Alfred Johansson's first public bow as new Motherwell boss brought a 4-3 defeat to Genk – and a reality check about life after Jens Berthel Askou. The Swede knows the bar has been raised at Fir Park after his predecessor guided the club to fourth spot last term and there were plenty of pre-season teething problems against the Belgian Pro side with the clock ticking down to a Euro Conference League qualifier against Havnar Boltfelag next Thursday.
Match Summary
Returning World Cup star Elliot Just's opener from the spot and teenagers Mikey Booth and Robbie Hunter were on target only for a double from Aaron Bibout and Daan Heyman and Brad Manguelle goals doing the damage for the Belgians. It's clear the Lanarkshire side face a transitional few months with anxiety over a host of players tipped for the exit door.
Fairwell Park?
All indications point to Elliot Watt exiting Well for Turkish side Samsunspor with the New Zealander bringing in what should be a £1million-plus transfer fee. The word on the street is the 26-year-old should confirm his switch after agreeing personal terms. The sight of last season's top scorer Tawanda Maswanhise not being on the team-sheet will be a concern as speculation mounts that the 23-goal Zimbabwean international is also heading to pastures new but at least he was in the stand watching his team and not out of the country. Swansea and Celtic have been credited with an interest in New Zealander Elijah Just but one comfort for the Fir Park fans was their World Cup star being an influential figure against the Belgians. A huge concern must be there will be more cherry picking of Well's best talent before the serious stuff begins.
First Impressions
Johansson started three of his summer signings and it was a mixed bag for the trio coming through their first public outings with some encouraging signs and some concerns. Goalkeeper Alex Paulsen has arrived on a season-long loan deal from Premier League side Bournemouth and caught the eye early on with a stop from Emmanuel Sarfo which looked destined for the top corner. A commanding presence and blameless at all of Genk's goals, the New Zealand international looks the part and has big gloves to fill after the departure of last season's number one Callum Ward who landed a move to QPR. New recruit Martin Moormann also caught the eye by time and again showing impressive recovery pace to cope with a mobile Genk front line. The 25-year-old former FC Blau-Weiss Linz defender was posted missing at the Belgian's second strike and replaced at the break. Brazilian Willy Vogt is clearly lacking in fitness as he offered little on the right flank before being replaced after half an hour.
Well Warned
A much needed encounter with the Belgians will have shown Johansson just where his side are in terms of readiness for their first competitive clash in their UEFA Conference League second qualifying round first-leg against Faroe side Havnar Bóltfelag next Thursday. The Swede has a hard act to follow after Jens Berthel Askou banked a fourth place finish last term and the reward of a European adventure requires his side to hit the ground running and this rusty display will serve as an alarm bell. There was enough on show to believe Well's competitive edge and fitness levels should take them into next week's tie with confidence to believe they won't be caught cold but there is much to be worked on.
More Than a Passing Fad
Lukas Fadinger started where he left off last season by being the deep running midfielder who Genk struggled to cope with. The Austrian penned an extension to his current deal and looks ready to once again be a shining light for his club this season and help encourage the free-flowing continuity that his new manager has spoken of carrying on from Askou. That fluency and freedom of expression which earmarked Askou's time in Lanarkshire was replaced by a disjointed and at times ragged performance from a team clearly still finding their feet under their new boss. Confused patterns of play and a more rigid system at times made Well look unrecognisable from last term's swashbuckling outfit.
No Panic and Perspective
Well had a 17 and 19-year-old central defensive pairing for the entire second half as well as a teenager in central midfield and a 16-year-old in attack as a host of talent sat in the stand. Games such as this one against a slick Genk side are fine-tuning exercises and Johansson will be pleased to step up a gear in terms of preparing for early season Euro ties. It's still a getting to know you process for the players and their new gaffer and the first half struggles against Genk were a necessary step towards the challenges which await in the next few weeks.
