The Premiership Kingmaker Out To Make Motherwell Scotland's Bodo/glimt

ByNick McPheat

BBC Sport Scotland

Jens Berthel Askou is connected a video telephone addressing world members of nan Well Society, who shape a fraction of Motherwell's 4,000-strong instrumentality ownership group.

The 43-year-old Danish coach has conscionable been asked really realistic it is for nan humble Lanarkshire broadside to emulate nan freakish occurrence of Champions League last-16 nine Bodo/Glimt aliases shock 2025 Swedish champions Mjallby.

"If we're brave capable to beryllium highly accordant pinch nan measurement we person identified imaginable advantages against amended opponents pinch much resources, I deliberation it's possible," he replies.

At that constituent successful precocious October, Askou's squad were attracting attraction pinch their bold and aggravated possession-based football, yet their ceiling appeared constricted to a top-half push aft securing only a 2nd convention triumph successful 9 matches.

Seven months on, Motherwell are connected nan brink of securing European qualification, playing what erstwhile Celtic striker Chris Sutton describes arsenic nan champion shot successful nan UK.

That estimation has labelled Askou's men arsenic kingmakers successful nan Scottish Premiership title title - a billing they lived up to pinch a stunning triumph astatine Rangers 2 weeks ago.

Leaders Hearts and second-placed Celtic are adjacent to sojourn Lanarkshire, wherever Motherwell person mislaid conscionable doubly successful 16 months, successful a five-day spell that could determine nan destination of nan trophy.

But who is nan man starring nan Fir Park revolution?

Motherwell's shape has tailed disconnected aft a singular tally of 1 conclusion and 14 cleanable sheets successful 20 convention matches that had them successful scarcely believable title contention.

Despite that, Askou's nine-month Premiership travel has felt for illustration a linear way to success, pinch a European spot successful rubbing distance.

That does not use to his managerial career, though demands person ever been sky-high.

At Danish nine Horsens, wherever Askou knowledgeable top-flight promotion and relegation, time 1 of his two-and-a-half-year spell began pinch him scurrying astir pinch a bin container because he felt nan accommodation were not up to standard.

Sporting head Niels Erik Sondergaard, who had signed nan erstwhile Norwich and Millwall defender arsenic a subordinate for Esbjerg a decade earlier, appointed him.

"He felt it was a small spot dirty. He ever wanted things cleanable and organised astir him," Sondergaard tells BBC Scotland, recalling Askou dipping successful and retired of bushes to cod accelerated nutrient rubbish.

"As a subordinate he was not calved pinch nan biggest talent, but he made it done dedication, difficult activity and mentality. This is what we saw erstwhile he was caput coach. I knew he would spell connected to bigger things."

Mikkel Frankoch, who played nether Askou astatine Vendsyssel and HB Torshavn, remembers his "demanding yet understanding" erstwhile coach mounting nan barroom during pre-season training.

"He was ever moving successful front, showing america really it should beryllium done," says nan Midtjylland younker coach. "He's a feline you look up to. He's changed nan civilization astatine each nine he's been at."

Frankoch views Askou arsenic a coaching inspiration but recalls being savagely dropped arsenic Vendsyssel closed successful connected promotion.

"He told maine immoderate things he wasn't happy about," he says. "When I was playing again I had this hunger to show him. I played my champion games afterwards.

"He has a bully knowing of who should play and why they should play. He has an effect connected players, helping them to show nan champion versions of themselves."

Tinkering is thing Askou's Motherwell squad person go accustomed to. It has been cardinal to their unpredictability and relentless fittingness levels.

A displacement to a 4-2-4 statement would person earned a consequence astatine Tynecastle past period had nan squad taken their second-half chances.

Derek McInnes conceded his Hearts broadside "could person been beaten" successful each 3 meetings pinch Motherwell this season.

A fortnight later astatine Ibrox, nan strategy worked to perfection successful a sensational first half. Motherwell cruised into a two-goal lead earlier their fearlessness helped them snatch a 3-2 victory.

That triumph marked nan first clip successful much than 20 years that they person beaten some sides of nan Old Firm successful nan aforesaid campaign.

For Hibernian's sojourn successful November, 5 changes and a astonishment move to a 3-4-3 caught moreover his ain players disconnected guard. Dogmatic this head is not.

Askou explained nan alteration was designed to expose deficiencies successful Hibs centre-back Grant Hanley, who gave distant a punishment earlier being sent off.

It was his side's champion 90-minute show until they welcomed Wilfried Nancy's Celtic a period later.

With apical scorer Tawanda Maswanhise astatine nan Africa Cup of Nations and on-loan centre-back Stephen Welsh ineligible, Askou's backmost 4 consisted of 3 right-backs and a winger. The different six outfielders were midfielders.

In different 2-0 victory, they schooled Celtic successful a measurement galore pundits said they had ne'er seen earlier from a non-Old Firm team.

Now nether Martin O'Neill, that sobering evening will beryllium successful those players' minds connected Wednesday erstwhile they return to Fir Park - wherever only Falkirk person won this term.

For Motherwell, it was a nighttime that confirmed to their fans that they are watching nan champion shot they person seen from their side.

According to Frankoch, a akin communicative played retired astatine Vendsyssel, wherever Askou moved from adjunct to head successful 2018.

Top-flight promotion pinch a young squad playing breathtaking shot was followed by contiguous relegation.

A play-off conclusion by early employers Horsens led to his sacking successful his first caput coach domiciled - a determination nan players struggled to accept. The nine person not been successful nan apical tier since.

After a six-month break, Askou moved to Torshavn successful nan Faroe Islands. He won a convention and cup double, losing conscionable 3 of 32 home games. They person not won their apical formation since he left.

"After we won nan convention I sewage a move to Norway and location were a batch of different guys who sewage sold," Frankoch says.

"So he had a immense effect successful making players better. Trophies are 1 thing, but he made maine a amended footballer."

Even pinch that way record, location was still a existent aerial of enigma astir Motherwell's assignment of nan Dane, who joined unsocial pinch nary backroom squad past June.

A revamp of nan sports subject section and nan presence of adjunct coach Max Rogers followed.

A nine video showed Askou introducing himself to his caller players successful mockumentary-esque style: aggravated handshakes and awkward mini talk.

Later astatine his media unveiling, he expressed top-six intends while playing charismatic football. Those targets person been smashed.

His CV made for funny reading, though. He joined IFK Gothenburg from Horsens for a twelvemonth but near for an adjunct domiciled astatine Sparta Prague.

The truth Sparta's sporting head - and erstwhile Arsenal midfielder - Tomas Rosicky referenced a mediocre protect grounds erstwhile Askou departed now seems comical.

Motherwell person surgery their clean-sheet grounds this word and are connected people for nan second-best protect grounds successful nine history crossed a 38-game top-flight season.

Clearly, this is not normal for nan Lanarkshire side, nor is it for teams pinch amended resources and bigger budgets to time off Fir Park pinch thing having had 30% of nan ball.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

They person besides conceded conscionable 9 Premiership goals successful 17 location games. Five of those person been scored by Falkirk, Motherwell's kryptonite this season.

Saturday, 9 May

Fir Park, Motherwell

Askou's adjunct roles successful Prague and astatine Copenhagen - wherever he worked astatine Champions League level - person been integral successful shaping him.

Discussions pinch Motherwell took spot while he was celebrating a convention and cup double successful nan Danish superior 12 months ago.

The Fir Park nine had mislaid ex-Austria Vienna leader Michael Wimmer aft 12 games. He was homesick and near to subordinate German third-tier outfit Jahn Regensburg.

The erstwhile Stuttgart coach had guided nan squad to top-flight endurance while making them fitter and much dominant, providing Askou pinch thing of a platform.

Wimmer's daze exit was a caller section successful a play of upheaval. Stuart Kettlewell had resigned arsenic head conscionable months prior, citing instrumentality abuse.

Work was besides ongoing to repair fractures wrong nan club aft a grounded takeover effort from a erstwhile Netflix vice-president.

Since then, nan level has been refreshed, led by young president Kyrk Macmillan - a manner businessman whose father-in-law is connected nan committee of Hertha Berlin.

The nine and their fanbase person craved stability. They are possibly still waiting for that, fixed nan dizzy heights Askou has taken them to.

Talk of a title title while Easter eggs were connected nan shelves was silly business, but Askou challenged his players to beryllium inspired by Bodo/Glimt's emergence successful Norway.

Form has since dropped disconnected successful a gruelling end-of-season schedule, pinch Motherwell facing top-six guidance successful each of their last 9 games.

However, nan action of 5 of Askou's players - Calum Ward, Paul McGinn, Elliot Watt, Elijah Just and Maswanhise - successful nan PFA Premiership squad of nan year only highlights his staggering assemblage of work.

What besides continues to boggle nan mind is nan show of goalkeeper Ward opinionated 30 yards from his goal, studs connected nan ball, inviting pressure.

Fans were horrified erstwhile he was lobbed by a part-time Clyde striker early successful Askou's first lucifer - a 2-2 League Cup group tie - but his superb consequence to those early-season teething issues has been symbolic of nan team's rise.

The support - and moreover nan squad - were unconvinced during nan summertime months.

All nan while, nan committee were negotiating nan nine grounds waste of Lennon Miller to Udinese. Boy, would he thrive successful this side, but his absence has hardly been felt.

An early wobble against Rangers successful their convention opener intensified nan doubt, but an exhilarating second-half show secured buy-in from nan fans and, crucially, nan players.

"There person not been galore teams successful Scotland that predominate games nan measurement this squad do," Motherwell midfielder Andy Halliday said of his side, who mean nan second-highest possession (59%) successful nan Premiership.

"It wasn't precisely a awesome start, but nan capacity levels were there."

Halliday credits Askou's clarity of vision, repetitive training and a blame-free culture. Recruitment has besides been impressive.

Watt grounded to nail down a starting spot astatine St Johnstone. This season, nary midfielder successful nan convention has much meticulous short aliases agelong passes per 90 minutes.

Fellow midfielders Lukas Fadinger, Ibrahim Said and Oscar Priestman are composed connected nan shot but relentless disconnected it, contributing to nan squad being among nan champion sides successful Europe for regaining possession.

Left-back Emmanuel Longelo has 14 extremity contributions. Centre-back Welsh is arguably playing nan champion shot of his career.

Attacking midfielder Just - who struggled nether Askou astatine Horsens and is built for illustration he would beryllium blown distant by a Lanarkshire gale - has been one of nan Premiership's standouts.

But nan existent stories dishonesty successful nan improvements to inherited players. Maswanhise is nan league's apical scorer, Ward has nan astir cleanable sheets, and only 1 subordinate has much Premiership assists than Callum Slattery.

Meanwhile, nan transformations successful Scottish shot veterans McGinn and Stephen O'Donnell person been for illustration thing retired of Space Jam.

"Askou has travel successful and players who person played successful Scotland for specified a agelong play are playing nan champion shot of their careers," Halliday added.

"He's creating sellable assets, and he's going to prolong careers arsenic well."

Motherwell could yet decorativeness nan play pinch their second-highest top-flight points tally. They person mislaid conscionable 8 Premiership games - less than successful immoderate of their past 30 convention seasons.

Fans are almost definite to person astatine slightest 1 European travel this summer, yet location is simply a chance nan run could consciousness for illustration a missed opportunity. A League Cup semi-final thumping by St Mirren and a Scottish Cup exit astatine Aberdeen trim deep.

They person not won silverware since 1991, contempt aggregate convention placings of second, third, and 4th passim nan past 2 decades. This play feels different, though.

The marque of shot has spiked attendances and helped present a caller procreation of supporters to a fan-owned nine successful nan protector of Glasgow's large two.

The glass-half-empty position is that galore foretell this will beryllium nan first and only loop of Askou's Motherwell, specified is nan value of nan occupation he has done.

But nan nine are wished to guarantee that is not nan lawsuit and alternatively want this to beryllium thing to build on.

"Hopefully this is nan commencement of something," says president Macmillan.

"We were rather clear that we had a exemplary and playing personality we wanted to activity to. No matter what happens successful nan future, it's important we proceed that journey."