The Review: Can Jens Berthel Askou’s ever-improving Motherwell team really make this a four-way title race?

For several months now, we have contemplated the growing possibility of neither Celtic nor Rangers winning the league title, a joint failure of the Old Firm clubs that has not been witnessed in Scotland since 1985.

What we failed to anticipate was that Hearts might not be the only team ready to exploit the opportunity. As the business end of this thrilling season approaches, the jocular talk of Motherwell muscling in on the fairytale is becoming serious.

Hearts’ position at the top of the table was strengthened when Celtic and Rangers faltered again today, but there was excitement also for fourth-placed Motherwell, who now find themselves being identified, somewhat surreally, as potential champions.

A stunning 5-0 victory over St Mirren in Paisley last night didn’t cut the 10-point gap by which they trail the league leaders, but Jens Berthel Askou’s side have a game in hand, the stuttering Glasgow giants firmly in their sights and absolutely nothing to lose.

It is, of course, still a long shot. Hearts winning the league with the help of Tony Bloom and a proven manager in Derek McInnes is one thing; Motherwell doing it with next to no resources and a coach nobody had heard of till last summer would be off the scale.

That said, Motherwell are improving all the time and have a manager who is not afraid to talk about it. ‘I don’t think anyone has won the championship yet, have they?’ quipped Askou. ‘The title race, the league is not over. Whether we are a part of it, that’s for you to discuss.’

Tawanda Maswanhise doubles Motherwell’s lead by scoring from the penalty spot in Paisley

Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou congratulates his players on a dominant performance 

What cannot be disputed is that they are the best team in the country right now, playing with an astonishing combination of style and substance. They have lost only one league match since October. In their last eight, they have dropped just four points. Not only have they been scoring goals, they have conceded a mere three in their last 15 league outings. It is title-winning form.

Against St Mirren, they were in total control all over the pitch, as well as ruthlessly efficient in both boxes. Elijah Just, Tawanda Maswanhise, Ibrahim Said, Emmanuel Longelo and Eythor Bjorgolfsson got the goals that moved their opponents dangerously close to the relegation zone.

Yes, Motherwell were aided by Shamal George’s careless goalkeeping, as well as an unwarranted red card for St Mirren defender Richard King, but they were three goals up when that happened and there was already a gulf between the teams. It’s hard to imagine Hearts, Rangers or Celtic winning so comfortably in Paisley at the moment.

Motherwell are setting the standard with Maswanhise’s goals, inspired signings such as Just and a tactical framework that has brought the best out of everyone. ‘I think our performance levels over the last two thirds of the season are right up there with the best in the league,’ said the manager. ‘So are the results.’

Had they not started the campaign with five straight draws, they would be up there with Hearts, but those early weeks were a necessary part of the process under Askou, who has watched them grow and develop into a collective unit who know exactly what to do in any given situation.

He has done a remarkable job on the training ground, so much so that there will surely be a queue of clubs after his services in the summer. If he’s not who Aberdeen are waiting for, he should be. If Celtic want to emulate Bodo/Glimt, might Askou be the next Kjetil Knutsen?

Interestingly for the big clubs who are monitoring him, the 43-year-old Dane doesn’t just want his team to win — he wants them to win well. On the touchline in Paisley, he celebrated every goal as though it were the first because, as he explained later, Motherwell’s goal difference — matched only by that of Hearts — could be worth another point at the end of the season.

It could be the difference between fourth place and third, between third place and second or between second place and, well, you know the rest. They couldn’t, could they?