Motherwell pulled the plug on the Graham Alexander regime on Friday after the Lanarkshire club were knocked out the Europa Conference League in a 3-0 aggregate defeat to Sligo Rovers. Alexander was appointed in January 2021 and helped them escape relegation in his first campaign in charge however patience had quickly been running thin within the Well fanbase since after a run of only five wins in their last 23 competitive outings.
A club statement read: "Graham asked to speak with us early on Friday morning, and everyone agreed that it would be best to make a change. We asked Graham to reverse our fortunes when he arrived eighteen months ago and he did that, before a really solid start to his first full season at Fir Park laid the foundations for what ultimately led to a fifth place finish and European football.
“However, things haven’t gone as well for a spell in 2022 and although the timing is not ideal, we hope a change will bring about fresh impetus for everyone ahead of the 2022/23 season. I would like to place on record our sincere thanks to Graham and Chris for all their hard work and effort and wish them every success in their future careers.”
The Steelmen are an ambitious club who haven't been shy to try new ideas on and off the pitch in recent seasons and have looked south in the past with the appointments of Ian Baraclough and Stephen Robinson. Record Sport runs the rule over five possible contenders for the Fir Park vacancy as Motherwell get ready to move quickly to find a replacement ahead of their Premiership opener against St Mirren on Sunday.
Owen Coyle
Ex-Well star Coyle is currently in charge of Queens Park as they embark in their first season in the Scottish Championship after back to back promotions. And there's optimism in the air at the Spiders with great investment behind the scenes so it may take a lucrative offer to lure the former Bolton manager away.
Premiership football could be that lure although with CEO Leanne Dempster's ambitious plans and Lesser Hampden currently being rebuilt, Coyle would be left with a big decision if Motherwell come calling and could be seen as a safe pair of hands to steady the ship.
Steven Hammell
Motherwell have announced Hammell as interim manager alongside under 18s coach Brian Kerr as the club look for a replacement. And while he'd be an outsider at this stage, it's not unheard of for caretaker bosses to make the job their own with a run of impressive results.
Hammell was inducted into the Motherwell Hall of Fame last year and is the club's post-war record appearance holder. Since retiring from football, he has also held the role of academy director with the Steelmen.
Alan Stubbs
Even Stubbs himself would admit his time with St Mirren in 2018 didn't go to plan and that nightmare with the Buddies followed an unsuccessful stint with Rotherham. However his time with Hibs was well worth remembering as the amiable Scouser produced a side capable of thrilling football.
The 50-year-old would appreciate the chance to build new memories beyond that thrilling Scottish Cup Final win in 2016. Stubbs will likely feel he has a point to prove in Scottish football after his short-lived stint in Paisley.
Kevin Thomson
Thomson has emerged as one of the most promising young managers in the Scottish game. After retiring in 2016, the 37-year-old has worked with former club Rangers as a youth coach before being appointed as manager of Kelty Hearts in May 2021, replacing former team-mate Barry Ferguson, who left Kelty to become manager of Alloa Athletic
Thomson then guided Kelty to the 2021–22 Scottish League Two title until he resigned after a year in the hot seat. He has since been linked with a number of vacant managerial posts, including Dundee, Hartlepool and Raith Rovers but as it stands, he is still without a club.
Simo Valakari
The former Motherwell star admitted just last year it'd be a "dream" for him to manage the club.
He said: “I miss Motherwell,” he said, “I had a beautiful four years there playing and the experience of Scottish football, playing those big matches against Rangers, Celtic, and teams like that, so it was good.
“I don’t know if I was close [to getting the job] but my ambition is one day to coach abroad.
“I’ve done that already in Norway for three years [at Tromso], but to be able to coach in the UK or in Scotland would be my dream, because I really loved the football and the culture.
“Motherwell always has a special place in my heart, because that was the first professional team I played for, and I had a very good connection with the fans and things like that.
“Someday to manage them would be a dream.
“I would love the opportunity, but I need to be successful at what I do and maybe one day I will get the chance.”
Valakari is currently manager of Kuopion Palloseura in Finland and has steered them to the top of the Veikkausliiga - could now be the time for his dream to come true?
Stephen Robinson
Could Motherwell be tempted to go back to the future with their next appointment? Former manager Robinson is having a tough time of it at St Mirren and he brought some good times to Fir Park in his original stint.
Whether they could convince the Northern Irishman to return is another thing, mind you. Perhaps even more difficult to convince would be the supporters who, at this stage, will be expecting a fresh face to take the club forward.
But with Robinson still in Scotland and familiar with the club, the Fir Park board may just consider him in their discussions.
READ NEXT
