The Premiership kingmaker out to make Motherwell Scotland's Bodo/Glimt

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Former Norwich defender Jens Berthel Askou took charge of Motherwell last June Jens Berthel Askou is on a video call addressing international members of the Well Society, who form a fraction of Motherwell's 4,000-strong fan ownership group. The 43-year-old Danish coach has just been asked how realistic it is for the modest Lanarkshire side to emulate the freakish success of Champions League last-16 club Bodo/Glimt or shock 2025 Swedish champions Mjallby. "If we're brave enough to be extremely consistent with the way we have identified possible advantages against better opponents with more resources, I think it's possible," he replies. At that point in late October, Askou's team were attracting attention with their bold and intense possession-based football, yet their ceiling appeared limited to a top-half push after securing only a second league win in nine matches. Seven months on, Motherwell are on the brink of securing European qualification, playing what former Celtic striker Chris Sutton describes as the best football in the UK. That reputation has labelled Askou's men as kingmakers in the Scottish Premiership title race - a billing they lived up to with a stunning win at Rangers two weeks ago. Leaders Hearts and second-placed Celtic are next to visit Lanarkshire, where Motherwell have lost just twice in 16 months, in a five-day spell that could decide the destination of the trophy. But who is the man leading the Fir Park revolution? Hearts have league in sight - what next in title race? Published19 hours agoJust's rise from Austrian second tier to Premiership standout Published28 AprilLatest Motherwell news, analysis and fan views Demands, litter-picking & changing cultureImage source, Getty ImagesMotherwell's form has tailed off after a remarkable run of one defeat and 14 clean sheets in 20 league matches that had them in scarcely believable title contention. Despite that, Askou's nine-month Premiership journey has felt like a linear path to success, with a European spot in touching distance. That does not apply to his managerial career, although demands have always been sky-high. At Danish club Horsens, where Askou experienced top-flight promotion and relegation, day one of his two-and-a-half-year spell began with him scurrying about with a bin bag because he felt the facilities were not up to standard. Sporting director Niels Erik Sondergaard, who had signed the former Norwich and Millwall defender as a player for Esbjerg a decade earlier, appointed him. "He felt it was a little bit dirty. He always wanted things clean and organised around him," Sondergaard tells BBC Scotland, recalling Askou dipping in and out of bushes to collect fast food rubbish. "As a player he was not born with the biggest talent, but he made it through dedication, hard work and mentality. This is what we saw when he was head coach. I knew he would go on to bigger things." Mikkel Frankoch, who played under Askou at Vendsyssel and HB Torshavn, remembers his "demanding yet understanding" former coach setting the bar during pre-season training. "He was always running in front, showing us how it should be done," says the Midtjylland youth coach. "He's a guy you look up to. He's changed the culture at every club he's been at." Frankoch views Askou as a coaching inspiration but recalls being savagely dropped as Vendsyssel closed in on promotion. "He told me some things he wasn't happy about," he says. "When I was playing again I had this hunger to show him. I played my best games afterwards. "He has a good understanding of who should play and why they should play. He has an impact on players, helping them to show the best versions of themselves." Image caption, Motherwell's next two fixtures could have a significant impact on the destination of the Premiership title Tinkering is something Askou's Motherwell squad have become accustomed to. It has been key to their unpredictability and relentless fitness levels. A shift to a 4-2-4 formation would have earned a result at Tynecastle last month had the team taken their second-half chances. Derek McInnes conceded his Hearts side "could have been beaten" in all three meetings with Motherwell this season. A fortnight later at Ibrox, the system worked to perfection in a sensational first half. Motherwell cruised into a two-goal lead before their fearlessness helped them snatch a 3-2 victory. That win marked the first time in more than 20 years that they have beaten both sides of the Old Firm in the same campaign. For Hibernian's visit in November, five changes and a surprise switch to a 3-4-3 caught even his own players off guard. Dogmatic this manager is not. Askou explained the change was designed to expose deficiencies in Hibs centre-back Grant Hanley, who gave away a penalty before being sent off. Figure caption, Sportscene analysis: How Motherwell 'put Rangers to sword' It was his side's best 90-minute display u

The Premiership kingmaker out to make Motherwell Scotland's Bodo/Glimt

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