SOD to play on Saturday?

[sieb1886]

I'm taking him as the sole scorer in a 1 nil win at the weekend. Yet to decide if it's a winner for us or them ATM though

[LawSteelman]

So after Nathan Patterson’s very impressive performance for Scotland last night it appears that our esteemed captain might well be out of the picture for the National side.

If that’s the case then it’s difficult to have any sympathy for him given his dismal form and stinking attitude for us this season.

Hopefully he remains out of our first eleven against Hearts next Saturday.

[jwok]

I'd have Bevis at RB on Saturday because he's done well there recently. I agree the SOD's not at his best at the moment but I don't believe that's anything to do with an attitude problem. Almost all players have spells when form dips but I'm sure he'll be back to his best soon.

[LawSteelman]

He looks as though he is merely going through the motions too often with us. His sending off against Rangers the other week was ridiculous from him, total stupidity after yet another dire performance. It’s bad enough that he keeps his place but to be captain into the bargain is taking the piss.

[Handsome_Devil]

Patterson is suspended on Monday so there's a decent chance he'll play v Denmark.

I suspect that'll be his last cap, however, but he's still ended up with 20-odd Scotland appearances more than anyone would ever have imagined so fair play to him.

Only he will know whether his attitude is the reason for his form slump, to me the balance of probability says it's unlikely...but either way, he certainly shouldn't be recalled for Bevis against Hearts. As for him being captain, I think he's like Gallagher in the sense that in a squad of players with no obvious pick, he's the one you discount last so that's who you've got. Whatever, it certainly hasn't helped him.

[LawSteelman]

I think it’s something like 23 caps he’s got, which you don’t get if you don’t have ability, even for Scotland. That’s the thing that irks me so much with him though, he clearly DOES have ability and is a good player, but he rarely if ever shows it in a Motherwell jersey. He looks a lot better for Scotland, although he is of course playing alongside a better standard of player for them. That can’t though excuse his attitude and sloppy play for us.

I don’t like seeing us getting the pish ripped out of us by players so that’s why I have zero sympathy with him if indeed his days being a regular pick for Scotland are over. That boy Patterson looks like an excellent prospect and I laughed when he scored last night as my first thought was “that’s the end for O’Donnell then”.

[Handsome_Devil]

SOD has got where he is by being a solid if unspectacular full back. He just played the game of his life at Wembley and was part of Scotland's best away result (over 90 mins at least!) in 15 years in Vienna..even if no longer first choice, he's in the squad for a side a couple of playoff games from the WC finals. Do you really think that at this point he suddenly goes 'nah, I'll just jog it in each week for Motherwell'?

He effectively had no break/pre-season before going straight into the LC groups, he's had corona, he's got a young family, we play a 4-3-3 which hangs the full backs out to dry, he doesn't seem to suit captaincy...Like you I'm just guessing the reason behind his slumping but I think one of those or a combination of a couple is much more likely than a previously reliable pro has suddenly decided he can't be bothered.

[LawSteelman]

To be honest I was far from impressed with his attitude and workrate last season with the exception of his first month or so.

I just don’t see him as being committed to Motherwell FC and never have to be honest. I was surprised, gobsmacked more like, when he signed a contract with us at the end of last season as I genuinely didn’t see him hanging around. Perhaps he just never got the ‘better’ offer he was expecting though?

This season he has been a disgrace. In both attitude and form and as I said his red card the other week was ridiculous from him. If ever that was a player spitting the dummy out and chucking it during a game, that was it. The fact that he is club captain makes it all the worse.

[sieb1886]

I regularly wonder where your opinions come from!? He may not float yer boat as a player, but to ridicule and castigate him as a 'non-trier' is ludicrous, and frankly embarrasses you.

[LawSteelman]

It comes from watching him on a week to week basis. He rarely tracks runs, is frequently caught the wrong side of his man and as I said basically got himself sent off the other week. For a club captain that is not on.

And finally “ludicrous, and frankly embarrasses you”. Coming from the same poster who started this thread with an absolutely ludicrous and embarrassing wee tale about what Rangers fans were saying about O’Donnell’s selection for Scotland ahead of Patterson, I will take that as a compliment thank you very much. Even that has backfired on you now thanks to Patterson’s fine display for Scotland the other night.