Football Season Guide

A mixed campaign for Motherwell last time out. They made a poor start in the league and quickly went out in Europe despite a favourable tie. Their defence was poor and the team lacked creativity. A change of manager saw a big improvement and they finished well with a good 7th placed position. Close season saw key striker van Veen depart, along with promising right back Johnston. New striker Wilkingson will have a huge job to replace van Veen, while the addition of Souare and Zdravkovski bulk up defence and midfield. Things look good for Motherwell to push on from their positive finish to last season. They are confident and have played well in League Cup games so far. A lack of European games means they can concentrate fully on the league. Motherwell are very strong in defence. Keeper Kelly provides a strong base and he is backed up by the likes of Casey, Mugabi and Lamie, who all offer something different. Midfielders like Butcher and Slattery offer strong defensive cover. The forward line could be an issue for Motherwell this season. Last campaign, they relied heavily on the now departed van Veen, who scored 25 goals. It remains to be seen whether anyone in the squad can contribute a good number of goals.