A week is a long time in politics. By the same measure, a season at Fir Park can seem even longer as the current campaign comes to a close.
So much, both good and bad, has been crammed into this term for the Steelmen. Memories of a disappointing European jaunt against Sligo Rovers have long since faded in the rearview mirror. With it too has gone Graham Alexander and then club legend Stevie Hammell, as Well struggled for consistency as the season lurched out of its dormant state post World Cup.
But after the darkness comes the dawn, and the future on the horizon seems positive with Stuart Kettlewell steering the Steelmen to safety last weekend against St Johnstone.
It is a remarkable feat when you ponder where the club were sitting as he took charge of his first game against St Mirren, but since then only two defeats have been inflicted en route to a push to claim seventh in the table.
For captain Liam Kelly, he can sympathise with the notion that this season has been long, given the rollercoaster of emotions he and his team-mates have endured along with supporters. But the skipper remains grateful for the steep learning curve it has brought.
“If you think back to where we were, I don’t think anyone would have imagined us being safe with these games still to go,” he said.
“It’s a great achievement, and the credit has to go to the boys and the staff that we’ve managed to achieve that from the position we were in.
“I was delighted to get safe, and now I want us to carry that forward for the rest of the campaign and into next season to give us a better chance and platform to kick on compared to the start we gave ourselves this season.
“The first six months of the season had a lot of lows.
“When the previous manager came in after Graham Alexander left, he got a good reaction and we managed to accumulate a good amount of points early on, and that has contributed to getting us to where we are now. He’s played his part in keeping us up.
“It’s a season that feels as if we played that European game three seasons ago, but it’s definitely a campaign we will be better for.
“I don’t think anyone wants to go feeling those emotions again; the lows of letting the club or the fans down. We’ve got that there as a warning not to have that again, and it will serve us well.”
As club captain, Kelly has shouldered that extra weight of responsibility of trying to haul the club back to safety.
In a long run without a league win, it would have proven a testing time for the former Livingston man, who started off the campaign leading his team out at Fir Park on a summer’s European night.
“Personally, it was really difficult,” said Kelly.
“I had a really good relationship with the previous manager as well and nobody wanted it to go the way it did. It’s horrible, it’s not enjoyable for anybody.
“I can only speak positively about the manager now and how well he’s done. Everything that he’s managed to swing in our favour has been great, but that’s not a negative reflection on the previous manager. He had great qualities as well, we just didn’t seem to click or perform well enough for him. I think the players have been honest about that and have taken ownership of that.
“We’re just grateful the manager now got the job and has been able to turn us around. I’m really pleased with where we are as a group, but it’s still early on in the manager’s tenure. There’s loads of ways we can get better, and he’s on us all the time to keep on improving.”
Despite turbulent results providing some testing times for the Fir Park club throughout the campaign, there have been plenty of positives as well.
Most of them will be plucked from the last three months, where a tremendous run of form has turned the season around. But for Kelly, there have been performances dotted through the entire season which have brought satisfaction and hope in equal measure.
“In the first game of the season I felt as though I made a positive contribution and helped us get a good victory away at St Mirren. It helped the previous manager, who I knew wanted to go for the job, and I felt I helped him. That was a really good feeling,” he said.
“The 5-0 win away to County was great, we played some really good stuff. And the draw away at Parkhead under the gaffer was a real good game to be a part of. The players followed the plan that the manager and Stevie Frail gave us. We saw if we stick to a plan and stay disciplined, then we can get results against the best teams in the league.
“I’d also look at the St Mirren and Hearts games in the first two matches under the manager. It helped act as a springboard for us, because it was so hard at that point to turn the ship around. Things were so negative at that point with the way things were going, but we took it a game at a time and followed a clear plan really well. It got us two great results and two really good performances.”
Ross County come to Fir Park today with a different objective to their hosts. The Staggies are still fighting for Premiership survival, and Kelly knows only too well the tough task he and his team-mates face.
However, echoing the sentiment of his manager, the captain insists there will be no drop off.
Motherwell are currently seventh in the table, and incredibly are just three points off the tally which was enough to earn fifth and a European spot last season. With three wins from three remaining the target, being successful would smash that barrier set a year ago and provide the perfect springboard for the new campaign.
“The manager has only been here 11 games, we’re still really eager to impress to do well, keep our places in the team and carry it on into next season,” said Kelly.
“We didn’t finish the end of last season too well, and we carried that into the European campaign. We’re well aware of the importance of finishing strongly to give us the
best chance for next season. We want a clear identity, and we’re still looking to improve, and that starts with trying to get maximum points in our last three games.”
Like so many in Scottish football, Kelly has been blown away by the performances and goals from Motherwell’s talisman, Kevin Van Veen.
The big Dutch striker has been unplayable under Kettlewell and blasted his way into the shortlist for the PFA Scotland Player of the Year award.
While losing out to Kyogo Furuhashi of Celtic, it has done nothing to diminish the achievements of Motherwell’s prolific forward.
With a year left to go on his contract, Well fans will be eager to see the 31-year-old remain at Fir Park next season for what supporters will hope is a more prosperous campaign. And Kelly is no different.
“Interest is going to come, that’s only natural when someone has scored that many goals.
“Listen, we love playing in the same team as him. We’d love to keep him at Motherwell, he’s probably one of the best players in recent times, but ultimately both parties need to do what’s best for them.
“Whatever happens we’ll support, but we’d love to have him. He’s one of, if not the, best player in the league at the moment.”
