What a year! Three managers, a Hampden semi-final and
Motherwell lauded for style and entertainment.
It did not take long
for Motherwell to be dragged through the headlines. By the end of January we had lost in cup and
league to a struggling St Johnstone team and spirits were low. Stuart Kettlewell claimed that fans’ criticism of him was such that his family could no
longer attend games and he walked (maybe before he was pushed).
Kettlewell had overseen the January transfer window with a plan to turn the team’s fortunes. In came eight on loan including Kai Andrews and Callum Ward.
The club board, still
relatively new to the job, identified Michael Wimmer, as the man to take the
club forward. He promised a refreshed
outlook and early signs looked good. He
soon endeared himself to the support by delivering a win at Ibrox.
Off the field the Motherwell AGM revealed sound finances and the Well Society identified increased revenue not fresh
investment as the priority.
The season ended in the Highland sunshine with a 1-1 draw and we finished the season in eighth place with an impressive 49 points.
Supporters looked with
favour on the new manager and began to anticipate what he might deliver in the
new season as he reconstructed the squad.
No one anticipated the headline ‘Wimmer
leaves ‘ would appear less than a
week after the final game of the campaign.
He had been in charge for a dozen games and cited family reasons for his
return to Germany. He was soon in charge
of SSV Jahn Regensburg in the German third tier.
The club board resumed their search for a manager and in mid-June announced another unexpected choice. Jens Berthel Askou was installed as the players returned after the close season and within a week he was with them at the Dutch training camp. What followed was remarkable.
The summer revamp of
the squad delivered Lukas Fadinger, Jordan McGhee, Elliot Watt, Eseosa Sule(on
loan), Elijah Just, Emmanuel Longelo, Ibrahim Said, Esapa Osong, Callum Hendry,
Regan Charles-Cook, Oscar Priestman and Stephen Welsh (on loan) to Fir Park and
along with the manager’s belief in possession based attacking football a
revolution had arrived.
There were a few hiccups on the way but soon both the new and old faces took to the manager’s style. The loss of the first goal of the new season caused some consternation in the away stand when Clyde took the lead with a long range lob over Ward. The notion of playing the ‘keeper as an auxiliary sweeper prompted some debate but as form improved it was accepted.
The League Cup group
was won and wins over St
Johnstone and Aberdeen
led to the semi-final. There the run
ended in defeat to St
Mirren.
Lennon
Miller’s expected departure came in August.
His move to Udinese will give a reported four to five million euro boost
to the Fir Park bank balance. We keep an
eye on his progress and wish him well.
The League began with
a hard fought home draw with Rangers.
The second away fixture had us at Tynecastle and what unfolded for an hour was magical. Motherwell ran rings around the bemused Hearts side and was not flattered by the 3-0 lead it had earned. Sadly we could not resist the energetic recovery of the home side and had to settle for a draw.
That inability to hold
a winning position was an obvious weakness in the early season but by the end
of the calendar year a run of seven clean sheets in the last eight showed
defensive strength.
At times the
performance has been breathtaking and it has been refreshing to hear pundits
pour praise on the team as it moved up the table. The year ended with a tough double header
against the Old Firm. Perhaps the most
significant indicator of the team’s progress was that many supporters (and
media pundits) expected Motherwell to take points from the Glasgow pair. We came close at Ibrox then triumphed at Fir
Park with a 2-0 humbling of Celtic.
There’s much to look forward to in 2026.
The Year in Review 2024
The Year in Review 2023
The Year in Review 2022
The Year in Review 2021
The Year in Review
2020
The Year in Review 2019
The Year in Review 2018
The Year in Review 2017
The Year in Review 2016
The Year in Review 2015
The Year in Review 2014
The Year in Review 2013
The Year in Review 2012
The Year in Review 2011
The Year in Review 2010
The Year in Review 2009
The Year in Review 2008
The Year in Review 2006
The Year in Review 2005
The Year in Review: 2004
The Year in Review: 2003
The Year in Review: 2002
The Year in Review: 2001
