Motherwell in limbo

It was really rather nice that Gordon Strachan earmarked Stuart McCall for special praise after the Ireland game, crediting him as the designer of the short corner routine that led to Shaun Maloney's winner.  McCall has had a rough few months, which culminated in his resignation as Motherwell boss two weeks ago.  His refreshingly humble and honest statement to the fans was further evidence of how classy an individual he is.  So is the fact that he walked away; depressingly, it is increasingly the norm for football managers to hang around long after the game is up, waiting for the sack (or 'departure by mutual consent') and the payoff that follows.

Not that he was particularly at risk of being pushed, mind; he was sufficiently popular with the supporters that they organized a display at the next home game thanking him.  They listed his achievements - back-to-back second place finishes, a third place the season before that, a Scottish Cup final, a Champions League qualifier.  Not bad at all.



It's just as well for the Steelmen that they had no need to sack him, as they couldn't really afford to.  The club have made no secret of their need for prudence; they lost nearly £600,000 in 2011/12 and £184,000 in 2012/13, and expect another small loss for this year.  They've been very open about the reasons for their poor financial results, but they seem stuck in a vicious spiral just now - the wage bill gets cut in order to reduce costs...which results in poorer results and a lower league position...which results in less prize money and lower attendances...which results in less income...which means the wage bill gets cut to reduce costs...and so on...

If second place in 2012/13 was impressive, repeating the feat last season was nothing short of a miracle given that they lost the likes of Darren Randolph, Tom Hateley, Chris Humphrey, Nicky Law, Michael Higdon and Henrik Ojamaa that summer.  Perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that there's been such a downturn; the surprise was that McCall delayed it for so long.

His departure has left the club at something of a crossroads, off the park as well as on it.  For a start, they are tenth in the league and are set to be embroiled in the relegation dogfight.  If that wasn't enough to be going on with, owner John Boyle has for some time made it quite clear that he is desperate to sell.  Over the last several months, he has given a supporters group, The 'Well Society, the opportunity to raise funds to buy them and set up fan ownership.  The trouble is that they are struggling to come up with enough dough.  So far they've raised £500,000, but unless they can come up with possibly double that again - and that would only be possible with loans, which is hardly ideal - it's a no-no.

Boyle has now indicated that he isn't prepared to wait much longer.  According to a statement today, "discussions are ongoing with interested parties and we are planning to reach a conclusion by the end of the current month."  Not only that, but "as a result, the Board has agreed to delay the appointment of a new manager until the issue of ongoing ownership of the club is resolved."

So he's getting out sufficiently soon that he's not going to appoint a replacement for McCall himself - he'll leave that for his successors.  This means that, for the time being, Kenny Black, McCall's erstwhile assistant, will remain in interim charge.  Black is renowned as another one of football's 'good guys,' though his previous record as a manager, with Airdrie, is nothing to write home about.  He's certainly not a long-term answer.

The question is, who will end up with control at Fir Park?  The 'Well Society appear to have the moral high ground, though it's not clear what they can do to make the club more profitable than it is now.  But it sounds like the need to sell is so desperate that anyone who comes up with enough cash will get the keys, regardless of their motive.  That could well include the consortium reported last week to be looking to use the club to showcase South American players - with ex-Newcastle player Nolberto Solano as coach.  Anyone who remembers Claude Anelka's tenure at Raith Rovers will feel nervous about that idea.  Even more galling is the fact that competent coaches like Billy McKinlay and Owen Coyle are available and apparently interested in the role.

Still, it sounds like the situation will be resolved in the next fortnight...though to whose satisfaction is unclear.  Until then, Motherwell are in limbo, muddling on with an interim manager, with some critical games coming up - Inverness away, Dundee United away in the League Cup, Celtic at home, Ross County at home.  If Black isn't up to it, the new owners, whoever they are, could inherit a side that is bottom of the league.

L.