Motherwell's Kick And Rush Plan Fails Again

[jwok]

Motherwell and Dundee played out a 1-1 draw in a Fir Park game that neither team deserved to win.

It was an afternoon devoid of entertainment as the ball was thundered high from one half to the other. Hopeful headers and midfield scrambles full of misplaced passes killed any outbreak of football. This showing would have shamed a Sunday league pub team. LINK

[LawSteelman]

It’s actually a chore to watch us.

No football in that team, no entertainment and no league wins in this calendar year and we’re into March. Under no circumstances can that be acceptable. I do not for the life of me get what Alexander’s game plan is or what he bases his team selections on. Donnelly, despite being utterly hopeless seems undroppable, Tierney, Shaw both brought in in January and barely feature and today he plays Lamie against the side he’s joining in the summer.

The standard of the league itself is garbage, that we are one point off 4th is testament to that, but that is not an excuse for the way we play. We are slow, lack creativity and have a manager who either doesn’t know what his best team is or just cannot admit that what he is putting out there isn’t working.

If Graham Alexander and 90% of that first team squad left the club tonight I would be happy.

[Handsome_Devil]

No arguments his time is up but I don't think the squad is nearly as bad as made out, though obviously far from perfect.

Robinson had to go because after four or five rebuilds he made a howler of the last one and too knackered to attempt another. But changing him five or six weeks earlier wouldn't have made much difference because the players just weren't there till we could freshen things in the window.

If Alexander went now we'd improve instantly, however. I'm not pro doing that to chase Europe, that's not a fair target for a motherwell boss, but the players - not unreasonably - clearly have no belief in him.We already scream relegation battle next year and while we won't bin him before the QF, assuming we lose its just a matter of whether we do it sooner or later.

Given his contract and our normal policy though I'm pretty sure it will be later!

[LawSteelman]

We have some players in that squad that if selected and used properly would contribute a lot more under the right manager. However we have a tonne of absolute much who are doing nothing but stealing a wage from us. As well as Alexander the next person out the door should be our ‘Captain fantastic’ international fullback. Yet another goal sold today and another hopeless performance from him. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again he is nothing but an imposter. Donnelly, O’Hara, Carroll, Ojala, Shields, McGinley, Amaluzor and Efford should be out the door too as they are not good enough for our level.

[Handsome_Devil]

Ojala is fine, MOH is also ok if we can play on the break or an end to end game where he can just run up and down. And even when today didn't suit him he was still the best of the middle trio.

There's definitely deadwood needing binned but I imagine everyone from fourth down feels the same about their squad given this season.

SOD's collapse is astonishing, how a guy who has spent his entire career being a solid pro (with some big Scotland highlights thrown in) can regress to his current level is a mystery. You almost wonder if it's long COVID or domestic problems somehow.

[jwok]

I'm hearing hints that Alexander has lost the confidence of the players. That's hardly surprising if we assume they want to play proper football. If the kick and rush tactic is the manager's idea then it's no surprise that they don't buy into it.

[Handsome_Devil]

I don't think they'll even object to kick and rush, it's the fact we can't even manage to do that properly that'll get him binned.

[texaco cup]

From what I can gather it’s not how good a player you are in Alexander’s eyes it’s wether he likes you or not. As IMO there are players he persists on playing week on week you wouldn’t get a game for any one else in the league. If any player or team need a lift they must look at the fixtures to see when they play us. Tony Watt hadn’t scored for Dundee United until they played us, don’t think he has since. Dundee hadn’t scored in last couple of games but score against us in 6 mins. Hibs haven’t scored in last three games no doubt they will be certainties to score against us in the cup next Sunday. We look like a team of players who accept defeat as if it doesn’t matter to them.

[Handsome_Devil]

We've come back to get all our points this year and turned both cup games - as much as we're poor and I think player morale through the floor because of the team and tactics, I think it's hard to say the players accept defeat. They plug away regardless.

[LawSteelman]

If he has lost the dressing room then there is no way back, for him or for us. If the players aren’t buying into the managers plan then it only ends badly and the signs are that they aren’t buying it. It’s no surprise mind you when he constantly tinkers with his lineups and tactics and offers nothing in the way of direction during games.

What is also becoming clear is that he has lost/is losing the support in general, as the reaction at the end on both Wednesday and today showed. If or more likely when Hibs put us out of the Cup next week I think it’ll turn quite nasty in the stands and the crowds will dwindle away for the remaining games of the season.