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He’s just embarrassing himself as FIFA themselves refer to the different versions VAR light. https://inside.fifa.com/innovation/standards/video-assistant-referee Hawkeye Innovations do both and I’m almost completely sure that Scotland isn’t the full system they provide that likes of England, Italy and Germany do. It would indeed be interesting for him to name the leagues he is referring to as totally disingenuous to suggest cost isn’t a factor. The version in use in Scotland is far more dependent on the quality of the human Video Assistant Referee. Acknowledging that this increases potential for mistakes would be little consolation in individual circumstances but surely more likely to be (grudgingly) accepted by fans.

Honest....I wasnt thinking of a Jethro Tull pun 🤪🤪

I agree with you. If he were German or Danish and could squeeze into a slim-fit Uniqlo long-sleeve minimalist-style t-shirt, opinion on him would likely be very different. There are a few things that I admire about McGlynn's style, including his brave decision to reject the usual approach to Scottish Championship-level football (direct, physical, second-ball contests) in favour of a more attractive, proactive approach. I have probably watched more of Falkirk in the second half of this season than any club outside of our own, and it's mental how calm they seem to play. They often looked like a side who just know the goal would eventually come through repetition and patience rather than chaos and panic. Some would say that has proven to be the way to actually undo us this season. McGlynn seems to be more interested in Intelligent footballers. Falkirk this past season had technically sound midfielders, full-backs comfortable in possession, and mobile, versatile attackers. He is one of the rare few generally less interested in the "run your socks off, earn the right to play football" approach that many Scottish managers (and some not Scottish managers, it must be said) tend to employ. That said, his approach is different from the system we have in place at the moment, even if I do rate McGlynn highly. In my view, he favours a system where the players look comfortable, the system serves the players, and they play with confidence, rhythm and repetition. Us under Jens seemed more along the lines of constant movement, pressing triggers, rotations and tactical demands. Everything feels designed to overwhelm opponents physically and mentally, where the players serve the system instead. What the real question is, is what we're doing actually sustainable? McGlynn has shown his system is sustainable over League One (also going undefeated I think?), Championship, promotion pressures, initial relegation pressure in being one of the favourites to go back down, and also squad turnover. What he's done with Falkirk is remarkable. I know the trendy option is to look for coaches who look the part and have umlauts in their name, but I do think we could honestly do much worse than John McGlynn. But the fact he's Scottish and looks like the guy your auld da talks to down the bookies definitely works against him, I think.

No disrespect meant to Max. If he is of / has developed a similar mindset and approach to JBA plus has the relationship with the players, I’d be more than happy for him to lead next stage of progression I’d be just as content if he recognises his strengths lie in assisting another.

He is.

As in Frank Zappa's "Weasels ripped my flesh" Hell mend them.

True, dat. So, I'm hopeful we continue the bold Scandi-approach, not just because it's great to look at but because it puts thousands on the gate, something I'm sure the club directors are very aware of. BTW, is Max Rogers still with us? In all this excitement, I've lost track.

Brilliant. Sums the whole farce up. And highlights the misleading information being pushed out of HQ. Maxwell also stated that no way was VAR being withdrawn. Out of curiosity, is that his call or is it up to the teams in the top division? If they united (this is Scotland so unlikely) could we do a Sweden? Was reading yesterday that after discussing VAR with numerous Clubs, Rangers approached Maxwell with funding and improvement suggestions. Dismissed out of hand. Appears we have a Dictator running his own little empire.

These are great reads and refreshing to see that there are actually other coaches out there that subscribe to what JBA was doing. Wellmade mentioned muscut. Cant have him. The Rangers have wanted him the last two appointments. If he won 3 games in a row with us the tabloids would have him fitted up for a navy suit and broon brogues

Maxwell is a wanker , like Doncaster not fit for purpose . For the benefit of the Scottish game , both need removed asap.

What is this utter nonsense??? Don’t you know Billy Davies, Barry Ferguson and Tony Docherty are available!! just lets all stop with any progressive thinking….. it only brings sorrow. 😉

Great post..based on whats happened with us over past few seasons, id favour a foreign coach....but surely theres a uk coach out there who is looking to make a name for themselves. Maybe not an absolute rule but the Scandanavians just seem more astute and intelligent than our guys. What about Stavri Kettlesborg?

Hibs maybe but doubt Celtic would sell to Hearts. And he enjoys his football too much to fit into the Robinson non football approach. Aberdeen fans are in for a treat.

There's quite a range on the "Who Dares, Wins" scale from the elite SAS to the less elite Del Trotter.

It wouldn’t surprise me if he ended up in Auld Reekie or Furriboots City!

VAR in Scotland is hindered by one key factor - resources. In England they have a minimum of 28 cameras, sometimes more, available to VAR for each game. In Scotland there are a minimum of 6 cameras, sometimes going up to 12, for games selected for live broadcast. In Scotland, the estimated VAR costs are around £1.2M per season. The technology and operational expenses are funded by the 12 top flight clubs on a sliding scale according to their final league position. For a full season the estimated annual contributions from clubs are: - top placed teams £195K - lower ranked clubs £67K These contributions cover the stadium camera equipment, additional match officials and technology calibration. When asked recently about VAR, Ian Maxwell, CEO at the SFA said “There is a narrative that we have VAR-lite and that it’s a cheap VAR system but we have exactly the same VAR system as over 50% of European nations with the same technology and number of cameras.” It would be interesting to know which European nations he’s referring to - perhaps the likes of Luxembourg, Lichtenstein, San Marino, Gibraltar and the Faroe Islands! 😏

We have defintely shown "a who dares wins" attitude this season so SAS might be appropriate 😂

Exactly and just a bit of idle fun in meantime. maybe we should start the Steelmenonline Analytics Service a few successes and we could sell out to big tech for enough money to rebuild stadium 😜

So do I (it has it uses though) but we aren't getting any rumours so why not see what it reckons.. **My company is heavy on AI as well...**

Did we officially advertise for candidates to apply . I may have missed that. If not then we may have it done and dusted already

irrespective of who we eventually turn to, what all this research shows is that there are plenty of decent, progressive options out there. No need to turn to the usual, washed out, living in the past ( resist it Grizzlyg) favourites the Scottish media come up with. Hopefully something announced soon.

I trust anything AI says about as much as anything the Daily Record says.

Love this idea of using AI to see if we can identify who we may look at. Gemini gave me these 3 Losing Jens Berthel Askou to Toulouse is a massive gut punch right after he guided the Well to an incredible 4th-place finish and secured European football. His tactical blueprint—progressive, high-energy, attractive attacking football combined with an excellent track record of developing young talent—is exactly the foundation Chairman Kyrk Macmillan needs to preserve. Given the board’s clear preference to move away from the traditional "Scottish managerial merry-go-round" (as seen with Michael Wimmer and Askou) and scout Europe or further afield, the next appointment needs to be data-literate, tactically modern, and capable of handling European qualification fixtures right away. Here are four strong, realistic continental and international options that fit the exact tactical profile of what Askou built at Fir Park, rated on suitability: ### 1. Óskar Hrafn Thorvaldsson (Iceland) Thorvaldsson is a highly progressive coach who built a reputation for playing some of the most attractive, high-pressing football in Scandinavia during his time with Breidablik, famously taking them into the UEFA Conference League group stages. * **Style of Play:** Ultra-progressive, possession-oriented, and aggressively attack-minded. He favors a fluid 4-3-3 that prioritizes overloading wide areas and high-tempo transitions. * **Youth Development:** Exceptional. Icelandic football relies heavily on blooding academy talent, and Thorvaldsson excels at molding young players into sellable assets. * **Why he fits:** He has proven, recent pedigree in navigating European qualifiers with a modest budget, perfectly matching Motherwell's upcoming campaign. * **Fit Rating:** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) — *A tactical soulmate to Askou's approach and deeply accustomed to punching above his weight in Europe.* ### 2. Thomas Letsch (Germany) The former VfL Bochum and Vitesse Arnhem manager is currently available and brings a wealth of high-level European experience. He was a product of the Red Bull Salzburg coaching pipeline, meaning his tactical DNA is deeply rooted in modern football fundamentals. * **Style of Play:** High-octane, intense counter-pressing. He relies on vertical progression, meaning the team looks to get the ball forward sharply and aggressively rather than keeping possession for the sake of it. * **Youth Development:** Strong background. He previously managed Salzburg's feeder club, FC Liefering, which is essentially an elite global academy. * **Why he fits:** He guided Vitesse to a European knockout run and kept Bochum in the Bundesliga against the odds. He represents a slight step up in pedigree that could signal massive ambition from the Well board. * **Fit Rating:** ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5) — *Slightly more pragmatic in transitional phases than Askou, but brings elite tactical discipline and European pedigree.* ### 3. Per-Mathias Høgmo (Norway) If Motherwell wants an experienced hand who guarantees an incredibly entertaining, high-scoring side, the former Norway national team boss is an intriguing option. He recently managed Urawa Red Diamonds and previously worked wonders with BK Häcken in Sweden. * **Style of Play:** High-scoring, expansive 4-3-3. His Häcken side was famous for outscoring opposition, prioritizing creative freedom in the final third, and playing with incredibly high wing-backs. * **Youth Development:** Solid, though he tends to rely a bit more on established tactical roles. * **Why he fits:** He knows how to build a team that captures the imagination of the fans, ensuring Fir Park crowds (which are up 40%) stay highly entertained. * **Fit Rating:** ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5) — *Brilliant attacking style, though his higher wage profile and preference for slightly more experienced squads could be a hurdle.* ### 4. Kevin Muscat (Australia) Currently managing Shanghai Port, Muscat has been heavily linked with a return to Western football for a while. As a coach, he has completely shed his former "hardman" player reputation to become one of the most exciting tactical minds from the Ange Postecoglou coaching tree. * **Style of Play:** "Ange-ball" adjacent. Relentless attacking, inverted full-backs, high defensive lines, and a strict emphasis on suffocating the opposition in their own half. * **Youth Development:** Excellent track record in the A-League and J-League at giving young, energetic players the platform to thrive in high-intensity systems. * **Why he fits:** He brings an incredibly sharp, aggressive style that would take Askou's foundations and supercharge them. He also knows the UK landscape well but represents the "wider areas" scouting mission perfectly. * **Fit Rating:** ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3.5/5) — *Tactically perfect, but prising him away from lucrative overseas contracts mid-season would require a massive financial push.* ### Summary Comparison | Manager | Nationality | Preferred Style | European Exp. | Realistic Target? | |---|---|---|---|---| | **Óskar Hrafn Thorvaldsson** | Icelandic | High-tempo, Fluid 4-3-3 | High (Group Stages) | **Very Realistic** | | **Thomas Letsch** | German | Red Bull Pressing, Vertical | High (Eredivisie/UECL) | **Realistic** | | **Per-Mathias Høgmo** | Norwegian | Expansive, Attacking | High (Scandinavia) | **Ambitious** | | **Kevin Muscat** | Australian | Inverted Full-backs, Relentless | Asia Only | **Difficult** | Given how smoothly Jens integrated his Nordic sensibilities into Fir Park, leaning back into the Icelandic or Scandinavian market with a candidate like Thorvaldsson seems like the most logical step to keep the momentum going without ripping up the blueprint. Not saying any of them are affordable right enough..

At least our new manager won’t be Steve Clarke.

I think he missed the ball and the cross bar collided with his head