If you look at our league games this year (lost to Rangers, Aberdeen, Hibs and Hearts, drawn with St Mirren and Dundee United and defeated Falkirk and Inverness) our performances haven't varied by that much. Generally we work hard but we don't show any special motivation. We have a decent share of the ball but we struggle to create chances. Essentially our form tells us nothing we don't know - we are competent enough to stay in the league by picking up points from other poor teams but not anywhere near good enough to threaten the more solid outfits. And remember, in our last three games we have helped the opposition out with four own goals out of the five we have conceded, we have had two cleared off the line, we hit the inside of the post and we had a goal chalked off in dubious circumstances. It is not unrealistic to think we might have added even more to our points tally.
All of this seems fairly obvious but it seems that a section of our support needs to be more realistic. Not in terms of our long-term ambition but in terms of knee jerk reactions to the last match. Is the football we've been playing recently acceptable? Possibly not. But football is a results driven business and Malpas has more than achieved the acceptable limit for a Motherwell manager. Many of the complaints about football these days - the prices, the lack of atmosphere, hassle from the stewards - while valid are totally outwith his control. Dunfermline are all but relegated, St Mirren have won once in over twenty games, Falkirk have lost eight in a row (without fluking the Stokes signing they would be with Dunfermline) while Dundee United and Inverness have also endured seasons every bit as forgettable as ours. We have problems, of course we do, but there isn't a team in the bottom six that doesn't. Things aren't great right now but they need to be kept in perspective. There's not a team in the bottom six which can feel absolutely secure at the minute.
Under our previous managers, Alex McLeish, Billy Davies, Eric Black and Terry Butcher (I'll ignore Harri Karri) we have struggled but survived and occasionally thrived. What is interesting to note that while we have achieved modest success (a couple of top sixes and a cup final), our recent low points haven't been that low. Look at Dundee - better than us for a few years but doomed, Livingston - Europe and a pot but back in obscurity and Dunfermline - 4th, two cup finals, Europe but heading for relegation who have all arguably achieved more than us for a brief time. They have not had the consistency of achievement that we have though. Only the Old Firm, Aberdeen and Hearts have been in the top league on a longer run than us. For a club like ours that is success.
So instead of moaning that things are so bad right now, let's be grateful that bad for us is still so much better than for other clubs. Is Maurice Malpas going to lead us to glory? Truth be told, probably not. But what is certain is that there is no quick fix solution. Tommy McLean made dozens of mistakes but was given time and came good. Jim Jefferies at Killie was under incredible pressure from their fans two seasons ago yet look at them now. The key is giving the manager time and sticking with him throughout the initial bad spell. We would all rather be in Kilmarnock's position than Dundee United's right now and it does not seem unreasonable to think that the patience of the Rugby Park board has made the difference between the clubs. Malpas needs to be given the proper time needed to see if he can do the job - and even if not, a couple of a bad seasons finishing 10th and making quarter finals is hardly going to kill us.