Motherwell's form has collapsed after a remarkable season under Wilfried Nancy's successor Askou, when the side was almost unplayable at times. Their performances against Celtic, Rangers and St Mirren stood out, driven by a central midfield core of Elijah Just, Stephen Welsh, Elliot Watt and Callum Slattery. All four departed in the summer, and Askou's exit to Toulouse left a major gap in a squad preparing for European football.
Under new boss Alfred Johansson, the start to the season has been difficult. Motherwell are now just a point off the foot of the Scottish Premiership table after a League Cup exit at Stenhousemuir, and their injury-hit squad badly needs a win. Former Celtic and Hibs midfielder Scott Allan believes the loss of aggression without the ball and the departure of Just have left the team exposed.
The statistics tell a more nuanced story. Motherwell are scoring fewer goals, down from 1.55 per game to 1.1, yet their expected goals have risen from 1.48 to 1.6. They are also averaging more shots on target and producing similar numbers of touches in the box. The bigger problem is defensive: goals conceded have nearly doubled, from 0.95 to 1.8 per game, and they now face five more shots per match.
Allan says the team is no longer as connected as it was under Askou, when the side stayed compact and switched play effectively. Combined with Welsh's absence, the injury to captain Paul McGinn and a change in goalkeeper, Motherwell appear caught in a perfect storm of new players, a new manager and fading confidence.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing