Does the old school still have a place in Scottish football?

You’ve probably read this story by now but you know how it is midweek, it’s hard to stay on top of things.

Anyways, John ‘Cowboy’ McCormack and Hamilton Accies were in court recently and the full findings can be found here:
Scotcourts website

Some of the stuff we don’t want to get into, if even half of the allegations about comments and movements made towards the female physio are true, it’s fair to say that McCormack is a relic of a previous time.

McCormack will, and rightly so, point to the decision which was found in his favour but most of that is due to the Accies not following proper procedures and undertaking the right steps and processes. Such is the business world but Hamilton can have no one to blame but themselves for the finding.

However, we just want to think about the coaching stuff and the comments about the tournament in Oban seem particularly interesting!

First of all…the swearing. Yes, at a football match, whatever next!

It’s quite ironic for us because at the football match we were at this weekend, there were three ladies of a certain vintage in the row in front of us…not the sort of crowd you want in proximity when you bellow out “PLAY TO THE F***ING RULES REF!!”

Ha, a swift apology was offered up but one of the ladies was polite enough to respond “oh its okay, he deserved that, you can swear for us!

Haha but that’s the thing, football is an emotive thing and it is very easy to get caught up in it. When dealing with youth players there is a need to watch your language and try to set a positive tone. However, the Hamilton team that McCormack was in charge of ranged in age between 16 and 28 years. It was also McCormack’s first big challenge at Hamilton, and no doubt he was feeling pressure because of this.

The findings indicate that McCormack was like a different person away from the game, so it’s not as though he was a complete git…and there are many people who would be willing to speak up for a person.

The thing is, some players respond to cajoling and pressure better than others. A good manager is able to react to different players needs, knowing what one needs an arm around them, knowing what players need a rocket up their backside.

It’s like the incident in the room with the nutritionist. Taking a chair away from someone is the sort of craic and banter that many footballers say they miss the most when they retire…but then again, others will see it as childish and embarrassing.

It’s not as though McCormack’s style of management would have been a surprise to Accies, he had been in management since 1997 so there was plenty of examples they could have looked to. It’s likely that swearing and being loud would have been part of McCormack’s managerial style and surely Hamilton would have known this before they even approached him to work alongside Billy Reid.

The management style of McCormack is not the way of the modern manager (although it should be noted that he holds the UEFA professional licence and other coaching qualifications) but Scottish football has seen a renaissance from the experienced managers.

Craig Brown has been one of the biggest successes in the past season and of course, Walter Smith is still at the top of his game. Experience and traditional ways can still be a success in the modern era but a lot depends on the club and the attitudes of everyone involved.

Hamilton Accies are a modern, forward-thinking club who deserve a lot of praise for their youth academy…but maybe their way of life doesn’t suit the management style of McCormack.

So what do you think…..are managers in the style of John McCcormack out-dated or is there still room for a bit of swearing and bellowing in the modern game?

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Can Celtic get back to bossing the midfield battle?

The team with the most upheaval over the transfer window has been Celtic so we’ve been having a look at their business and what shape they are in now.

We examined the goalkeeping and defensive positions here, with a conclusion of the goalkeeping position being weaker and cautiously saying the defence has improved.

We fully admit it’s a bit quick to be making judgements on many of the players and we got a bit of debate regarding one or two of the appraisals…which is fair enough.

Today we are going to look at the midfield and we expect it to get messy!

One of the issues is the variation in formations and shape Celtic could in from the middle of the park. The defence is always likely to be a flat back four, which makes it easier to dissect.

So we’ll do our best.

Midfield

Starting with the new acquisitions

Joe Ledley

Ledley arrived from Wales for free due to a contractual loophole and has looked steady without grabbing any game by the scruff of the neck so far.

That said, there have been many reasons for this.Ledley has been forced to play at left-back on occasions and when he does play in midfield, there is yet to be a consistency in his choice of partner.

We’ve seen enough of Ledley to suggest he’ll do fine this season.

A goal from left-back against St Mirren indicates he knows where the net is but 2nd half performances away to Caley and Motherwell suggest Ledley can control things in the middle of the park.

Efrain Juarez

An early favourite of the Celtic fans, the Mexican has provided a dose of energy and enthusiasm to the middle of the park, something lacking in recent years.

Like Ledley, Juarez has been used at right-back and is yet to start in midfield in the league. It’ll be interesting to see how Juarez performs there in the SPL.

Two goals in Europe suggests he knows how to get beyond the opponents defence, although there may not be the same room behind SPL defensive walls as Juarez found in Europe.

On pre-season and European performances, Juarez is likely to be an asset in Celtic defending much further up the field. This is definitely a positive for the club and should instill a bit more tempo in the team.

Biram Kayal

Two games at Celtic Park, two man of the match awards. That’s not bad going and a lot of it stems from the fact that Kayal can do the basics right. It shows how poorly the Celtic midfield has been when the ability to control and then pass the ball impresses so much.

Kayal is likely to be the conduit from back to front, effectively pushing the team up the park whilst maintaining possession. Kayal also doesn’t look as though he’ll be bullied to often either.

For balance, we have to add that Juarez and Kayal looked shocking away to Utrecht. The entire Celtic team did but given the way they had played previously, it was a surprise. Every player deserves a few chances and the early penalty awards threw all of a Celtic persuasion off guard so we’re not going to dwell on they showings but they both had off nights.

If Celtic went with a 4-3-3, there is an argument for including these three players in the middle but that overlooks captain Scott Brown.

We have been critical of Brown before, not because we think he is a bad player but because we think he should be doing better. A lot of this has been down to being asked to do a different role for Celtic against opposition laid out differently than he faced for Hibs and as he does for Scotland.

There has been a quiet resurgence of Brown of late though. His passing and control has looked sharper and he has seemed more focused. As mentioned for Joe Ledley, second half performances at Caley and Motherwell can rank amongst the strongest Brown has offered.

On this basis, we’d have to say Celtic have greatly strengthened in the middle of the park. Three new signings all showing potential and a marked improvement in the remaining player has to be a positive.

When looking at the players now in the middle, it’s hard to think of any reason for the inclusion of N’Guemo or Crosas so it’s a definite strengthening in the middle of the park.

Wide areas

The loss of Aiden McGeady and his 14 SPL assists has to be considered a loss. Even allowing for a dipping of form, McGeady was the creative outlet Celtic always looked to and was one of the few players to get fans excited.

Diomansay Kamara looked okay on loan without ever really excelling and Marc Antoine Fortune was often shoved out wide to varying degrees of success.

The wide positions have a number of players vying for position and hopefully this competition can inspire better performances from the wide men.

Jamie Forrest has burst onto the scene and been a revelation at times. With young players, you expect inconsistency and it will surely come from Forrest but so far he has looked good. An assist and goal versus St Mirren, an eye for goal in other games and a good level of work-rate has seen Forrest emerge with credit so far this season.

And then there is Paddy McCourt. We coined the term “part-time player, full-time genius” and it’s good to see he has lived up to that billing.

A brilliant 60 minutes versus Blackburn in a friendly earned McCourt a start at Caley where he had a virtually invisible hour. One cross-field pass was all he had to show until he got the ball wide and cut in and cut in and then whipped the ball home.

To ensure his cult status, he immediately picked up an injury when Shaun Maloney jumped on him!

Paddy also impressed away to Motherwell when he came on, changing the dynamics of Celtic’s play. McCourt can move at players, shifting the opposition defence backwards as they drop deeper to counteract his talent which should then create more space for Celtic to press onto them.

Depending on the formation being played, any one of Juarez, Brown or Ledley cound find themselves out wide. Celtic are also awaiting the return of Niall McGinn and can of course, utilise a few of their forwards in the wide position of an attacking position.

We’ll discuss the merits of Samaras and Maloney when we look at the forwards but they provide options here too.

The loss of McGeady means Celtic had a big gap to fill and perhaps wisely, the club has decided to not put all of their eggs in one basket. The wide position is very dependent on confidence so a flexibility to rotate until someone earns the starting place is not a bad tactic.

This may be something that causes disagreement but even with the loss of Aiden McGeady, we would say Celtic are not weaker in the wide positions. And if two players step up and show consistency over the season, we’d expect an overall improvement in this area of the field.

Again, another long one but we’d say Celtic look to be much improved in the middle of the park. There appears to be flexibility in the players to allow for a few shapes to be set out and there seems a greater tempo than Celtic have had in recent years.

We will round up our review by looking at the forward positions (hopefully on Friday) but tell us your thoughts on the Celtic midfield.

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Loan swap with the Dons sees utility man arrive.

Quality not quantity has been the Ibrox mantra up until now this summer but that appears to have been broken by Rangers last signing of the transfer window.

By no stretch of the imagination could Ricky Foster be described as a quality player. However, as a squad player, he could have a role in getting Rangers over the line in certain games.

In the 90s, it’s easy to recall names like Laudrup, Gascoigne or Albertz ad helping Rangers clinch title after title. A utility player like Neil Murray, youth team recruits like McSwegan or Pressley and guys that knew what Rangers is all about like John Brown all played huge roles.

It’s the squad that wins the league and Foster is another name in that squad who has top flight experience.

As a player, we don’t think Foster is very good. Much like Celtic’s signing from last season’s Aberdeen defence, it indicates the downsizing for the big two.

It can also be looked at on another way though. Swapping Velicka on loan sees Rangers free up the wages of a player unlikely to see much game time and are now paying less money to a player that should see more action.

Foster will have better players around him which can often bring improvement in a player and maybe the challenge will see Foster reach a level of consistency he has never managed before.

If Foster is rubbish, Rangers haven’t lost much and can wash their hands of him in the summer. If Foster does a job, Rangers have won a watch.

It’s not a bad position to be in…

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How are Celtic sitting now the window has been carefully shut?

With the exception of maybe picking up a few players currently without a club, the SPL squads are in the position they are going to be until January.

The biggest movers and shakers have been Celtic, which is unsurprising given they have a new boss and how poor they were last season.

With many in and many out, it is still hard to properly judge the strength of the squad as the jury remains out on many players.

Then again, no one does a knee-jerk reaction like a Scottish football fan so let’s review Neil Lennon’s team.

Goalkeeper

Definitely weaker.

Artur Boruc had his critics but it is easy to overlook the fact he had a good season last year. Injuries blighted him and some people could never bring themselves to give him credit but he is a big loss.

Boruc is unlikely to get back to his prime of 2008 but it’s worth remembering strong performances at Ibrox and Easter Road last season, scenes of previous Boruc howlers.

Lukas Zaluska, for us, lacks the presence to be the number one at Celtic and his summer form so far backs that up.

Fraser Forster, a loan signing from Newcastle, made his debut at Fir Park but went largely untested. Many Celtic fans appreciated the punch he delivered to the head of Glen Loovens but the 6′ 7″ keeper is still very much under the spotlight.

We can’t imagine anyone would strongly argue that Celtic look weaker in the goalkeeping department.

Defence

Tentavitely stronger…but is definitely up for debate
The sieve was back for Celtic last season and even a January overhaul failed to improve matters.

The long-term injury picked up by Andy Hinkel (who was likely to be sold) means that Cha Du-Ri is the chief right back for the hoops.

The South Korean looks capable when bombing forward but has looked suspect at the back. In reality, he is a more cost effective Andy Hinkel. Such is the downsizing of Celtic.

Where Cha has looked most suspect is defending crosses with an attacker coming across him on his blind side. It may be that the South Korean’s awareness at the back could be an Achilles heel for Celtic.

If Cha is unavailable, Celtic will turn to injury-prone Mark Wilson or will draw Mexican Efrain Juarez out of midfield. This would limit the options of Celtic on midfield so would not be the preferred option.

At left-back, Celtic lost the services of World Cup final star Edson Braffheid and the maverick Lee Naylor. Add this to the quick in and out of Danny Fox and you can see why some Celtic fans were crying out for the capture of ANY left-back.

As is so often the case, the arrival of Charlie Mulgrew left many choking on their words. Mulgrew has the ability to make Celtic fans daydream of the halcyon era when Mo Camara roamed the left flank with a smile on his face and a bandage on his arm.

The capture of Izaguirre, the Honduran international, came as a relief and like Forster, made his debut at Fir Park. As first games go, it was well received with even Motherwell boss Craig ‘Big Bad Leroy’ Brown praising him highly.

The early performances of Lee Naylor also looked good so there is no need to get carried but there is hope Izaguirre may solve Celtic’s left back options.

If the Honduran is out, his position could be filled by dropping Joe Ledley in, by giving a full debut to Hoopy the Huddle Hound or at a last resort, Charlie Mulgrew.

What about the middle of Celtic’s defence? Well, from the squad that finished last season, loanees Darren O’Dea and Josh Thompson have been replaced by Dan Majstorovic. This is an improvement.

However, there hasn’t been enough improvement in this area. If Thomas Rogne could avoid injury, Celtic would have the look of a decent duo at the back. Then again, that looks like one of the biggest IFs in the Scottish game.

This leaves Neil Lennon to choose between Loovens and Jos Hooiveld. You can see why this is not a good thing. One more centre half, one with a bit of pace, could have transformed the Celti backline but the failure to do so could be costly.

We think the new starting defence for Celtic is an improvement but is only an injury or two away from a new crisis. Which could be argued is the case for many clubs.

So that is the Celtic defensive positions examined….and its a lengthy article, so we will return to the midfield and attack later on.

How do you feel about Celtic at the back? Three clean sheets in the SPL – indication of strength or no guarantee of future success?

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Failure to maximise exposure yet again

It’s one of the days of the year when football fans are glued to the internet and radio stations in the hope that their team can pull off a surprising last minute signing or two that will make the difference to their season.

It therefore seems a bit strange then that the draw for the fourth round of the Co-operative Insurance Cup took place today. The games aren’t until the 21st and 22nd of September so it’s not as though there is any great rush but surely Scottish football should be trying to maximise exposure for their sponsors.

This week is an international week so holding the draw on Tuesday evening or Wednesday lunchtime would have been perfect. It would have allowed the Tuesday papers to detail the last day moves or failures before giving the draw some decent exposure before focus falls on Scotland’s first steps on the road to 2012.

Maybe we just like to moan but we don’t think the moves and shakers in the game do enough to push the product. Okay, rant over…on with the draw.

Rangers v Dunfermline
Kilmarnock v Hibernian
Aberdeen v Raith Rovers
Falkirk v Heart of Midlothian
Celtic v Inverness Caledonian Thistle
Ross County v Dundee Utd
St Johnstone v Queen of the South
Brechin City v Motherwell

Holders Rangers are at home to Dunfermline whilst two all SPL ties also catch the eye. Kilmarnock v Hibs and Celtic v Inverness Caledonian Thistle ensures that at least two SPL teams from this round will be dropping out.

Ross County get the opportunity to gain revenge for their Scottish Cup final defeat at the hands of Dundee United whilst Raith Rovers get the opportunity to dump Aberdeen out of a cup yet again.

Are you tipping any shocks in this round?

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SSN saying interest in the Northern Irish internationalist

With the clock ticking towards the close of the transfer window, the next day is looking as though it will be a bit manic for a few clubs.

Walter Smith has given Rangers fans optimism that there may be another new player in at Ibrox and we certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see Rangers picking up someone, even on loan.

The rumour mill today has been brimming with the names of Jermaine Jenas or Alan Hutton and we think the full-back would be the far more likely of the two. The Rangers backline isn’t that bad and we can’t imagine it will be the immediate place that Walter Smith would want to strengthen but hey, thats what people are saying.

However, you know what people are like…..

Due to his contract situation, there has been speculation about the future of Kenny Miller and whether he would be looking to sign a new deal or move off. A few clubs, notably Birmingham and West Bromwhich Albion, have been quoted as having an interest in Miller but Rangers fans would be vexed at losing a player that has started the season in fine form.

5 goals in three league games, all of them being the difference between a win and a draw sees Miller’s goals directly responsible for 6 points already this season, which is the sort of thing that wins titles. We were of the opinion that Miller would be for the exit door this window but the likelihood of that appears to be diminishing.

Which is why the rumours about Lafferty being tracked by a number of clubs could provide a more attractive way for Rangers to lighten their wage bill and their abundance of strikers. The forward has caused controversy at the start of this season with a red card at Easter Road and it may be that moving him on may be the best for all parties.

Rangers are well catered for in the goalkeeping department, have a sturdy defence, have decent options up front but may well benefit from an additional defensive midfielder.

Rangers fans, are you looking for a new recruit before the window shuts?

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Transfer moves slotting into place?

Everyone knows that it takes one or two transfers to get things moving and it seems as though one move that has went through in Scotland may be a factor in another going through later on today.

There has been a lot of talk about Anthony Stokes moving from Hibs to Celtic but with the transfer deadline approaching, Hibs needed to ensure they had adequate replacements to keep their team fighting near the top of the SPL.

Rod Petrie has did extremely well at the club but money in the bank is not much of a comfort to fans if the product on the pitch isn’t good enough. The loan capture of Darryl Duffy from Bristol Rovers sees John Hughes add to his striking options.

Hughes managed Duffy at Falkirk so he knows exactly what he is bringing in and this may well see Stokes head along the M8 in a fashion that has been played out so many times before.

Hibs really should name their new stand in a Weegie style after the funding from the Glasgow clubs who have taken so many players from them in the past.

The current buzz on the internet – with the Celtic Underground rumours twitter passing on info they’ve heard – is that Stokes is undergoing a Celtic medical at the moment.

Until the player is signed and is pictures holding a scarf above his head, most fans are wary of accepting a deal is done (and quite right too) but this transfer looks like a goer.

Does this mean the Robbie Keane to Celtic move is dead? Was it ever on? If Stokes comes, will he play alongside Gary Hooper or will they be competing? Is it a 4-4-2 for Celtic? If so, will this see Shaun Maloney shunted back out wide?

So many questions….we’d better get writing!

Hibbes and Hoops – happy with these moves?

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Maligned striker the difference

With both teams crashing out of Europe in midweek, it wasn’t a surprise to see both teams be a bit sluggish and scrappy in the first half.

In saying that, both teams could have scored in the opening proceedings with John Sutton nodding a header wide for Well and then Randolph making a firm save from Shaun Maloney. However, after the opening flurry, mis-placed passes and poor control started to dominate the game.

Motherwell clearly felt that the way to get behind Celtic was to hit balls over the top and getting the Celtic defence turning. There is a lack of pace at the heart of the Celtic defence, so it was a valid style of play but the passing range of the Well wasn’t accurate enough to really test the new Celtic backline.

Celtic controlled most of the game but the need for a poacher in the box is becoming ever more apparent for the hoops.

The injury to Gary Hooper has robbed Celtic of the player who could have been on the end of some of the crosses but there may be an addition to the Celtic striking line-up soon.

However, even though the rumours about Anthony Stokes are building, it was Daryl Murphy that scored the only goal of the game, with his stuttering run to the 12 yard spot sending Randolph the wrong way and his finish placed Celtic into the lead.

Murphy has already had his abilities judged and berated by many of the Celtic faithful and his performance will have continued to split opinions. At times the striker looked wooden and cumbersome but at others, winning headers and holding of the ball added a different dimension to Celtic’s play at times. Celtic are crying out for a poacher, someone to finish off the balls in the box but Murphy may find he has a role to play as the season continues.

Celtic may even have had a second penalty near the end of the match when Murphy was nudged in the back in the process of shooting. To his credit, the striker remained on his feet but then to his shame, absolutely shanked his effort and the ball trundled harmlessly behind the goal-line.

If we said that Celtic’s Murphy split opinions, Dougie McDonald did his usual job of uniting the fans with both sets of supporters no doubt nursing grievances about the match. ‘Well fans will be sure to moan about a penalty decision which defeated their team because lets face it, in the eyes of 10 of the 12 SPL teams, Celtic or Rangers never get a decision that isn’t due to cheating.

In fact, it was a certain penalty, Shaun Maloney being bundled over in the box and Craig Brown even said so in his post-match interview. As for the red card, well, many people cite the “last man” argument but of course, that is not the rule at all. Maloney had a goal-scoring opportunity, which he was denied by the shove by Steven Saunders.

That is obviously going to be a more contentious issue but with Saunders already on a booking, even a caution for the foul would have seen the player dismissed. Still, the award lets the enclosure at Fir Park add to their list of decisions that only go to the big teams.

Celtic fans can look at McDonald’s decision to decide that a deliberate handball, a decision which saw the same ref book Marc Antoine Fortune at Ibrox for Celtic, was not worthy of a caution and a kick in the head to a player not being deemed worthy of stopping the game.

Edit here cos we’re a bit daft!!

If McDonald is Scotland’s best ref, let’s be thankful the worst one wasn’t in charge.

Anyways, back to the game, a hard one to judge overall, it will be the last time these two teams will take to the SPL stage after a European match and it was always destined to be a tough match. For us, the difference came when Paddy McCourt was unleashed from the bench.

Motherwell were looking comfortable at the back although dropping deeper. McCourt has the ability to hold the ball and run with it, committing defenders and create the space for chances to occur. He may not have had a hand in the goal but the flow of the match had definitely been impacted by the changes McCourt brought to the game.

Once the international break is over, both teams can fully focus on the domestic front and both sets of fans can consider themselves in with a chance of having an interesting season ahead.
What were your thoughts on the game?

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Baggies welcome the striker back to the English top flight

Celtic fans are still coming to terms with last night’s trouncing in the Europa League play-off and no doubt many fans will have their own wish-list of players they want out of the door.

Those that hoped to see the back of Marc Antoine Fortune can at least feel a little bit happier with news that the striker has signed for West Bromwich Albion. Fortune is well known to Baggies fans after a loan spell under Tony Mowbray.

Mowbray at Hibs and WBA had his team playing with an attacking spirit and verve….you wonder if he would have any interest in the Celtic job if it came up again soon.

Hmmmmmmmmm.

In our post match article, we said Neil Lennon would be advised to ship out Zaluska, Samaras and Fortune, with the two strikers being at the top of the list for removal. The pair have showed decent form this summer but yet again, when it matters for Celtic, they went missing.

As we said last night, in the wake of the Ross County Scottish Cup defeat, Lennon seemed to have the measure of certain players and it appeared that these two strikers would be out of the door if Lennon got the job permanently.

Well he did get the job but gave the players one more chance and it may have cost him.

It’s not as though last night’s defeat can be blamed on any individual and it’s not as if Fortune or Samaras were the worst players on the pitch but they were the players who have had more than enough chances.

Overall, Fortune hasn’t been too bad for Celtic. Injury prevented him from developing a strong start and he definitely scored some cracking goals in his time.

A scoring record that was better than Kyle Lafferty’s may not be something to be hugely proud of…but then again, Lafferty has two league medals in his back pocket whereas Fortune leaves Scotland with a “what might have been” around his name.

In situations like this, we can’t help but think of the Simpsons and the episode where Milhouse’s dad, the legend that is Kirk van Outen, got sacked from the cracker factory. Kirk said to his boss “so that’s it, all I get is a goodbye and good luck?”

And his boss replied, “I don’t recall saying good luck”.

With the transfer deadline looming, Celtic will have to move quickly and it seems that Anthony Stokes is on their radar.

So….Celtic with a need to buy and a pressing deadline….Rod Petrie’s laughter can probably be heard all along the M8.

Can Celtic bounce back from this latest setback?

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More nearly men stories for Scottish football

It may not have seemed the way at the end of the first legs but Dundee United were the Scottish team who came closest to forcing their way into the Europa League group stages.

As it was, the only Scottish entrant in Europe from September onwards will be champions Rangers but fans of the Well and the Arabs can be proud.

They should both be feeling anger and some regret over what might have been but equally, their players and management team have given them a lot to be hopeful over.

It’s hard to focus on the Dundee United match without thinking about the farce that has plagued their trip to Greece. We certainly haven’t heard the last of this and it will be interesting to see what United say when they return to home soil. For the fans and officials, the way they have been treated is nothing short of shocking.

We don’t quite buy into the whole “it wouldn’t haven’t happened if we were a bigger club / nation / up against a smaller nation” – we just don’t think Uefa have a clue about consistency or sticking to a decision. United are due a large apology and probably some compensation…but what impact it had on the team’s performance we’ll never know.

Going 1-0 down in the first, 2-0 on aggregate gave United a slim chance to progress but a John Daly away goal with just over 10 minutes left, gave United genuine hope. A 2-1 win would have put the Arabs into the group stages but it wasn’t to be.

At least for United last season’s glory was encapsulated in the Cup Final win and the memory of that sunny day in Hampden will live long in the memory. The promise of a crack at Europe leads to hope and expectations…and certainly an abundance of over-confidence for many United fans but we hope that the Arabs enjoyed their time in the Europa play-offs….and can make it back for another pop next season.

Motherwell fans didn’t have any silverware to display last season but United’s win put the Steelmen back into the European arena.

Two victories in the qualifying rounds saw the Well in the play-offs and a 2-1 defeat away from home gave a buoyant Fir Park crowd hope of making the group stages.

Again, losing the opening goal left Craig Brown’s team with a mountain to climb and even though they had most of the play and laid siege on the oppositions area at times, they were unable to even draw level on the night.

When you consider that Odense were down to 9 men and that Motherwell missed a late penalty, it can definitely feel like a missed opportunity. However, lets not get carried away, the Well were always likely to be up against it in their bid to make the group stages.

It is easy to see why both Motherwell and Dundee United fans will be upset over the results and what might have been but you have to say that both teams will have picked up experience and hopefully the taste for European football.

Arabs and Steelmen….disappointed but not downhearted?

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