Football Season Guide

Motherwell were a surprise package in the Premiership last season as they unexpectedly finished fourth in the table, turning in an outstanding performance under Jens Berthel Askou to even get themselves into a position whereby they were being talked about as title outsiders. Askou left in the summer to move to Toulouse in France, but the brave style on the ball and dominance they showed is expected to continue under new manager Alfred Johansson, who is only 35 years old and is a similarly bold appointment to the one that brough Askou to the club. But it’s not just the manager who has left Fir Park. They have also sold midfield mainstays Elliot Watt and Eli Just for huge money, while Callum Slattery, another strong midfield option, has gone. On top of this, impressive goalkeeper Calum Ward has also departed in a further blow. Not only do the Well have the challenge of coming to grips with a new manager, who does seem to be preaching the same style as his predecessor, but they are also going to have to find new start players, with the midfield needing reshaped. A 4-3-3 seems to be the favoured system of the new manager, although injuries have hit Motherwell such that it is difficult to draw too many conclusions from their friendlies and opening Conference League match against HB. The defence is primed to lean heavily on veteran Paul McGinn and Stephen O’Donnell, if not as starters then certainly for depth. Martin Moormann and Jake Girdwood Empire both arrive in the defence with the promise of being key figures. Watt and Just have not been replaced in midfield – at least at the time of writing. This is something that will need addressed as both were so key to setting the tempo. Lukas Fadinger and Oscar Priestman are good options but not in the same league. Offensively, there is still a fair bit there for Motherwell, though they cannot rely on Tawanda Maswanhise busting his xG as emphatically as he did last season. The Well do not have an obvious scoring threat aside from him, although Willy Vogt has shown some promise on the wing in his early days.