Managerless Motherwell entertain Celtic at Fir Park on Sunday as the club still reels from the departure of Stuart Kettlewell.
The task of shaping a team to face the runaway league leaders has fallen to Stephen Frail. The assistant manager was nominally in charge last weekend and with five minutes left to play Motherwell were one up in Perth. After calamitous collapse he had to endure the baying cries of the travelling support as they came to terms with a second loss to St Johnstone in consecutive games.
The fans’ reaction was directed both at the players and the manager (who, suspended, watched on from the media platform) and surprised no one. Kettlewell resigned inside 48 hours claiming that some of the personal abuse was now affecting his family, to the point where they didn’t wish to attend games.
It is often the case when a manager leaves that the players recognise the part they played in his departure. Rumours of disquiet in the dressing room were floated in recent weeks and when the manager referred to the players being “devoid of bravery; slow, ponderous and soft” after the cup defeat there was confirmation that all was not well.
The players could not be presented with a more challenging afternoon than Sunday offers. Celtic are ten points clear with 60 points while Motherwell, remarkably still fifth, have 31. Earlier meetings have finished in favour of the east enders 3-0 and 4-0.
The transfer of Kyogo Furuhashi may have removed one threat from the Steelmen but the re-appearance of Jota merely reinforces the fact that Sunday’s opponents operate in a different world to Motherwell. While Motherwell prepared with a low key bounce game against Cork City, Celtic warmed up with a Champions League tussle with Aston Villa.
The home crowd will give the Steelmen plenty of backing but anything except an away win would be a regarded as a shock. The visitors are likely to make it three in a row against the ‘Well, 0-3.