Our New Manager

[purestate]

Should go without saying that any new manager inevitably has to prove himself to sceptics however that interview was a good start. I’d have had more concerns if we were the first club he’d brought his academic path to but he’s had two+ years at a senior club so few concerns about his age.  

Our players showed last year that they responded to a supportive coach encouraging them to play attacking football so can’t see them needing convincing of continuing this approach. 
 

This feels like a very positive appointment building on where we finished last season compared to so many seasons where it felt like we were having to reset whether or not with a new manager. 
 

welcome aboard Alfred. 

[Stuwell2]

2 hours ago, Richie said:

Interview now up

https://x.com/i/status/2067614664016400600

Good interview, he comes across really well and I noted that as well as talking to the management and staff here he’s also had discussions with Jens about the club and probably the players. 

[Spiderpig]

10 minutes ago, Stuwell2 said:

Good interview, he comes across really well and I noted that as well as talking to the management and staff here he’s also had discussions with Jens about the club and probably the players. 

I got the impression that JBA and him know each other well, probably from their FC Copenhagen days, i suspect a wee reccomendation from JBA to the club board.

[El Grew]

1 hour ago, Richie said:

We have seen on a few occasions how actual ignorance of the Scottish game and by extension the OF circus/fawning, can be beneficial.

 

Spot on. Berthel Askou was a breath of fresh air in the league last season and this guy might have the same effect.

[El Grew]

1 hour ago, MJC said:

He would more likely than not have a League Championship with Hearts to his name if it hadn’t been for John Beaton’s shitebaggery against us. He won Aberdeen their first silverware in almost two decades and never finished lower than 4th in the league whilst regularly reaching the latter stages of cup competitions with them. He also won the championship title with Kilmarnock (and St.Johnstone for that matter) and took them to Europe. I’d say that’s a pretty decent track record.

I think you may be supporting the wrong club mate!

[Spiderpig]

2 hours ago, MJC said:

That is approach is fine as long as it works out and there may well come a time sooner or later where we need to get back to basics and hire someone with a better knowledge of the league we play in. Rangers are doing just this by hiring Del after a string of foreign or project managers with little to no knowledge of the Scottish game.

Good to see you still supporting your big team. As for your assessment of "Del" as you call him gies peace ffs and stop talking shite.

[star sail]

Having spent the last few days continually hitting refresh on the website to get news of our new manager, I can't decide if I am excited or underwhelmed by today's announcement.

There is no doubt that the club are trying to stick with a successful formula but it does appear as if Rosenborg were going backwards under Johansson's care towards the end. Some comments I have read are less than flattering about the teams performances this season. They are currently sitting in the relegation zone in the league.

This appointment reminds me a little of Ian Cathro being appointed at Hearts. A very young manager from a non playing background who relied heavily on laptops and analytics.

Cathro was unsuccessful at Hearts but I think that was partly due to the culture at Hearts and the culture in Scottish Football at the time. Cathro has been very successful since and I think he has just landed a top job in France.

I get a sense that the senior players will have some say in how successful the new man is so hopefully the manager and senior players build a good rapport from the beginning.

I really hope he can build on the success of the last year and that by this time next year our biggest concern is that we are fending of interest for our rising star once more. 

 

[weeyin]

I'd have hated to see any McInnes style manager at Fir Park. We want to try and build on last season, not revert back towards Kettlewell's approach.

[bobbybingo]

23 minutes ago, Spiderpig said:

I got the impression that JBA and him know each other well, probably from their FC Copenhagen days, i suspect a wee reccomendation from JBA to the club board.

Seems he didn't know Jens personally, going by the video of him meeting the staff.

"Max Rogers, assistant manager. Hopefully" 

[star sail]

1 minute ago, weeyin said:

I'd have hated to see any McInnes style manager at Fir Park. We want to try and build on last season, not revert back towards Kettlewell's approach.

Agreed. Del, Rangers and MJC are a match made in heaven. I am always very happy when Motherwell try a completely different approach. 

[MJC]

19 minutes ago, El Grew said:

I think you may be supporting the wrong club mate!

Which would be the club I should be supporting going by that post then? Hearts? Aberdeen? Kilmarnock? Or maybe St.Johnstone? 
 

Or are you just going down the usual lazy route of “anyone who says anything remotely connected with Rangers must be a Rangers fan”???

I think Derek McInnes is a good manager. That’s all.

Artichoke, Cholmondeley, Pedigree, CHUM.

I think Derek McInnes is a good manager.

[MJC]

3 minutes ago, star sail said:

Agreed. Del, Rangers and MJC are a match made in heaven. I am always very happy when Motherwell try a completely different approach. 

I am too as long as it works. It kind of worked with Wimmer in that he kept us up that season but he left pretty sharpish. JBA was obviously a big success for us and we are obviously hoping that Alfred Johansson will also do well. But only time will tell and as I said he’s very young in managerial terms and our job will be a big challenge for him.

But I am right behind him.

[MelvinBragg]

2 hours ago, MJC said:

He would more likely than not have a League Championship with Hearts to his name if it hadn’t been for John Beaton’s shitebaggery against us. He won Aberdeen their first silverware in almost two decades and never finished lower than 4th in the league whilst regularly reaching the latter stages of cup competitions with them. He also won the championship title with Kilmarnock (and St.Johnstone for that matter) and took them to Europe. I’d say that’s a pretty decent track record.

He would have a league championship to his name if he had managed to win against the managerial genius of either Neil McCann in March or Marvin Bartley in April. He got Aberdeen regularly in the top four with one of the top four (probably top three or two when Rangers were elsewhere) budgets in the league. Am I supposed to be impressed by punching his weight while playing eye bleeding football..? I'm not that easily impressed...

[MJC]

Sometimes the so called eye bleeding football works in Scotland though doesn’t it?

It worked to an extent with Robinson when he was with us and even more so with St.Mirren. Killie under Steve Clarke weren’t easy on the eye either but they were effective and got results. And our last manager to win a trophy wasn’t renowned for ‘great to watch’ football but we ended up doing pretty well under him. (And yes, before anyone says it, I know that that wasn’t always the case and fans were protesting against Tommy McLean in the late 80s)

[MelvinBragg]

17 minutes ago, star sail said:

Having spent the last few days continually hitting refresh on the website to get news of our new manager, I can't decide if I am excited or underwhelmed by today's announcement.

There is no doubt that the club are trying to stick with a successful formula but it does appear as if Rosenborg were going backwards under Johansson's care towards the end. Some comments I have read are less than flattering about the teams performances this season. They are currently sitting in the relegation zone in the league.

 

I'm hearing chat that there may be bigger issues with Rosenborg, some financial issues having some impact. But whether that's leaks from the club trying to allay concerns about his recent performance, I can't say...

[star sail]

Who is the Nick with the Liverpool accent in the introductions video?

[MelvinBragg]

Just now, MJC said:

Sometimes the so called eye bleeding football works in Scotland though doesn’t it?

It worked to an extent with Robinson when he was with us and even more so with St.Mirren. Killie under Steve Clarke weren’t easy on the eye either but they were effective and got results. And our last manager to win a trophy wasn’t renowned for ‘great to watch’ football but we ended up doing pretty well under him. 

It depends what you're after then. Frankly I'm at an age where, if possible, I'd like to enjoy my Saturday afternoons. Do I prefer it when Motherwell win? Yes. Am I willing to sit through turgid football in order to see that? Possibly thanks to Messrs Alexander and Kettlewell, the answer is no. If Motherwell are winning 1-0 playing shite football, I'll read the match reports.. I gave serious consideration as to whether I was renewing my season ticket last season after Kettlewell and Wimmer. Glad I did. If we're at least going to try and entertain, that's good enough for me...

[weeyin]

1 minute ago, star sail said:

Who is the Nick with the Liverpool accent in the introductions video?

Daws, presumably - in his new Head of Football roile.

[star sail]

5 minutes ago, MelvinBragg said:

I'm hearing chat that there may be bigger issues with Rosenborg, some financial issues having some impact. But whether that's leaks from the club trying to allay concerns about his recent performance, I can't say...

Motherwell seems to be a club that brings out the best in players and managers so hopefully he will flourish in his new environment. 

[star sail]

1 minute ago, weeyin said:

Daws, presumably - in his new Head of Football roile.

Thanks. I guessed that might be the case but was not sure. 

[weeyin]

Just now, star sail said:

Thanks. I guessed that might be the case but was not sure. 

I don't know him to look at, but I'm assuming that's him because he was leading the introductions.

[bobbybingo]

4 minutes ago, MJC said:

Sometimes the so called eye bleeding football works in Scotland though doesn’t it?

Undeniably, sometimes it works, results wise. But it didn't work for us when it came to getting folk through the turnstiles, which most of us had probably given up hope of seeing, until last season. 

Some clubs demand silverware, even at the cost of style. McInnes getting Rangers playing silky stuff (I know) will mean hee-haw if Celtic finish above them. With us, folk will be more forgiving if they're enjoying what they're watching.

[weeyin]

2 minutes ago, bobbybingo said:

Undeniably, sometimes it works, results wise. But it didn't work for us when it came to getting folk through the turnstiles, which most of us had probably given up hope of seeing, until last season. 

Some clubs demand silverware, even at the cost of style. McInnes getting Rangers playing silky stuff (I know) will mean hee-haw if Celtic finish above them. With us, folk will be more forgiving if they're enjoying what they're watching.

I'd just add that most successful teams these days play the JBA style, so they don't have to be mutually exclusive.

[wellfan]

We need to believe that Johansson can simply pick up where JBA left off. And it shouldn’t be too difficult, given that the entire football department remains unchanged apart from JBA.

[Happy Dosser]

4 minutes ago, weeyin said:

I'd just add that most successful teams these days play the JBA style, so they don't have to be mutually exclusive.

Yes, his approach was a revelation last season mainly  because we are in the Dark Ages in Scotland. He has Max to fill in the gaps in local knowledge and the club structure seems stable, so I'm hopeful of continuity.

I'd rather have had our season than St Mirren's, LC or not. I've had my fill of hoofball to last me a lifetime and  the sight of our team imposing their will on other teams and passing their way  through them was a joy.

Long may it continue........