This is an excerpt from this week's McGarry on Motherwell, a free Motherwell newsletter written by Graeme McGarry that goes out every Thursday at 6pm. To sign up, click here.
I should probably start this week by admitting that I am a sucker for nostalgia. In my book, the last really good album was released in 1999, dressing like you’re in Ocean Colour Scene is the epitome of style no matter the weather or the occasion, and the Asda in Motherwell was much better when it was down the precinct. In fact, it was better when it was Gateway, or even FineFare.
So, when it comes to the question of former Motherwell heroes returning to Fir Park, don’t expect a cold and unemotional assessment of the pros and cons here. When James McFadden came back to Motherwell, even for a third time after an underwhelming spell at St Johnstone where it was clear his injuries had finally caught up with him, I was as giddy as a schoolgirl.
And so it was when Louis Moult was back in claret and amber a couple of years ago. His short second spell amid his adoring Fir Park public was, alas, hampered by an ankle issue, but I still maintain that had Stevie Hammell been able to pair Moult and Kevin van Veen up top on a regular basis (and I think the tantalising glimpse of the partnership in a second half fightback at Tynecastle backs up the theory) then history may well have been very different.
So, as you might imagine, news this week that Dundee United would be cutting Moult loose at the end of the season pricked up my ears, and predictably, his social media was soon swamped by Motherwell supporters begging him to come back and give it one last go at his spiritual home.
And, notably, just as many United fans who were gutted to be losing him.
I spoke to Louis for a piece in the summer after his last spell at Fir Park and before he had signed for Dundee United. He was desperate to return. He felt, and probably still does, that he has unfinished business at the club.
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There were concerns, of course, about bringing back a striker who was the wrong side of 30 and whose career had been plagued over the previous few seasons by injury.
In the end, then manager Stuart Kettlewell decided instead to re-sign Jon Obika. Who, incidentally, also neatly fitted that description, and promptly suffered the last in a long line of hamstring injuries to rule him out for much of that season before retiring.
Anyway, back to Moult. From a sentimental standpoint, returning to Motherwell would of course be the most fitting way to round off his career. To maintain at least some pretence of professionalism, though, I should at least attempt to add some reasoning from a football perspective.
The striker will be 33 next month. When he arrived at Dundee United a couple of seasons ago, he predictably tore up The Championship, remaining injury free and scoring 20 goals in 39 appearances.
The arrival of Sam Dalby last summer has impacted his playing opportunities at Tannadice, and yes, he has had a few short injury lay-offs too. He has started just four league games all season, and nine in total, but even being used mainly from the bench, he has scored five goals in 24 appearances for United.
For context, that would make him Motherwell’s joint-top scorer this season alongside Apostolos Stamatelopoulos and Tawanda Maswanhise.
If Michael Wimmer wants to press from the front next season and have his strikers winning the ball high up the park, then admittedly, Moult may not the ideal signing for such a style. He isn’t asked to do that at United, but even still, his numbers for pressures and for regains have him in the bottom 20 percent of forwards in the league.
But get legs round about him, and there is no doubt that Moult is still a fine finisher, and brings so much else to any side with his intelligence, hold-up play and in less tangible aspects to his make-up such as his leadership ability.
If there is space for a 30-something forward with such qualities in the squad, and I think there should be, then I would argue that Moult would seem a better bet than Tony Watt. For all that I have so much time for Tony and for what he too has achieved at Motherwell in the past, this has been a hugely disappointing season for him, finding the net only once all campaign.
So, I’m all in on Moult. And while we’re at it, is there scope to pick off some other former Fir Park favourites as they too depart Tannadice?
It would also be wonderful to see Allan Campbell back in the midfield, though I would imagine that the wee man will have suitors with far deeper pockets than Motherwell, sadly.
In actual fact though, if we are able to take emotion completely out of the equation, then the man departing Dundee United that Motherwell should really be putting a contract in front of is (and hear me out) Declan Gallagher.
Gallagher appears reborn, and has been a massive part of the defensive fortitude that Jim Goodwin’s side have built their success upon this season. Only Celtic and Rangers have conceded less goals than United in the Premiership, and Gallagher has been central to that.
So, in the spirit of the nostalgic twangs that have me eagerly awaiting the Oasis reunion, let’s get the band back together. There are sound arguments for doing so not only to please romantics like me, but in purely footballing terms.
