It has been hectic at Fir Park over the last few months, with the management team extremely busy reshaping the squad for the 2017/18 campaign.
We have seen a significant turnover of players, which isn’t exactly the way we want to do things, but was necessary in this instance to refresh the club and give us a renewed look and feel.
I want to praise the efforts of manager Stephen Robinson, Head of Recruitment Martin Foyle and COO Alan Burrows, who have worked tirelessly to move players on and recruit players in. Early signs are extremely encouraging, with the club having won seven of the opening nine matches, and with a Betfred Cup Quarter Final against Aberdeen to look forward to later this month.
Away from the pitch, the Board has also been faced with some decisions around players potentially exiting the club. Since late May, we have received eight separate bids for three different players, Ben Heneghan, Chris Cadden and Louis Moult, all of which the Board has rejected until we sold Ben to English Championship side Sheffield United yesterday afternoon.
The primary reason for the bids being rejected is that they haven’t came close to matching our value for the player.
When we assess value, which is always subjective, you look at the timing of the bid, the impact on the team on the pitch, the morale of the squad and supporters as well as our ability to source adequate replacements against the financial terms on offer.
With the exception of Sheffield Utd’s yesterday, each bid failed that test.
We have gone on record as saying this club will not just accept any bid placed, that we will be far more aggressive in trying to retain proper value and will only sell if we believe it’s in the best interests of Motherwell Football Club.
Only then do we believe we can get proper value for players, both now and in the future. There is a good feeling around the club at present. That doesn’t just happen, it needs to be worked at and we have a team who are prepared to do that.
To continue this good work, we will need your support as fans and ‘Well Society members, effectively owners of the club.
Over the next few weeks, you will see a number of initiatives launched by the Society designed to help continue with this policy, which I strongly believe is essential for the club to prosper in the long term.
Together, the club, its fans and its players can continue to grow and ensure a healthy, sustainable future.
The future is bright, the future is Claret and Amber!
Best,
Jim McMahon
Chairman