Motherwell earned a European place and produced arguably the most exciting football in the club's recent history last season, only to lose the architect of that success and watch much of the squad depart. Yet the Fir Park club appear to be defying the usual pattern of decline that often follows a breakout campaign in Scottish football.
Jens Berthel Askou, the Dane who transformed Motherwell before moving on to become head coach at Ligue 1 side Toulouse, left behind more than just memories. His influence has been felt beyond Lanarkshire, with Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin admitting that Askou's achievements on a limited budget served as "a wake-up call" for rivals such as himself. Goodwin's comments came after his 10-man United side were beaten comfortably by Motherwell in midweek, a result that extended the Lanarkshire club's unbeaten start to the league season to four matches.
Despite the change in the dugout, Motherwell have not strayed from the identity Askou instilled. New head coach Alfred Johansson, a 35-year-old Swede whose only previous managerial experience came in a two-and-a-half-year spell at Rosenborg, has largely kept faith with the same approach rather than imposing his own stamp. Vice-captain Stephen O'Donnell praised the continuity, telling members of the Well Society fan-ownership group: "If the new manager was a 'heid it and kick it' manager, we'd all be in a right pickle. I definitely wouldn't be playing centre-back anymore."
The scale of turnover in the squad has been striking. Only four players from Askou's regular starting eleven last season have started a league match under Johansson this term. Goalkeeper Calum Ward departed for Queens Park Rangers, centre-back Paul McGinn is out with a long-term injury, and defensive partner Stephen Welsh has joined Championship leaders Swansea. Winger Elijah Just, who became the club's record sale in July, also moved to Swansea, eclipsing the fee set the previous year when Lennon Miller left for Udinese. Elliot Watt, widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the Premiership last season, joined Turkish side Samsunspor, while Callum Slattery moved to Sheffield Wednesday when his contract expired.
Those departures have generated more than £10m in transfer income for Motherwell over the past year, funds that have allowed the club to recruit from a stronger market than before. Midfielder Joe Hodge, seen as Watt's replacement, arrives having played in Portugal's top division, while defender Martin Moormann joins from the Austrian Bundesliga. Forward Jardell Kanga, reportedly a six-figure signing, is expected to fill the attacking void left by Just.
On the pitch, Motherwell remain wedded to a fluid 4-4-2 system with heavy rotation, though there have been subtle tweaks under Johansson. The team is showing more width and greater intensity in possession, with crosses from wide areas becoming a more prominent weapon as left-back Emmanuel Longelo builds on an impressive debut Scottish campaign. Average possession figures remain almost identical to last season, hovering just under 60 percent, though early statistics suggest Johansson's side are shooting, scoring and passing more frequently than their predecessors, even if matching Askou's exceptional defensive record may prove difficult.
The campaign has not been without setbacks, including a shock League Cup exit at the hands of second-tier Stenhousemuir and a chaotic 3-3 draw with St Mirren in which Motherwell conceded three goals within ten minutes. There was also disappointment in Conference League qualifying, despite notable performances against HB Torshavn, HJK Helsinki and Freiburg. Still, with eight points from four league games, Motherwell have already doubled their tally from the same stage last season, when it took until late September to record a first win under Askou.
Motherwell now travel to Ibrox to face Rangers on Saturday, a fixture they have won three times in their last four visits. For a club once wary of such trips, the growing confidence around Fir Park suggests the second season has brought anything but the usual syndrome.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.