I've deliberately not blogged for 2 weeks based on the 2-0 win over Celtic. While I had a good crow about it on Facebook, Twitter and to my Celtic supporting mates, I felt that I should keep my blogging thoughts to myself until after the Inverness game.
A win in Inverness would have put us in a strong position for achieving 4th place. It would signal the turning of a corner for Stuart McCall's patchy tenure. It would also give the players the confidence to go in to Sunday's Cup game full of confidence, form and momentum.
Instead, as lamented in my previous blog, our inconsistency struck hard, resulting in a 3-0 defeat and a toothless display. Having not attended either game, I can't say first hand why the performances differed so much. A phrase that has been banded about more recently in footballing circles is the notion of "wanting it". Against Celtic, Motherwell's performance showed they "wanted it more", while Inverness "wanted it more" last Saturday.
I say this is a cop out excuse. Last time I checked, football was a competitive sport. The aim is to win, to want the victory. Indeed the "want" attitude should be scrapped altogether. For example, I don't necessarily "want" to do my job, but I do it to the best of my abilities to merit my pay at the end of the month.
Footballers have a job to do and thus the "want" to win should be replaced by putting the effort in to get it. If you can raise your game to beat the top team in the league, you should be able to do the same against the lesser teams. This just doesn't go for Motherwell, every SPL team is guilty of it.
This brings in the question of "lying down". In the aftermath of beating Celtic, I , like many Well fans, was chided about how we lie down to Rangers to the score of 6-0, but then go and beat Celtic. Is it because we have a former Ranger as manager? Do we have a team full of proddys? Is it because were just "Huns without the bus fare?"
I turned this around and asked why no one questioned Rangers lying down to Celtic in the last pathetic pantomime excuse for an Old Firm game. I mean, they can raise their game to beat us, but can't muster the effort against their so called nemesis. Double standards much?
Alas, no one bit on my fishing. (Need to learn from the master of reeling in the Old Firm, fellow Well fan, Alastair Flemington). As frustrating as performing so poorly up north was, the focus must now shift to Sunday.
Dundee United in the Cup is always a special game, due to the 1991 connection. As I've said in past blogs, my only memories of that day in May are of my Grandad being overjoyed when I got back form a friends birthday party. The video of the occasion however, is etched on my mind. The drama of relinquishing the lead with mere seconds left to go to extra time. Ally Maxwell's broken ribbed heroics, Super Sub Kirky netting the decisive winner. And Phil "Brave as A Lion" O'Donnell, stooping to head home the goal of his career.
United games will now be synonymous with Uncle Phil as they were the opponents on the day he died. In the years that have passed since then, Dundee United and Motherwell fans have been allies, where others would not.That connection will take a while to disipate, but the best way to overcome the emotion of it would be a win on Sunday.
With Rangers out, anyone left in is capable of making the Scottish Cup final this year.We've been to Hampden once already this year for a Semi. Our unpredictability could very well see us there twice more in our quest for a cup.While Mccall has mixed tactics around in games, he has pretty much kept to the same players for his formations, dependant on injury and suspension. For us well fans, it's frustrating seeing the same set of players win one week and lose the next.
This could work in our favour at the weekend. Not knowing what team will turn up may see Dundee United usurped by our complacency. The fact it will be their 3rd game in a week also means they may be tired and leg weary. Their win over Accies last night showed they have the mentality to go the distance, but could come a cropper.
We've put them out of one Cup this season, and I hope we do it again, but the players need to show commitment to the cause. I made quite an impassioned plea in my pre Hampden blog a month or so back, so I'm not going to spit out the same jingoistic inspirational stuff I did there. Instead, all I want to say is that anything can happen in the cup. Sometimes playing scrappy can win a Cup game and lead to success. Style is not the issue in a one off match, the result is the most important.
There is no reason why the intensity shown in the Celtic victory should not be matched this weekend. No passengers allowed.For guys like Craigan, Lasley and Hammell, realistically this could be their best attempt at a trophy at MFC. Players like Randolph, Humphrey, Jeffers even could use a cup win as a platform to a higher level. (Hope not in Randolph's case though...). For the youngsters like Hutchinson, Murphy, Saunders, Forbes, et al, a crack at some silverware so early in their careers would do wonders for their confidence. Johnny Sutton could earn himself a place in history by firing us to the Cup in a way that only a man who looks like he's running through treacle can.
United are there for the taking. For one weekend, forget about the league and what's happened in the past. Concentrate on the task at hand. Don't "want" it, take it!
Up the Well!!!
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