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The finish line is in sight for the 2025/26 season. With seven games remaining this campaign, everyone starts to lay out their ideal scenarios between now and the season’s conclusion.

For Captain Paul McGinn, the message is pretty simple. If the team finish below fourth in the table, McGinn would find it hard to hide his disappointment.

And the previous fixture against Hibernian could prove pivotal in the race for European football. And the reality for Motherwell is that for all the praise and acclaim received this year, the proof will be in the pudding.

“This season has been right up there for me this year,” McGinn stated.

“We need to finish strong because there’s no point in being such a nice team and being a side that’s hard to play against. We want to finish high and in a position we feel we deserve. The system this season has been thoroughly enjoyable to be playing in.

“You’ve got so much control of the ball; the defensive side of the game is different. Quite often, you’re going to Celtic or Rangers, and you’re getting 20% possession of the ball, and you’re stretching and defending for your life constantly, whereas this is more us being in control. We’re the ones pressing and in control. It gives you different problems you have to be ready to deal with, but it’s definitely easier.”

Casting his mind back to the early days of Jens Berthel Askou, McGinn admits he wasn’t 100% confident that the system would be effective. That honest recollection of the early days brings a smile to his face when he compares the system then to what it is now.

The Premier Sports Cup group-stage matches against Clyde, Peterhead and Stenhousemuir proved to be three difficult afternoons for the Steelmen, although they got the two wins and a penalty shootout bonus point in the other. But with all three sides sitting deep and proving difficult to break down, McGinn was witnessing first hand how audacious the new approach was and did wonder how it would look when facing Premiership opposition.

“You have your doubts,” McGinn admitted.

“If you had the ball all the time but were getting beat every week, you would start to think that it’s not working. We did huff and puff in the Premier Sports Cup, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about how this was going to work in the league against tougher opposition. But it probably turns out that playing tougher opposition means they opened a bit more, and it suited our game even more.

“I’d say Hertha Berlin was the first game that I felt it could definitely work. I would say the approach is ballsy, yeah. You can come into Motherwell and look at the budget and expectations for the club, and it could maybe be easy to play it safe, but the manager definitely didn’t do that.

“Early on, we worked a lot on the build-up back to the middle quite a lot, and a lot of the pre-season work was on that. I think we did to grips with that quite quickly, but then when you’re playing teams in the Cup that were giving that space up to us, whereas in the league with the likes of Rangers, they would come and press you high.

“So after that we spent a lot of time working on the final third. That’s when you start seeing it coming to fruition, and we started to hurt teams. Confidence comes shortly after that, and the momentum is there. Teams in the Cup group-stage parked the bus and had no pressure on them because the expectation was they would get beat.

“Once it’s in the league, teams are expected to come here and dominate Motherwell at times, or at least have more of the ball, and then they start to get spooked because we start doing it to them.”

It would be fair to say Motherwell have surprised just about everyone who has an interest in Scottish football. Adopting this bold strategy and going down a different route caught many off guard.

However, the approach has paid off with the Steelmen achieving so much this season. A new clean sheet record in a season, achieving top-six football in the first week of March, ending a decade-long wait to defeat Celtic and much more. One thing that hasn’t changed is the demand for integrity and a humble attitude from manager Jens Berthel Askou.

And whilst that demand has been met by all players and staff, the success achieved this season does appear to have ruffled some feathers, which became even more apparent two weekends ago following the defeat to Dundee.

“If teams are getting high praise and others aren’t getting what they think they should, you get that wee bit of anger and bitterness towards you,” the skipper explained.

“You just need to take it as a compliment. We played Dundee, and they were all shouting about how they beat Barcelona after the game, and you just need to take it as a compliment. There’s no point in getting bitter about it. It’s a backhanded compliment, and we’ll take it, and if that’s what’s getting bandied about, we’ll take it.

“We’re only focusing on our next game because we’ve got a hard run to the end. If we finish anything lower than where we are now, I would say it’s a disappointment. That’s what the ambition is now, but we’ve got two good teams that are on our tail now, so we need to work hard to get away.

“It would’ve been surprising to say we’d be disappointed with lower than fourth, having achieved top-six comfortably at the start of the season; you’d have been biting the hand off for that, especially with all the change here. But we’d have underachieved if we moved out of the top four, but it can happen in football. We’ve got a tough run of fixtures. It’s not going to be easy, but no team comes to play us thinking it’ll be an easy victory.”

On a personal level, McGinn is delighted to have featured so regularly. He has only not been available for selection on three occasions all season, and the 35-year-old will make his 300th Premiership appearance by the end of the season if he avoids injuries or suspension.

And with that difficult 24/25 season, which saw the defender spend the majority of the season on the sidelines, which was very much a fluke season for him. And having made his return last season, McGinn was forced off once again in quick succession against Hibernian in January 2025 through injury again. That was his all-time low. But he’s used all his experience to get himself back to a place he’s delighted to be.

“I don’t know how I’ve got back to this, to be honest,” he laughed.

“People can be quick to write you off, but I’m quite lucky with my build. I’m sort of lanky and don’t carry a lot of body fat, but I’ve no idea if that helps. I still feel quick, which helps, and when I start feeling otherwise, I’ll know the time is not far away. As it stands now, I feel as good as I ever have. I’ve managed to stay fit apart from those three games where my groin was a bit sore.

“Not picking up anything has been lucky as well because normally after a bad injury, like I had last year, you pick up two or three after. But the manager has managed me a couple of times, which has been good for me, although I’d have rather played. He’s been good with that as a squad because if he sees someone has played too many minutes, he pulls them out, and he manages them.

“I’d love to have the answer as to how I’ve managed to bounce back, as I could maybe extend my career by two or three years, but I’ll just keep getting on with it and we’ll take it from there.

“I remember coming off as a sub at Hibs thinking that was me done, fully. Andy Halliday will tell you I was in the dressing room saying, ‘That’s me done.’ I thought that was it because it was the same injury that I’d just come back from. But from there, I’d rehabbed it again, and luckily I had a good physio team and surgery team that got me up and running for the second time.

“And even the way they spoke to me, they were confident I was going to be fine, and you need that reassurance sometimes. If you’d offered me to just even be fit this season at the start and not have the success and plaudits from people, I would have taken it. To have gone from one extreme to the other is amazing.

“I don’t take anything for granted, but I do know what football is like. My brother Stephen retired, and I knew that it’s definitely around the corner for me, so you start preparing, but as I said, I’ve still got my pace and am fully fit. I feel great, so hopefully I’ve knocked it down the road a bit.”

It was 4th vs 5th once again in the William Hill Premiership, as Motherwell looked to extend the gap to Hibernian below. 

Off the back of two defeats, Motherwell were looking to bounce back in style and looked on course to do so when Elijah Just found the back of the net midway through the first half.

But his effort was scratched out by VAR for offside, and for the rest of the afternoon, chances were few and far between. But the point could prove crucial come matchday 38, with Motherwell strengthening their grip on European qualification for next season.

Tawanda Maswanhise won’t take part in Zimbabwe’s upcoming friendly matches. 

Maswanhise was due to travel to for a Four Nations Tournament in Botswana this week, with Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia all taking part.

The forward reported a small issue following Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Hibernian, and the player will remain in Scotland to manage the issue.

Jens Berthel Askou gives his verdict on a goalless draw with Hibernian at Fir Park.

Motherwell were held to a 0-0 draw with Hibernian at Fir Park on Saturday afternoon, extending their unbeaten run at home to 12 matches. 

Elijah Just thought he opened the scoring in the first half, dispatching into the bottom corner with his right foot midway through the half, but a VAR check proved that Oscar Priestman was offside in the build-up.

The result ensured Motherwell earned their 22nd clean sheet of the season, with Calum Ward picking up his 20th in all competitions, which matched the record set by Neil Alexander for most clean sheets for a Premiership side outside of Rangers or Celtic.

There was one enforced change to the Motherwell team from last weekend. Emmanuel Longelo was serving his suspension following his red card at Celtic Park and was replaced by Stephen Welsh, with Tom Sparrow shifted over to left-back. Oscar Priestman also was given a start in place of Ibrahim Said, who was named amongst the substitutes.

The magnitude of this game was obvious ahead of kick off, as the race for European football heated up going into the final eight games. At the start of the afternoon, Hibernian were six points behind fourth-placed Motherwell and knew a win at Fir Park would halve the gap to the Steelmen.

Bright blue skies, a green pitch and another huge home attendance were the perfect setting for Well to extend their lead over Hibs in their quest for 4th spot.

The Well boss had insisted that his side control the game, and from the start the home side’s possession and high press denied the Edinburgh side time on the ball.

However, with Tawanda Maswanhise shackled by the towering pair of Warren O’Hora and Rocky Bushiri, the Fir Park men had to be content with retaining the ball and hoping to get beyond the two banks of Hibs players deployed some 30 yards from their own goal.

For all of Well’s domination, the first goal threat after 20 minutes was at Calum Ward’s end. Former Well Academy youth Nicky Cadden whipped a low ball across the six-yard area, and Tom Sparrow was alert to get in front of Martin Boyle and clear the danger.

Two minutes later Sparrow was the provider when his solid intervention directed the ball to the unmarked Priestman in the Hibs box. When his path to goal was blocked, Elijah Just nicked the ball before driving it across Raphael Sallinger and inside the keeper’s far post.

The goal celebrations were muted, though, when VAR decided that Priestman was in an offside position.

With both keepers fairly redundant, Sallinger made the first save of the afternoon when he held Elliot Watt’s swerving attempt from the edge of the box.

In the minutes before the end of a half which Ward had largely spent operating 25 yards from his goal, the Well stopper had to react to palm away Cadden’s intended cross, which was floating under the crossbar.

For all of their entertaining play in possession, the Steelmen needed a cutting edge in the second half.

It almost arrived two minutes after the restart when O’Donnell’s cut back found Maswanhise 12 yards from goal, but his weak effort was easily gathered by Sallinger.

Having been content to defend in depth in the first half, David Gray clearly sent his side out after the interval more intent on taking three points.

And it took a brilliant block from Watt at the corner of the six-yard box to prevent Jamie McGrath’s angled shot from testing Ward.

As the game approached the 65th minute, in an attempt to break the stalemate, Askou sent on Said for Priestman.

With 20 minutes remaining, the game opened up with Hibs having more of a presence in the home penalty area as both sides chased what could be a crucial three points. And with a packed area in front of him, Felix Passlack’s snapshot forced Ward into a solid save.

A quick burst of pace and cross from Sparrow found Said rising in the box, but his attempted header drifted away from the goal.

A hefty challenge on Just ended his participation, as along with Sparrow, they made way for Eythor Bjorgolfsson and Jordan McGhee to make an impact in the final five minutes.

The latter then held off a challenge to send Maswanhise into the box, but the keeper’s block and the assistant’s raised flag denied Well’s top scorer the winner.

The home side had one more chance as they pressed Hibs in their own box, but McGhee’s header from Watt’s cross was held by Sallinger under his crossbar as both teams had to settle for a point.

Motherwell Team: Ward, O’Donnell, McGinn, Welsh, Sparrow, Priestman, Watt, Fadinger, Slattery, Just, Maswanhise. 

Motherwell Subs: Connelly, Gordon, McGhee, McAllister, Halliday, Said, Nicholson, Bjørgolfsson, Ross.

This game needs no introduction.

The importance of this fixture for both sides must be crystal clear to everyone who has followed the Scottish Premiership this season.

Our two previous encounters were both intense, lively and dramatic. One game was decided relatively early, and the other was lively and open till the very end.

Hibs have recruited substantially in January, providing them a lift in depth and quality while also selling their top centre forward in an impressive transfer to Serie A. Hopefully that is the start of more and bigger transfer income to clubs outside the Old Firm to reinvest and lift the level in Scottish football in the future.

Our opponents have an interesting mix of physicality, box presence, and directness, as well as some very talented and visionary players in the centre of the pitch who can dictate the game with creative passes if they get the time and space.

We need to take control of the game in and out of possession to keep them from getting free access to their wingbacks, who swing in some of the best crosses in the league.

The grass is not always greener on the other side. However, there has been quite a bit more of it away from home lately. Slightly higher temperatures and a few more glimpses of the sun since we played at Fir Park against Dundee United 3 weeks ago have provided the groundsmen with a bit more grass to handle. Something we welcome and enjoy.

It is my hope that this will help us deliver the tempo, quality and entertainment you deserve.

Enjoy the game!

Jens Berthel Askou
Manager

Tom Sparrow is quizzed on his own development this season, with all the learnings along the way. 

Despite the most recent two losses, Sparrow isn’t concerned and is fully focused on putting on a strong display from now until the end of the season.

Manager Jens Berthel Askou discusses the recent Scotland squad that contained no Motherwell players, giving his opinion on his players’ omissions. 

Askou talks about the importance of Saturday’s fixtures against Hibernian, and what it would do to consolidate fourth place.

Aston Oxborough has re-joined Dunfermline Athletic on loan until the end of the season. 

The goalkeeper was briefly recalled to Fir Park to cover the injury of goalkeeper Matty Connelly, but Connelly has recovered allowing Oxborough to head back out to continue his time at East End Park.

Good luck, Aston.