Craig Fowler: I’ll go first
This is going to sound very strange. It’s not often we’d pick a winner who, not only was on the losing side, but actually watched the manager who signed him quit two days later. But, sod it, I’m going to do it anyway: Lionel Ainsworth.
Craig Cairns: That means there will be two Motherwell-related winners this week.
CF: Oh really? Looking forward to that.
I’ve gone for Ainsworth because I believe he demonstrated the attacking qualities which should guarantee him a start every week. His struggles on the defensive side of the game are made up by the fact that, from midfield, he’s a threat to net into double figures every season. And in Scottish football you have to fit players such as that into the starting eleven, regardless of how much of a luxury they may be perceived to be.
John Callan: Yeah, he’d have every right to be baffled by his exclusion from the side. There aren’t many players in the league with his explosiveness, and it isn’t like he’s out of form. You’d have to think that he’d play a prominent role in any new manager’s attack.
CC: What did you guys think of him behind the two strikers? I know he got his goal but I don’t think he suits that position. His attributes are definitely that of a winger.
JC: I think he could do a reasonable job there, but I’d agree with you that he’s best suited out wide – he’s destroyed teams on the flanks in the past year. If you’re setting up to play with wing-backs though, you can see how he’d be shunted inside.
CF: His ability to shoot from just about anywhere would make him a threat in the central position. He can’t use his pace that much there, though. He doesn’t quite have the close control of Peter Pawlett a similar transition.
CC: Sticking with the Motherwell theme…
I’m going to go with Stuart McCall. I know that he just resigned from the worst start to a Motherwell season since the 80s, or whatever, but without any pressure from above he decided to step down. In fact, from what I hear Motherwell tried their best to dissuade him from leaving, such is the regard he is held in.
Then on his BBC interview over the last few days he displayed copious amounts of humility. He answered every question honestly, he didn’t deflect, he didn’t dodge and he didn’t blame anyone.
He is one of their most successful managers and it is a shame it ended the way it did, but the way he has conducted himself has been exemplary. Many others would have held on for the sack and compensation.
CF: Yeah I felt a little sad reading through his statement. I hadn’t really taken into account how much dignity he’d carried himself with over the last few years. It made me reflect and realise he’ll be a big loss to Scottish football if he doesn’t get another job in the country. I mean, compare him to the way someone like Derek Adams acts.
JC: It was very refreshing. I know it’s almost reached saturation point in hearing it this week, but achieving those league finishes three years on the trot with a continual turnover of players is phenomenal. I think we’ve been saying in dribs and drabs for around eighteen months that it was bound to catch up with them eventually.
CF: It was bizarre that this was the year though. They’ve had to rip up the team and start over again so many times. This was a rare year when they were able to keep the core of their side. Even though I predicted a regression I really didn’t expect something like this. Continuity was a bad thing for them! It just shows you how utterly bonkers football is.
CC: Was Shaun Hutchison really that good or have the Motherwell defence been wearing flip-flops this year?
CF: Flip-flops. Hutchinson was decent, but last year showed he wasn’t anything special. The attack has arguably been worse than the defence, anyway.
Who’s next?
JC: I think Michael O’Halloran’s due some credit, given that he’s copped plenty of flack in recent weeks.
CC: The difference in his finishing between that Kilmarnock game, the recent Rangers game and Friday night is astonishing.
CF: The boys made a great point about the St Johnstone attack on Sunday. James McFadden, Michael O’Halloran and Brian Graham. As a front three it seems, well, crap really. However, take a closer look; you’ve got creativity, pace, strength, goal scoring, technique, height. You’ve got everything you need for a top class strike duo. It’s just that in Saints case it’s spread across three players. We’ve be saying for a few weeks that we are waiting on them to get their act together. Coming across this trio together may be the start of that perceived revival.
CC: The obvious flaw there is that there will be games that they can’t afford to have all three play together in attack, but it is a good point. Also, St Johnstone are one of the stronger teams defensively, so maybe they can afford to be at bit more expansive.
JC: The two things they’ve been desperate for going forward all season is pace and composure – and the Ibrox match was probably the low point in that regard. The counter-attack for their first on Friday though showed that they are capable of breaking with speed, and the second was brilliantly taken. Once you took your eye off Motherwell players running into each other like Lemmings.
CC: For the next winner I’m going to bend the rules slightly and name a duo: Aidan Connolly and Charlie Telfer. It seemed during parts of their recent win over St. Mirren like Dundee United had unleashed two Ryan Gauld clones they had been working on but hadn’t quite got right.
Neither quite played that No.10 role but both moved into that area from their respective positions – Connolly from the right, Telfer as part of a central midfield three. Telfer managed to get on the scoresheet and Connolly was there or there about for the three goals and many of their other chances.
Connolly also looked impressive versus Hibs in the cup. The depth that these players give them is very promising. They were able to drop Rankin, bring Armstrong and Erskine off the bench, and win comfortably.
I think they have much more than Aberdeen when it comes to depth in their attack.
Promise I’m not trolling you John.
JC: Yeah, it must certainly be alarming for any of their rivals to see they have a seemingly endless conveyor belt of sprightly attacking midfielders ready to step in at any point. How many teams could wilfully change so many personnel in such a crucial area and still win so comfortably? I know it was St Mirren, but we’ve seen Aberdeen labour against them and plenty of others while at full strength. Both Telfer and Connolly look like they could make as big a contribution in the season’s remainder as McNamara wants or requires.
CF: Conor Towsend coming back into the side helps them rediscover an attacking edge since he provides an outlet from full-back that Sean Dillon just can match. You could make a case that the likes of GMS and Stuart Armstrong are losers because of how United have struggled to replicate last season’s style. Then they bring in these young laddies and suddenly its back to free-flowing flair football.
CC: On that point, there was one point when Armstrong and Telfer went for the same ball and got in each others way. Armstrong ended up on his arse. It was quite apt, like the new pushing the old to the side. Not that Armstrong is old.
CF: Moving across to the other end of the street, another winner from the weekend has to be Greg Stewart. Think he’s now got four in his last three games if I’m not mistaken. I can’t believe how well he’s doing considering where he came from. I saw him playing a few times for Cowdenbeath and, though I thought he was a good player, I didn’t envision that he could star for a side with top six aspirations.
JC: I was going to nominate him too. Of all the guys who were earmarked as astute buys in the summer, I think he was generally overlooked, yet doesn’t look at all out of place for someone who’s never played at this level before. It’s always inexplicably pleasing to see a latecomer to the senior ranks do so well, too. Brings out the optimist in us all.
CC: People talk about Andy Robertson’s meteoric rise. Stewart’s isn’t as spectacular, but it is almost as impressive.
CF: I will say he was lucky with his second goal. The first chance which Hamill saves is an absolute sitter.
JC: One of my favourite goals this season. It had everything.
CF: I’ve written about it extensively for this week’s Sublime and Ridiculous. It’s got about 4,302 great moments wrapped into one goal.
CC: The way he moves across the defender and finishes the first is excellent though. He was playing footbal with Joel just a few years ago!
CF: He’s got quite a good range of talents. He’s quick, strong, has a good touch and can finish. You wonder what the hell scouts and youth coaches were looking at all these years. I have to say I didn’t think he could be a top level player, but I’ve never looked at him and thought he shouldn’t be a professional footballer. Even playing at Cowdenbeath was him slumming it. They’re part time!
JC: Brief mention for Scott Brown – no, the other one. Though he didn’t have a huge amount to do, that’s four clean sheets out of four for him, and he’s starting to vindicate McInnes’ decision to drop Langfield.
Though the real acid test will be against Celtic on Sunday, it’s a different and, I think, underrated facet of goalkeeping to be able to stay focused and make late saves when your team’s dominating.
CC: You don’t get clangers if you don’t play Langers.
In all seriousness, he did have one or two shaky moments versus Motherwell. One point in particular when he dropped a cross under pressure.
JC: Yeah, he didn’t look totally comfortable after that first error, but given that he’d been conspicuously parachuted into the first XI for that game, I’m willing to cut him a little slack for nerves. One of Langfield’s biggest failings is in his command of the penalty area, so it’s something he’d be well served to look competent at.
CF: Before we get onto losers we should mention Lewis Macleod. Regardless of what you thought of his call-up, it’s excellent for him to be recognised for his performances. I don’t think there’s much doubt he’s been one of the better, if not the best, Rangers player this season. And as we’ve seen from Lee Wallace being absent from recent squads, it’s not like Gordon Strachan’s picked him just because he’s a Rangers player.
JC: I really don’t get all the frothing. Sure, it’s predictable whenever a Rangers player gets called up, but he’s the kind of player that Scotland supporters should be pleased about being in the squad. You could get into a tedious, partisan argument over whether he deserves it more than someone else, but if your main gripe with Strachan is that he’s including a player like Macleod, then we must be pretty well set just now.
CC: Fantastic for him, if only he were playing under a manager like Strachan – one that knows how to use him – every week then who knows how good he could be.
CF: There’s still some justification to the partisan argument John mentioned. For example, if Scott Allan continues his recent form for the next three/four months then I don’t believe he’d get a call-up. However, I don’t grudge Macleod his selection. He’s clearly a good player and is there through merit, even if the colour of strip he wears helped him a little.
CC: Macleod will get a run out against England, but nothing else for now.
CF: I’m not even sure he’ll get that. I think it’ll be more like Ryan Gauld and Stevie May from the last international double-header. Just a little reward and to give them an idea of what it’s like to be around the Scotland squad.
CC: I don’t think Gauld made the squad. I think May will get a substitute appearance as well.
JC: Yep, and the timing is good for him. Dundee United’s established attacking midfielders aren’t in form, Pawlett hasn’t hit the heights of last season, and Macleod is on fire. I don’t necessarily think he’s leapfrogged anyone in the pecking order, but it makes sense to ingratiate him into the senior squad at the minute.
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