GLF50: Ricky's Rant

Ricky’s Rant

Howya doin, Folks!

Well well well, what a brilliant time it is to be a Motherwell fan. Been a fantastic few weeks, who cares about the League Cup anyhow, and can you believe we are actually getting the odd positive press article as well……..No, honestly. …..

Didn’t seem that good a couple of months ago though. Can’t forget how we started the season so poorly, after another unbeaten pre-season the opening two games we just didn’t get going. However, things picked up, we regrouped, and since then have only that one solitary league defeat ( the best by any SPL side at that midden incidentally ) to go against us. I think it says a lot for how this young team has matured beyond belief under Tel’s leadership to become one of the most feared sides in the country. And that’s no idle boast. Six away games this season in the league so far, four wins. And no goals conceded either. Wins at places we normally couldn’t even get a programme at such was our performances in previous years, playing Hibs off the park for our first win there for nearly ten years. Taking the points at Tannadichie, demolishing the Sheep, and then going to Dens to defeat the team the media are convinced will finish third. Consistency of selection has had a lot to do with it, we have now had the same team on the park for seven games in a row. Can’t recall the last time we had that type of selection pleasure. The guys are playing with a new-found belief, each player knows he can rely on the other, and you can see the confidence flowing through the side from back to front. Lads like Gordon Marshall, too many folk initially frowned upon his signing but so far he ain't done any worse ( and perhaps better ) than many other debutant keepers at Fir Park. In front of him, the centre-half pairing of Partridge and Craigan has been phenomenal in my opinion. They compliment each other superbly, and Partridge has become perhaps the most improved player at Motherwell in the past year. Craigan’s reading of the game is without rival I think, he’s tremendous and a hundred times the player we let go a few years ago. Hammy is surely worthy of a call-up along with Zinadine, both playing like we know they do but now at last others are perhaps seeing this and maybe, just maybe, they will at last get the call-ups they deserve. In the middle, Leitchy has also revelled in his run free from injury, and Keith Lasley's been outstanding. Del Boy has delivered the goods as well, and there’s a certain guy called Pearo who many a club up and down the country are desperate to sign. He’s matured so quickly over the past twelve months and it’s my wish, as well as all other Motherwell fans, we get at least another twelve out of him as well. Simply put, Pearo, you would benefit longer-term staying at Fir Park another season than going elsewhere. Why? I know Schmellic are desperate to get you ( for tuppence no less, or so it seems ) but they’d only give you a game every few weeks. The Huns have even less cash than Schmellic ( and that’s saying something ). Go South and again, you’d not command a regular place. However, play another year with us, keep up the super standard, keep a Scotland place and guaranteed they’d all be banging down your door to give you what you undoubtedly deserve. Then up front Craig and Clarkson have been performing beyond belief in the absence of Toastie and after the departure of a certain pony - tailed superman. Really have been a revelation, we look likely to score regularly and now look more like keeping a clean sheet at the other end than most. The down side, of course there always is one, is we have such a thin squad. In saying that, those who watch the Under - 21's will confirm the young, young lads there are also going to make it and will surely do the job if called upon. A year ago we’d just lost our sixth successive match. Now two away wins on the trot. And how much has changed? The raw talent we saw then has quickly matured, added with a little bit of seniority and the future looks much brighter than it ever did. I’m not getting carried away, just happy in the knowledge my club, the club I’ve supported for well over twenty years and followed through the thin of last year and well beyond, are back on track.

The role of football agents has once again raised it’s rather ugly head again with the speculation involving Pearo. I can’t for the life of me imagine this agent has anything other than his own pocket at interest when he thinks of Stephen Pearson’s future. Another year would not see Pearo suffer financially, indeed I believe it would strengthen his hand when clubs came back in for him. Now, it’s looking too much like McKay lining his own pocket. Agents are an integral part of the game but they cause far more trouble than they are worth. Several times we have seen how a player has looked set to sign then his agent fills his head with ridiculous demands and it’s off. How difficult is it to negotiate yourself? Do these agents really do a good job for all or only for the very top in the game and live on their reputation? I seem to recall the Ferret in the past, wee McLean, going on about how much trouble they were and that was a decade or more ago. He was right, they are trouble. A little bit of honesty wouldn’t go amiss, I know they are businessmen but greedy, manipulative and shady spring to mind. I’m sure not every agent is corrupt to that extent, but at the same time, there can’t be many of them really interested in what is genuinely best for a player, only best for their own bank balance. Talking of agents, I had to laugh at the way the media are suddenly falling over themselves to praise Motherwell right up when not so long ago we were the bad boys of football. Even Gordon Smith was heard to praise us on the Radio after the superb win at Dens. Yet not so long ago we were the team everyone wanted relegated. Most forgot it wasn’t us, it was the SPL who made the rules. Some even demanded we do the right thing and ask to be relegated, along with some other rather bizarre requests! Indeed, we had a certain Student player of notoriety demanding we cough up for our former players at every opportunity. Totally ignoring the rules governing such things but no surprise with Mr W-*-hyte though. No - one can tell me Falkirk wouldn’t have done the same thing. Now, I am not looking for praise when Motherwell do badly, just a bit more consistency wouldn’t go amiss. We deserve to be heaped with praise. Motherwell are promoting SCOTTISH talent, young Scottish talent. For that we are the best in the country. It all augurs well for the future.

And the rest of the season? Well, currently sitting some sixteen points clear of the Students, surely means we can always be looking safe for the season. You cannot be complacent, no way, but give me that any day compared with a year back. Maintaining it is going to be the difficult part, right now we look more likely to win rather than lose. It’s all too easy to fall into a losing habit, we saw that twelve months back. It’s injuries I fear most, not suspensions. The team has developed a high degree of discipline compared to what we ended up with in May. Like I said, the younger boys in the Under - 21's would fit in but not longer term just yet. Come the New Year one or two in to bolster the squad, cope with problems with a little experience mixed with youth, which has served us so well this season. Terry Butcher has been with us through this incredible roller - coaster since going into Administration. We’re about to come out the other end, he deserves tremendous credit for keeping with it, with his belief in himself and the team, and us for continuing to back him. Way back on that fateful day we went into Administration it really felt so close to the end of the club. Walking out of that meeting I felt so gutted and very concerned for the future. Then last season we looked certs to go down, got a reprieve then had the lies of Campbell Christie keeping the thing going for a ridiculous amount of time before common sense prevailed. And now we are making the most of it, and why not? Anyone else in our position would have done the same. There ain't no shame in what we have done, in fact, if anything, there’s a lot to be taken out of how we have reacted to it all. Got to be the most positive of feelings for quite some time. It’s tinged with reality, you do know how quickly it can all turn wrong. But whilst it goes well, you just have to feel great. You jut gotta !

With the next run of games between now and the Scottish Cup seeing several at Fir Park it’s time we made that as unattractive to visiting teams as we have done having us visit them. No reason why we can’t take this further, the players know they can compete with anyone in the league. Not just on a one-off basis, we are proving we can do it much more regularly than before. Time we all got ourselves right behind the team. I still heard a dissenting voice or three at Dens despite us leading …. Come on, folks, get real - look what happens when we back the lads.

A big HAPPY BIRTHDAY to GLF - 50 Editions and still going strong!

Keep it Well, you know it makes sense !

Cheers, Ricky Mullen