The big kick off happens on the 3rd of August at the West Lothian Courier stadium when we’ll take on Livingston. We failed to beat the Livi mob last season and it would nice to give them a stuffing on the opening day.
Despite our current situation we have a number of great prospects who will inevitably go onto better things. If we are to beat Livingston – and, more long term, have a reasonable season – then our young stars will have to be shining brightly. The value of Jamie McFadden, Stevie Hammell, Keith Lasley and Stephen Pearson is well into the millions but what can we expect from them and will they be here at the end of the season?
Stevie Hammell – he needs to have a big year. After a spectacular introduction to the team in the summer of 2000, his first whole season was superb. Last season, he was solid but he suffered because he wasn’t quite living up to his own very high standards. Stevie has everything you could ask for in a left back in a defensive sense and he is beginning to improve his attacking play when we use him as a wing-back. How long can we hold onto him for? Unless our financial situation deteriorates further, I’d be surprised if he’s not here at the end of the season. He’s still young and needs to prove that last season was the blip – not his outstanding debut.
Keith Lasley – another player who needs to deliver when the team will be looking to him to make a major contribution. Last term was his first full season but he showed a willingness to accept responsibility when Scott Leitch was missing through injury. His performances did dip a little when Leitchy wasn’t beside him though and it will be interesting to see if he can be the main midfielder this season. If Lasley does manage to go to the next level, his simple passing and hard working attitude might tempt a Nationwide club to take a gamble on him.
Stephen Pearson – probably the least technically gifted out of the four at the moment but he has tonnes of potential. He flies up and down the pitch with a gangly running style which often allows him to drift past opponents. His passing and shooting certainly need a lot of work but that should come along with time. Pearo had a sticky patch in the middle of the season and he was dropped from the team. He struggled to regain his place but events led to him being recalled and his performances were magnificent. The bewildered looking boy in the middle of the park was gone, instead there was a man looking to dominate. Does he have what it takes to play at a higher level? Maybe some day, but not in the near future. A bigger club may wish to nab him now though and rely on their own coaches to develop his talent.
Jamie McFadden – the rough jewel in the Fir Park crown. On his day, Faddy can be majestic and one of the most entertaining players in the league. If things aren’t going well however, he often looks like a petulant little kid. Quite often great players have a temper or some kind of self destructive streak and young Jamie appears no different. Without checking the records, he must have been collecting goals and bookings at a similar rate. On occasion, he was lucky not to be sent off for retaliation. Still, that’s something that might be ironed out of his game, but it’s definitely worth putting up with. If he were to leave tomorrow, there would be no end of clubs wanting to sign him up. Faddy seems to have his feet on the ground though and when talking to the media or fans he is always quick to stress that he wants to stay in Motherwell. What can we expect from him this year? Some great moments, some superb goals and more than a little bit of frustration looks on the cards. How long will we be able to hold onto him? That’s very hard to say, but every ‘Well fan should be grateful for being able to see him at Fir Park while they can.