Now that the first round of games are done and dusted, it's time to look back at how the Mighty Well's season has panned out so far. Obviously, by only getting to a handful of games so far this season, I will be going on secondary information about some of the games and talking points of the 1st 3rd of the season, but as STV's official MFC blogger, that is allowed.
After the stunning end to the 2009/10 season, where we scraped in to Europe after sharing 18 goals with Hibs and Rangers in the last 2 games, we were left with a bit fi a dilemma. Albeit a dilemma we Motherwell fans have become accustomed to.
For about the 4th consecutive season, our star players moved on to pastures new. It's the nature of the beast that loan players need to leave at the end of their borrowed spell. We won a watch in December when Everton allowed us to retain Jutkiewicz and Ruddy, but there was no way we could hold on to them come the end of May.
Jutkiewicz was sent to Coventry and Ruddy left us and Everton for the Number 1 jersey at Norwich. After an impressive season, Jim O'Brien also left for Barnsley and Giles Coke for Sheffield Wednesday. Each has gone on to have a bit of success at their respective clubs with The Juke, Giles and Jimo getting amongst the goals and Ruddy impressing in the Championship.
These were the key players that Messrs Brown and Knox would have to replace if we were to challenge for being the "best of the rest". While Jim Gannon had left in bitter circumstances, there was no denying that he had an eye for a player. As well as the Everton loanees, the acquisition of Coke, Humphrey and Jennings were key in our success last season.
In Randolph and Blackman, the management have unearthed more gems. Blackman has 10 goals to his name after a shaky start to the season, and most of my mates who have watched him regularly have said that he doesn't even play that well. A touch of the Kris Boyd's about him possibly?
Randolph has been solid and the fact he is not a loan means that he could go on to be one of the better keepers at Fir Park in the last 20 years. Filling Ruddy's gloves was going to be a big task as he achieved cult status. However he was prone to some minor concentration lapses at ket times. Big Dolph hasn't shown any signs of that just yet. Long may it continue.
Chris Humphrey has been like a new signing this season. Compared to his performances last year, he is like a new man. he has overcome the issues in his personal life and is on the verge of a Scotland cap. Perhaps stifled by Jim O'Brien's form last season, Humphrey has contributed so much already to our goals scored tally this season, even managing to get on the score sheet himself.
Combined with the midfield dig of Jennings and Lasley and the ever improving Jamie Murphy, going forward, we are possibly at our best since McGhee's first season in charge, when McCormack, Clarkson and Porter were shooting us up the table.
Add to those attacking options, the likes of Sutton, the return to fitness of Alan Gow and the man, the myth, the legend that will be a fully fit Esteban Casagolda, and it shows we are not short of attacking prowess. The onky problem will be fitting them all in.
The defence has been fairly frugal so far this season, with only Rangers giving us a doing thus far. Reynolds and Craigan are having a good season, with relatively few mishaps, while Hammell and Saunders have done good turns. Saunders, despite being seen as the weak link in the defence, even managed a call up for the Scotland v Faroes match last week. Levein's picks have been surprising to say the least, but surely if Saunders merits a place, so does Reynolds at least.
So with that squad assessment in mind, I'll look to the league results. I know I haven't mentioned the Europa adventure, but I feel I've done the to a death at http://kjwellblog.blogspot.com before I started the STV one. (There's also my World Cup Blog kicking about there too...)
An unlucky opening day defeat at home to Hibs didn't quite live up to the 6-6 game, but 2-3 meant the fans weren't short changed on goals. A dubious handball in the lead up to one of the Hibees goals was the main talking point, and maybe set the scene for the refereeing issues that have arisen this season thus far.
Away to Kilmarnock, a Blackman tap gave us a 1-0 win, followed by a home defeat to Celtic after a Maloney swan dive in the box gave them a late penalty winner. Please stop me at any point if I start to sound a bit Neil Lennon-y by the way...
Blackman continued his good away form with a rocket against St Johnstone, added to by either Murphy, Sutton or a Rutkiewicz own goal. Between the Sunday Mail, Twitter and the BBC Live Text service they couldn't make up their mind. I was at work, so I couldn't tell til the highlights were up. Rutkiewicz was given it in the end.
Our home form was coming in to question, as we hadn't won at home since March. Bearing in mind the season finished for 3 months before it resumed, that stat is not as bad as it sounds. A 1-1 draw with McGhee's Aberdeen was a fair result, as it had been in the last few seasons. Murphy got back amongst the goals in this one, before giving way to Sutton and Blackman away to Hearts the following week.
This was the game where Humphrey began to grab the headlines as he created both and terrorised their left back all game. Our home hoodoo was put to be versus St Mirren, where Humphrey gave an early lead. As has been apparent this season, a dominant first half doesn't always come with the goals it deserves. After humping them 1-0, the Buddies got an equaliser, which meant Well left it late to get the win.
A ridiculous penalty given away for a push on Gow, saw Hateley make it 2-1, with Murphy adding a 3rd a couple of minutes later. Again, the Twitter feed for this was my only point of reference. It really is the modern day Teletext page 310.
The 4-1 defeat to Rangers was followed by 2 wins in a week over Dundee United, with the 2-1 league win being the better game, won bizarrely by 2 own goals. A late, late winner by Gow in the cup game also put us in to a CIS Cup semi against Rangers.
A shock home defeat to Accies was disappointing, as our competition for 3rd place all slipped up around us. It really would have cemented our run for 3rd early on. Alas, we didn't take our chance. Hateley's missed penalty made it harder to take, something that Twitter didn't mention...
2 good wins followed, where Nick Blackman decided to up his already impressive scoring rate. A defelcted lob form 30 yards along with Gow's close range goal helped us to a 2-1 win against Butcher's Thistle before a first half hat trick secured the points against a poor St Johnstone. John sutton added a fourth late on in what was incredibly, the first league home game I'd been to all season. Those Europa nights seem so far away now.
Another defeat to Hibs saw Blackman score his first penalty of the season and another net breaker against St Mirren salvaged a draw at St Mirren Park. The boy can't stop scoring and while it's keeping us in a healthy league position (4th at time of writing), it is going to make it harder for us to keep him come January.
As long as he keeps it up til the transfer window opens I'll be happy, starting with a brace on Sunday against the in form Jambos.
Now that I have secured a 9-5 job, I can get down to Fir Park more regularly, but like Scotland's top referees, I am bypassing this weekend's game. Not due to the integrity of my blog being questioned or the abuse I have received for giving the "big teams" a hard time in it, just a wee jaunt to Northern Ireland with the Missus.
If The Well remain in 4th position for the rest of the season, or can push on due to keeping Blackman and keeping everyone else fit, we are in for a cracking remainder of the season. starting December 4th, I'll be back being a regular at the Citadel of Scottish football, and for that, I can not wait.
Up The Well!!!
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