The Alfred Johansson era got off to a winning start as a makeshift Motherwell side saw off Faroese outfit Havnar Boltfelag by two goals to nil in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League qualifying tie.
This crack at European football was a just reward for the Steelmen’s exemplary work last season, but the side that took the field here bore little resemblance to the one constructed by Jens Berthel Askou – at least in terms of personnel.
Still, they had more than enough about them to avoid becoming the latest Scottish side to suffer an embarrassing result this week, and the goals they scored to do so were absolutely sumptuous.
First, their big Austrian centre-back Martin Moormann strolled onto a ball 25 yards from goal to the right-hand edge of the Havnar box and unleashed a rocket into the opposite top corner. Then, in the second half, his compatriot Lukas Fadinger – one of the few familiar faces out there – stroked a delicious effort in off the bar from the edge of the area to get a packed Fir Park on its feet again.
Here are the talking points from Lanarkshire…
JOHANNSON ERA GETS OFF TO A SOLID START
The trouble with a club in the Premiership overperforming their supposed station, and doing so in such impressive fashion, is that their success makes their key men – both in the dugout and on the field – ripe fare for circling vultures with deeper pockets.
Such has been the case at Motherwell this summer, with manager Berthel Askou being tempted away to Toulouse and the likes of Elliot Watt and Elijah Just following him out of the Fir Park exit door.
The flip side, of course, are the rumours that chairman Kyrk Macmillan is currently spending his days diving into a pile of cash Scrooge McDuck-style, and the mountain of moolah that Motherwell have amassed will allow the club to invest in key infrastructure and safeguard their future for years to come.
None of that particularly helps new manager Johansson in the here and now, mind you, with a European banana skin to negotiate safely before many of his players are on first name terms, even if he will be given funds to strengthen over the remaining weeks of the summer.
Neither did an injury list that would choke a horse, with a pretty handy-looking sevens team including the likes of Tawanda Maswanhise, Stephen O’Donnell and Paul McGinn sitting up in the Phil O’Donnell Stand.
The encouraging thing for him, and for the Motherwell support though, was that there were plenty of signs of life about his team, even if the majority in the packed-out stands could barely pick half their side out of a line-up…
SO, HOW DOES LIFE AFTER JENS LOOK?
It has been called one of the most unenviable jobs in Scottish football this season, following Berthel Askou into the Motherwell dugout, but there were encouraging signs here even this early on for the man tasked with doing just that.
Johansson has said repeatedly since he arrived in Lanarkshire that he would not be smashing up something that wasn’t broken, and some hallmarks of the Berthel Askou style were evident. Motherwell still played out from the back, even when a lack of understanding between new teammates led to one or two hairy moments.
They got lucky when a short pass from Jake Girdwood-Reich gave Noah Mneney the chance to lob home keeper Alex Paulsen, who was miles out of his goal, but the Havnar man pulled his effort well wide.
There were some notable differences in approach too, though. For one, Motherwell must have thrown more crosses into the box in the opening half than they did in the entirety of last season. If they had a number nine available they may well have filled their boots, but as it was, the one cross Ibrahim Said did meet, he ended up crashing his header off the bar from a couple of yards.
All in all though, Johansson will be encouraged that there was a clearly discernible style on display, even with a patchwork look to the teamsheet.
HOW DID NEW MEN FARE?
Of the many new faces on display, the showstopping strike from Moormann obviously caught the eye, but his fledgling partnership with Girdwood-Reich at the back clearly needs a little work, with the pair almost caught out on a couple of occasions. Which is understandable at this early stage.
On the left, Dylan Williams was industrious despite being shoved up one from his usual left-back berth, while Willy Vogt looked a little more like the exciting prospect the Motherwell fans had expected when he arrived, after looking so undercooked in last week’s friendly against Genk there were fears he might spark a salmonella outbreak. He did miss an absolute sitter after great set-up play by Tom Sparrow, mind you.
Considering they had all been thrown in alongside only a handful of survivors from last season, though, they acquitted themselves well on the whole, which again, would encourage Johansson.
MIKEY BOOTH THE LATEST FIR PARK GEM?
There’s nothing that fans love to see more than one of their own coming through and making an impact, and Motherwell have been blessed with many young gems throughout the years. In Mikey Booth, they may just have unearthed another.
Behind the scenes, there have been whispers about his ability for some time, and managers as far back as Michael Wimmer have namechecked the midfielder as one to watch.
He has had his issues with injury, but at 19, he now looks ready to make an impact. He was handed a start here through necessity, perhaps, but he will have given his manager plenty of food for thought with an assured display.
FIR PARK FULL OF LIFE
Another remnant from the Berthel Askou era is full stands at Fir Park, and the Tommy McLean Stand – normally reserved for away supporters – even had to be opened here to satisfy the demand from the locals, 7767 of whom rolled up for the occasion.
Before the game, the Motherwell fans in the John Hunter Stand unfurled an impressive banner bearing the slogan: ‘In these streets we dream of glory.’ First, they have to get past the Faroese, and for all the issues they had going into this first leg, they have given themselves a good chance of doing just that.
