Next up - Celtic

[jwok]

Are we worth a flutter at 5/1? - view external link (www.motherwell-mad.co.uk/news/tmnw/next_up__celtic_830678/index.shtml)

[wellowell]

I thought would be more considering our performances against them this season nope I will be keeping my hard earned cash in my pocket im afraid

[LawSteelman]

Can't see anything other than the same gutless performance that we produced against them the other three occasions we played them this season.

Celtic will probably field a side somewhat short of full strength but they still have plenty of fire power in them and with our defence and excuse for a goalkeeper then they will take quite a few off us yet again, no doubt whilst we play right into their hands and stand off and let them come at us, whilst at the other end we'll be lucky if we have a shot on goal. After the inevitable drubbing McCall will tell us that Celtic are the best team in Scotland and no one could live with them in that form, but we'll learn our lessons bla bla bla.

I'll be giving this one a miss personally, as the prospect of shelling out to watch us bend over and get rode dry by an under strengthed Celtic side and having to endure their supporters before , during and after the game isn't my idea of an enjoyable Saturday afternoon.

[seasideboy]

Can't find anything to disagree above with tbh but I live in hope. As someone said previously, isn't this a time of miracles and rising from the dead?

[wellowell]

Only thing i disagree with is if every fan in scotland decided not to go to a game because they thought their team would be beaten their would be a lot of emptier stadiums as even though i agree with most of post for a change i will be their saturday as usual supporting my team.

[Sup3rw3ll]

Only thing i disagree with is if every fan in scotland decided not to go to a game because they thought their team would be beaten their would be a lot of emptier stadiums

this does happen already, and is why there is such a disproportionate number of O.F "fans". If any other team got close to winning the league, the fair weather cup final folk would be flocking to the stadium.

Anyway, regarding the match. Celtic could field a team of randoms from the stand and still win. I expect nothing less that a skelping, with McCall telling us.. "you can't live with them when in that form". I will consider a shot on target progress.

[COUTTSY]

Whilst I'm not saying we'll win on Saturday, the criticism of Stuart McCall seems more than a little harsh given that we beat them TWICE at Fir Park last season scoring 5 goals in the process!

[bheron]

Whilst I'm not saying we'll win on Saturday, the criticism of Stuart McCall seems more than a little harsh given that we beat them TWICE at Fir Park last season scoring 5 goals in the process!Very Good point!. I sometimes wonder about the amount of negativity on here.Like yourself,I am NOT saying we will win, but I do agree that the team, and manager, do not get the credit they deserve

I am sure that Stuart McCall would agree he has made mistakes, however running a team on a budget as small as his, and still being in contention for a European slot, deserves a lot of Praise.

[LawSteelman]

Whilst I'm not saying we'll win on Saturday, the criticism of Stuart McCall seems more than a little harsh given that we beat them TWICE at Fir Park last season scoring 5 goals in the process!

That's true but sadly that was very much the exception to the rule where our record in these types of games under McCall go. Nine times out of ten we are beaten before a ball is kicked and deploy a 'tactic' to try and prevent them from scoring by standing off them and inviting them on to us, which never works as we are not capable of playing like that and thus we end up going down with a whimper and getting hammered as has happened three times this season against Celtic.

Stuart McCall has done a decent enough job in his time at Motherwell, no one can seriously deny that, however I'm just not a fan of him and perhaps that does cloud my judgement of him at times. I do though feel that he has let us down when it has really mattered, ie. in impor

[bheron]

Whilst I'm not saying we'll win on Saturday, the criticism of Stuart McCall seems more than a little harsh given that we beat them TWICE at Fir Park last season scoring 5 goals in the process!

That's true but sadly that was very much the exception to the rule where our record in these types of games under McCall go. Nine times out of ten we are beaten before a ball is kicked and deploy a 'tactic' to try and prevent them from scoring by standing off them and inviting them on to us, which never works as we are not capable of playing like that and thus we end up going down with a whimper and getting hammered as has happened three times this season against Celtic.

Stuart McCall has done a decent enough job in his time at Motherwell, no one can seriously deny that, however I'm just not a fan of him and perhaps that does cloud my judgement of him at times. I do though feel that he has let

[Sup3rw3ll]

i think its the predictability of it all that really hacks people off. Far too much respect is shown when they visit. Need more players with the same mentality and ojamma. just took the ball and ran at the opposition, and it was up to then to stop him. loved his goal against them last season. He just made the team buzz. - view external link (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1X2yO6pIZg)

[dazlhigh]

We don't seem to have too many options in personnel tomorrow. Despite that I hope that none of the injured guys sre risked. Not everyone is enthusiastic about Europe I know, but I'd like us to qualify, and, in that context, there are more important games coming up.
A difficult day tomorrow may be the price of a stronger team when we need it.

[Wellup4it]

I assume that midfield will be our problem area today with Keith Lasley being instructed not to play. The obvious line up would seem to be Vigurs, Reid, Leitch and Ainsworth unless we go with one up front in which case ZFA will slot in on the left side?

[COUTTSY]

Whilst I'm not saying we'll win on Saturday, the criticism of Stuart McCall seems more than a little harsh given that we beat them TWICE at Fir Park last season scoring 5 goals in the process!

That's true but sadly that was very much the exception to the rule where our record in these types of games under McCall go. Nine times out of ten we are beaten before a ball is kicked and deploy a 'tactic' to try and prevent them from scoring by standing off them and inviting them on to us, which never works as we are not capable of playing like that and thus we end up going down with a whimper and getting hammered as has happened three times this season against Celtic.

Stuart McCall has done a decent enough job in his time at Motherwell, no one can seriously deny that, however I'm just not a fan of him and perhaps that does cloud my judgement of him at times. I do though feel that he has let

[LawSteelman]

That's all fair enough, however in regard to league games under mccall, we've generally done well enough but we have had, especially in the previous two seasons not so much this one, the strongest squad out with Celtic and Rangers, the majority of which was not signed by McCall, so it wasn't a huge shock that we finished 3rd and then 2nd when you look at what we were up against on the park.

You mention Aberdeen having a far bigger budget than us and that they most certainly do but up until this season they have been rank rotten in recent times and couldn't buy a win against us in the league. Yet in that same time they managed to deservedly dump us out of the Scottish cup twice, on both occasions we failed miserably to raise our game when required. Also, our capitulation against The Rangers happened when we were previously unbeaten in domestic football, they had been struggling to get a draw away from home, had just one week previously been beaten at home by Queen of the South and when

[bheron]

[quote="LawSteelman"]That's all fair enough, however in regard to league games under mccall, we've generally done well enough but we have had, especially in the previous two seasons not so much this one, the strongest squad out with Celtic and Rangers, the majority of which was not signed by McCall, so it wasn't a huge shock that we finished 3rd and then 2nd when you look at what we were up against on the park.

You mention Aberdeen having a far bigger budget than us and that they most certainly do but up until this season they have been rank rotten in recent times and couldn't buy a win against us in the league. Yet in that same time they managed to deservedly dump us out of the Scottish cup twice, on both occasions we failed miserably to raise our game when required. Also, our capitulation against The Rangers happened when we were previously unbeaten in domestic football, they had been struggling to get a draw away from home, had just one week previously b

[LawSteelman]

The honest answer to that is that I don't know who we could realistically get in, but that's not to say there aren't options out there.

I freely admit that I wanted McCall sacked after the Albion Rovers debacle and at the time I thought that Paul Hartley was a decent shout to replace him, however he's at Dundee now and will most probably get them into the top flight next season so that's not going to happen.

Options for us are thin on the ground given our small budget and I'm fully aware that we could get someone else in that would take us backwards, but that's football. We have I fear, missed the boat as far as achieving something in the game go as the likes of Aberdeen and United appear to be on the way up now and that is my issue with McCall as I said, because he let us down when it really mattered in cup games over the past few years.

[ouialpha]

McCall didnt let us down, the players did!! You can only pee wi the one you've got...when McCall leaves we will be up sh*t creek with out a paddle...just wait and see ;D