Great Expectations 
Great Expectations
The start of the season always brings new optimism and hopes for the rest of the year. This time it's no different but the expectations of the team are a lot higher. To be kind, they seem ambitious but in reality I think they are foolhardy.
It is generally expected that we will have another good season. Even I expect that much. However, my definition of a 'good season' seems to be different to that of a lot of Motherwell supporters. I don't want this article to be a whine about us being a wee team who aren't going anywhere - but I think it is wise to sound a note of caution before we are too far into the season.
At the present time, we are not a big club and we do not have a good enough squad. We have the potential to be a big club and we have the potential to be a verygood team indeed. Unfortunately, having potential is not enough. It takes a lot more effort, skill, often money and most importantly of all, time to turn a potentially good team into one that can be consistently challenging in the right part of the league and for cup honours. Last season we finished fourth - that was only the fourth time in twenty five Premier League years we have been that high in May. To demand a repeat of that is ludicrous. There are even some people who suggest that anything other than a European place (ie third place) is failure. The logic behind this argument is that we must improve each season - that is fine until you examine how tight the Scottish League is. Nearly all of our wins were narrow that could quite often have gone the other way. What would Hearts do if they didn't keep improving? Or Celtic for that matter? No, I am firmly of the opinion that for the next few years our final position is largely irrelevant. Obviously I don't want to see us relegated but I think that if we finish in the top half of the league we have had a good season. If we can finish in the top six for the next five years (anywhere between third and sixth) then we will be taking the gradual steps to becoming a big club. My reasoning is that it is consistency rather than the odd one off that makes big clubs. St Johnstone finished third and got into Europe a couple of seasons ago but we are bigger than them because we have been finishing above them pretty much consistently for the last twenty years. By that same logic, if we are always in the top half, we will be making progress while any team (Killie, Hibs, St Johnstone etc) that flukes one great finish won't have gone anywhere in the grand scheme of things.
Once we are regulars in the top half there will be a slow improvement in all areas of the club. The attendances will creep up by a thousand or so, the wages for every squad member will be better, more quality young players will come through and our transfer fees will be nearer £500,000 than £100,000. All of this will take years to achieve and when we're there I still don't think we have a reasonable claim at being the third team. To make it completely to the third force will take at least ten years in my opinion. Any team can have one (or maybe two) good seasons but to change the status of a club takes an awful long time. I think I can safely say that Billy Davies will not be manager in ten years time but there is no point in hounding him out due to a short term failure. Billy Davies has brought in some good players and has been making steady improvements over his term in charge - with enough time in charge I think he can get us well on the way to toppling Hearts as the third team.
Derek Wilson
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