wellup4it]

Going by the BBC highlights you'd think Hearts were the better side and had far more chances to score. Selective editing I guess.

[Handsome_Devil]

Unless I'm mistaken we only had the goal(s)...they had way more half chances than us from memory.

[dazlhigh]

I have heard a (likely hugely wrong) wee whisper Griffiths could be an option but I wouldn't hold your breath.

The striker debate is very interesting. Instinctively I agree (how can you not!) that we could and should improve the number 9 position but there's a delicate balance. Even without a proper striker we've scored more league goals than anyone in league outside the Old Firm. I definitely wouldn't go to back to Main but he worked last season because we had a 'guarantee' in goals from Turnbull and to a lesser extent Hastie. If we plonked him into this side as a non-scoring striker would you be truly confident anyone else would definitely provide the goals? Not really...

When we had Higdon standing around scoring goals (a slight exaggeration but still) we had a different team to this one and we could afford to carry a penalty box player. I don't think this one can and you'd need to be a huge optimist to dismantle something that works for something that might not.

If we can find a true all rounder who leads the line, contributes outside the box and scores goals then of course we should go for it but as Robinson got it right in summer (despite my and others doubts) that it was best to go without if we couldn't find someone we were completely happy with, we should stick to that in January too.

Long is still miles from the finished article but he's come on leaps and bounds since summer. Between him, Scott, the much-malgined (by me) Cole, the wingers, Donnelly being more dangerous than thought and our set pieces, we will muddle through with a decent number of goals this season even without a top striker.

Do Barcelona not work on a system similar to ours...…………………….

[sieb1886]

That's a bit too 'tekky' for me ...