It is difficult to comprehend how one man can influence one club over such a short period of time, but the impact of Jens Berthel Askou, now head coach of Toulouse in Ligue 1, has gone beyond Lanarkshire.
In relation to what can be achieved in Scotland on a modest budget, Dundee United boss Jim Goodwin said the Dane’s work in the Scottish Premiership has given “guys like myself a bit of a wake-up call”.
Goodwin’s 10-man side were pulled apart by Johansson’s iteration of Motherwell on Wednesday, extending their unbeaten league start after four games, but a noticeable shift in United’s style has clearly been inspired by Askou.
There has been no style shift at Fir Park, though. No matter the coach, no matter the players, the club now have an identity that has been responsible for a huge spike in attendances, as well as the on-field results.
Speaking at an event for the Well Society, Motherwell’s 4,000-strong fan-ownership group, vice-captain Stephen O’Donnell detailed how the club’s continuity has benefited the squad.
“If the new manager was a ‘heid it and kick it’ manager, we’d all be in a right pickle,” the defender said. “I definitely wouldn’t be playing centre-back anymore.”
