"Motherwell have been the best football team I've seen this season north or south of the border." Chris Sutton's description of the Fir Park side last term would have seemed preposterous in any other time or place, but their brand of football under Jens Berthel Askou was mesmeric. Although they ultimately finished fourth in the Scottish Premiership, but not long before the split they were being talked about as outside title contenders. Now, they've lost six games on the spin amid their worst league run since Terry Butcher was in charge 23 years ago.
Or is it part of a rebuilding process? The intricate nature of Motherwell's flow state last season was unplayable at times. Against Celtic over the festive period, Wilfried Nancy's team were dismantled in a way rarely seen by another Scottish team.
Rangers were beaten at Ibrox, St Mirren were demolished in Paisley and countless others struggled to contain them. At the heart of it was a clutch of players committed to a style of play from Askou which elevated them to new heights. Central was Elijah Just, an unknown New Zealander who emerged as the heartbeat of the side, linking play, ghosting by players as if they weren't there.
He was supported by Stephen Welsh - who has since gone on to star for Scotland - Elliot Watt and Callum Slattery. All four departed in the summer, bringing in a substantial sum for the club, but leaving a huge hole. Add Askou's departure for Toulouse, and it left a cavernous gap in a squad about to go into European competition.
Motherwell's promising start in Europe and and an opening league win at Easter Road under new boss Alfred Johansson seems a long time ago. Out of the League Cup at Stenhousemuir and now just a point off the foot of the table, the Swede's injury-ravaged squad is in desperate need of a win. "I don't think they have that same level of aggression out of possession as last year," former Celtic and Hibs midfielder Scott Allan told BBC Scotland.
"And I think a big part of that is personnel. "A lot of people always talk about the style on the ball. But when you take away that aggression without it, then it does leave you open.
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