NORMALLY when a manager departs a football club there is an outpouring of both relief and elation among their supporters in the immediate aftermath.
The reaction to Stuart Kettlewell’s sudden exit from Motherwell on Monday, though, provoked an entirely different reaction from the Fir Park club’s fanbase.
The fact that Kettlewell chose to leave of his own volition because of the toll the vile abuse which he had started to be subjected to on a weekly basis was taking on his family led to a tsunami of sympathy from Steelmen and Steelwomen everywhere.
Yet, there was also widespread unhappiness, anger even, that a coach who had taken a team with one of the smallest budgets in the William Hill Premiership into the top half of the table had been forced out in such sorry circumstances after a run of just three defeats.
Phillip Speedie, the chair of the Well Society, summed up the feelings of many bewildered supporters in the statement which the North Lanarkshire outfit’s majority shareholders published on their website.
Read more:
“A terribly sad situation,” he said. “I hope that we as fans can reflect on this and do things differently. A manager with an impressive win record who has developed players and brought in significant transfer revenue. Thank you for everything, Stuart.”
Stephen Reside, a season ticket holder, echoed those sentiments and expressed his disgust at the unfortunate turn of events when he spoke to Sky Sports yesterday.
“To have a manager leave because of personal abuse affecting him and his family is quite a damning indictment on this football club,” he said. “This is a handful of supporters, this isn’t Motherwell fans as a whole that have caused this to happen. It is sad.”
Those are clearly, however, not views which are shared by absolutely everyone who follows the fifth-placed side in Scotland’s top flight.
Discontent with Kettlewell has, despite the wins over St Mirren, Dundee United and Aberdeen and draws with Rangers and Kilmarnock, been steadily rising among a vocal section of the Motherwell support in recent weeks.
When Kettlewell made an ill-advised comment about not listening to those who had “never done the job and never dedicated their life to this game” it stoked their ire even further.
However, the boo boys, as the reaction to the former Ross County manager’s surprise decision on social media websites and radio phone-ins underlined, were still very much a noisy minority.
There can be no condoning the level of vitriol which has been aimed in the direction of a man who has done so much for Motherwell during the two years which he was in situ.
Punters pay their money and are quite entitled to express their views. But the treatment which Kettlewell received during a difficult and disappointing spell went beyond, way, way beyond, what was acceptable. He deserved to be treated with far greater respect.
Read more:
-
Rangers record signing reflects on Ibrox pressure and regrets
-
Rangers vs Union Saint-Gilloise ref & VAR officials confirmed
-
Major Celtic injury blow as Carter-Vickers out against Aston Villa
Are the agitators for change, though, right to expect better on the pitch? Should Motherwell be producing more entertaining fare with the players they have in the squad? Will a new manager come in and spark an instant upturn in form and fortunes despite the lengthy injury list?
A number of strong contenders, the likes of Scott Brown, Scot Gemmill, Neil Lennon, David Martindale, John McGlynn and Steven Naismith, have been linked with the vacancy. If any member of that sextet was to take over you would imagine there would be, initially at least, a positive response to his arrival.
Indeed, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that they could be dragged into the relegation zone in the weeks and months ahead.
They are just six points ahead of second bottom Kilmarnock at the moment and host Celtic this Sunday. If they lose to the league leaders and defending champions this weekend then they could slip into the bottom half.
It is 40 years since Motherwell last played in the second tier. That is an Evertonesque run. But they are not a club with a divine right to remain among the country’s elite. Far larger and wealthier rivals have all suffered the drop in recent campaigns.
Those who targeted Kettlewell in such a shameful fashion may well end up regretting what they wished for come May.
