Glory gives way to a grim reality

It had been a long time of uncertainty... we couldn’t do it face to face

While people were congratulating us on finishing third, I had the unenviable task of phoning players and telling them they were being released. It’s the horrible side of football, the bit that hurts you more than anything at a time when you should be celebrating

CONFIRMATION of a third-placed finish in the Premiership may have been a landmark in Stephen Robinson’s career but it was not a signal for celebration.

The harsh realities of management saw to that. Realities made all the harsher by the impact of coronavirus and the deep financial uncertainties it has created.

For Robinson, news of the outcome of Monday’s SPFL board meeting was followed by a far less enjoyable form of communication.

Eleven senior players are out of contract this summer. Having gained some long-awaited clarity about whether or not the current campaign would resume, Robinson felt he couldn’t waste time in beginning the process of telling some whether or not they would be retained within the restricted budget for next season.

‘Unfortunately, when everyone was congratulating us on getting third on Monday, I had the unenviable task of starting to phone players and telling them they weren’t getting contracts, or we weren’t able to renew, or we were releasing them,’ said the 45-year-old.

‘It’s the horrible bit of football and the bit that hurts you more than anything at a time when you should be celebrating.

‘It had been a long time with uncertainty. The boys didn’t know whether they’d be coming back to play, they didn’t know whether their agents could speak with other clubs as they might still be a Motherwell player, so I thought it was only fair to them at the first opportunity when we got clarity to pick up the phone.

‘You’d rather do it face to face, but we couldn’t. We were honest with where we are and where we might see the budget.

‘There are boys who we made offers to and we’re trying to honour them. Some might have to be adjusted when we get our budget later in the week.

‘It’s not a nice part of the job, but, unfortunately, it is a reality.

‘At the moment, it’s still being digested by some of them and there’s a couple I haven’t been able to get a hold of yet, so it’s only fair that stays with me at the moment.

‘As the weeks develop, you’ll see the squad list. A lot of boys who were out of contract weren’t getting renewed or we couldn’t agree.’ Charles Dunne, Rohan Ferguson, Mark Gillespie, Peter Hartley, Christian Ilic, Adam Livingstone, Christopher Long, Barry Maguire, Christy Manzinga, Richard Tait and Tony Watt all had deals coming towards expiry. While Robinson wouldn’t yet say who had been told they were leaving, the Fir Park boss was clear about the need to spend every penny wisely.

Like every other club, Motherwell are having to make decisions without any clear idea of when Scottish football will be able to emerge from lockdown.

‘There are boys we could have maybe given another year to, boys that had come in from foreign football that I believe we could have developed, but we can’t take gambles,’ added Robinson. ‘We have to build the basis of a squad. ‘Our budget will probably be in three areas. ‘The worst-case scenario as it is now with the uncertainty, the budget might change as things progress slightly, and then it might get back to normal eventually down the line. ‘Whatever is done, it’ll be done with honesty from Alan (Burrows, chief executive) and the board. Everything will go into making sure we have the strongest budget possible. ‘There are boys who have been first-team players for me in the last six months.

We want them to stay but are not able to put figures in front of them until we know the budget situation.

‘As I said, we are hoping to have a little bit more clarity on that in a week to ten days.’

Coping in these circumstances is obviously a significant challenge but Robinson — linked with the vacant posts at Northern Ireland and Luton Town — expressed his continuing enthusiasm.

In many ways, clearing hurdles has been the story of his time at Fir Park. Initially taking over a team in relegation danger, he reached two cup finals and reshaped a style of play prior to the season just done.

Finishing as best-of-the-rest behind the Old Firm — and ahead of big city clubs in Aberdeen, Hearts and Hibernian — then became arguably his biggest feat yet. It also begged the question of how he could further raise the bar

We lose players every year and it will be a rebuilding job again

in Lanarkshire? ‘It is difficult given the parameters we work under, the crowds we can attract and obviously in the current environment, everyone is going to be hit,’ added Robinson.

‘What we do have is good structures at the club in terms of bringing young people through.

‘We lose players every year and it’ll be a rebuilding job again. You just keep working at that and I have a board who understands it comes in cycles.

‘These kids need time to bed in. We have six or seven we have built into the first-team such as your Jake Hasties and Chris Caddens and James Scotts.

‘That’s what happens and you plan for it and it takes time to build again. It needs patience and there is a patience at the club that this is what we’re trying to do and how we are trying to play.

‘After the cup finals, expectation rose. We were seen as a very good side, albeit we lost half of it.

‘We’ll bring players in where we can and keep trying to build. Our aim is to be up in that top reach again next season.’

Motherwell were a point ahead of Aberdeen when the game was shut down in mid-March.

Qualification for the Europa League — whatever shape that might take next season — is something Robinson hopes can add to the lure at Fir Park.

‘Finishing third is an achievement the players should be very, very proud of — and the coaching staff who have played massive parts as well,’ he continued. ‘It’s right up there in terms of achievements (in his time at the club).

‘Where can we go from here? Well, we can score more goals, concede fewer and play even better football. That’s always got to be the aim.

‘Can we realistically catch other people? Probably not if we are being totally honest. But we can certainly raise the bar in terms of what the staff and players do.

‘We might be an attractive proposition for players now because we hopefully have European football and they have seen the platform we give players.

‘You will never be a millionaire playing for Motherwell but you will be well looked after and be given an opportunity to progress.’