In a season full of twists and turns, one of the most surprising teams to emerge in the title race is Motherwell F.C. From bottom-six finishes to relegation scraps, the devoted Motherwell fans have seen it all, but now they are living in an Askou wonderland.
At the very beginning of the season, I watched them take on Stenhousemuir F.C. in the Premier Sports Cup group stage, and I could never have expected them to reach such heights. On that bleak Saturday afternoon, Motherwell struggled; they looked like a team that lacked confidence and connection. Many may have been watching on— some, like my dad —thinking it would be a long and scrappy season but boy, did they turn out to be wrong!
New manager, Jens Berthel Askou, was just at the beginning of his career at Motherwell, so naturally he needed time to work with the players and bring more in. They do say time is a healer, and it has certainly healed Motherwell’s league form. Fast forward to February, and Motherwell have secured a top-six finish with 11 games to go. With just 10 points separating them from the league leaders, Hearts, could the unthinkable happen?
There are many — including Motherwell midfielder Andy Halliday — who believe that “Motherwell have been the best team in the league,” as he discussed on Sky Sports Scotland. The Steelmen may be on to something. Motherwell have one of the best home records in the league, one of the strongest defensive records, and a very potent attacking threat.
This season, Motherwell have only been beaten at home once — by Falkirk back in October. Since then, they have maintained a ten-game unbeaten home streak. They have also produced one of the best defensive displays in their history, keeping 20 clean sheets out of 36 games played — a feat that took them 51 games to achieve in 2017/18.
Adding to those clean sheets is their goals-against record, which, as it stands, remains the lowest in the league at just 18 goals conceded. Their goal difference equals that of Hearts at +27 — numbers that could prove pivotal in a title race. It’s not only in Scotland that Motherwell are reaping the rewards of their defensive displays. The SPFL released a post showing that Motherwell had a defensive record that exceeded some of the best in European football. As it stands, Motherwell have conceded fewer league goals than Paris Saint-Germain F.C. (19), Arsenal F.C. (21), FC Bayern Munich (21), and Real Madrid C.F. (21). Not to place Motherwell on a grand pedestal, but that is impressive company.
Every defence is only as strong as its attack, and this season Motherwell haven’t been lacking in that department either. With 45 goals scored so far, they may well go on to surpass the 47 goals scored in a single season, set a decade ago. They are also on course for one of their best winning seasons since 2015, which stood at 15 games.
Top goalscorer Tawanda Maswanhise has contributed 14 league goals and, judging by his performances, he is on the hunt for more. For Motherwell, it has truly been a team effort — and that is reflected on the scoresheet as well. This season, Motherwell have had 14 different goalscorers, all contributing to the dream of reaching European football.
With the possibility of European football returning to a bouncing Fir Park, the Motherwell faithful will be backing their team all the way to the end — and who knows, maybe that could even mean a trophy lift at Fir Park. In a season full of unexpected turns, Motherwell are aiming for the stars.
I have a keen interest in sport journalism and broadcasting.
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