to St Mirren for their thoroughly deserved progress.
We have major problems.
to St Mirren for their thoroughly deserved progress.
We have major problems.
When I saw your post title I was ready to lose the plot. I was expecting a "well done Motherwell, came back from 1-4 down and took it to penalties", aren't we a great wee club?" type post.
As it actually is we bent over and were beaten by half time and only by sheer luck got ourselves back level at 4-4 but naturally couldn't find the winner and ended up with the second prize in the penalty shootout.
It's results like that that honestly make me feel like walking away from Motherwell FC altogether. You just think, what's the point? We are never going to win anything in the game ever again.
But as I said earlier, no doubt we'll win the league game against them a week tonight...but in theory, what's the point?
Heh heh.
Absolutely and had we either sneaked a fifth or won on penalties it would have been total robbery. If you're a couple behind due to bad luck or brilliance and play well to come back, you can take something from the game but anyone who clings to two deflections (though in fairness Watt's might have gone in anyway) and a flukey cross which squeezed through needs their head examined.
Unlike most and in contrast to my usual priority, I would have taken three points in the league in exchange for cup defeat this time so we'll see if the players deliver. I've got my doubts.
We're currently in one of those runs where you don't see us ever winning again, ridiculous as that sounds. Then again no one thought goals would flow against St Mirren either.
We blew it in the first half. The goals we lost were absolute shockers. You would be ashamed to lose goals like that playing Sunday league.
I couldn't be at last night's game (can't remember the last cup game I missed) and managed to hear commentary only on the penalties. Before the game I guessed we might go the the penalty lottery and I guess we were lucky to get that far. It's gone now and I fear for the next few games with our already fragile squad weakened with illness/injury.
Time to promote a couple of the youth squad?
Certainly whoever is playing CB in the youths/reserves should be in the senior squad because Mugabi currently isn't even up to being fourth choice. And assuming Carroll is out for a while we need another full back as cover.
If Gallagher is fit again for Saturday, I'd be tempted to put Tait on the right of a back three along with Donnelly. Grimshaw RWB, Polworth, O'Hara and Campbell in the middle, Aarons on the left if he's up to it, MacIver and Watt (again, fitness assuming) up front. Still full of gaps but 'positive' in our bid to get going again at least. Carson and six others on the bench.
You could also play Grimshaw, Gallagher, Donnelly, Tait as a four ofc but I hope the one positive (whisper it) from last night is that Robinson decides that while 4-3-3 may have merit in the future, we're currently in such a hole and lacking confidence we need a fresh start - much like when we went 4-3-3 a year ago.
I genuinely wouldn't be surprised if we now go on a wee run of scraping wins from the next three matches. It's something that is so, so typical of Motherwell FC or has been in recent years (2017/18 aside) where we bottle it in one of the Cups, usually the Scottish, then suddenly remember how to win.
But as I said, I don't care if we do or not, the damage is done and they will be on the bad books with me for last night for the foreseeable.
I don't quite get the criticism of the team for last night's very poor first half performance. Was it becasue St Mirren scored 4 goals? Our defence and midfield has been playing just as badly of late its just that last night our opponents took their chances. Our defensive performance was no worse than a good few of late and its just that we're consistently poor just now. Individual errors compounded by poor organisation and tactics. We need to get it sorted and quick.
The midfield has issues individually and structurally for a while but you can't possibly say the defence was similar (thumping by Celtic apart). We defended well enough in Perth given no help from the midfield, only conceded a deflection in Paisley, clean sheets v Aberdeen and Hibs while hardly conceding a chance never mind a goal. Even if we survived a couple of lucky moments on the way it's hardly comparable to shipping four goals plus another two or three 100% chances in 45 minutes.
Our defence has been poor for months and, Gallagher apart, is not fit for purpose. Gillespie has been good but his form has shaded and given he's moving on this summer its time to give crasosnn his chance once again. In game after game we make the same defensive errors - Paisley anyone?