‘Outstanding’ Robinson confirmed as Fir Park boss
● Northern Irishman is handed job on permanent basis after impressing board
Stephen Robinson has been handed the managerial reins at Motherwell on a permanent basis after convincing the club’s board he can secure their top-flight status.
The former Northern Ireland international has been in interim charge of the Fir Park outfit since mark mcgheew as sacked two weeks ago in the wake of a 5-1 home defeat by Dundee, which left them firmly in relegation trouble.
Motherwell have conducted an extensive search for potential candidates since then but Robinson, whose two matches as caretaker boss brought a 2-1 win at Kilmarnock and then a stoppage-time 1-0 defeat at Aberdeen, was confirmed in the post yesterday.
The 42-year-old, who returned to the club for a second spell as assistant manager just last month, has been handed an initial contract until the end of next season. Motherwell are still in some peril, sitting third bottom of the Premiership. They are three points clear of Hamilton, who currently occupy the relegation play-off place, and a further point ahead of bottomplaced Inverness. Robinson, whose first match as permanent manager will be against St Johnstone at Fir Park on Saturday, is determined to build on the encouraging signs of the past two games.
“First and foremost, the criteria set out is to stay in this division,” said Robinson. “We found ourselves second bottom when I took over the team and we were conceding a lot of goals. In the short term, we have stopped that but that’s only the start of the process. We have to continue with the performances we have had in the last two games and start to pick up results very quickly. As a squad of players and as a football club, we firmly believe we will stay in this division. It’s a super, super football club with good people who run it. The support have been fantastic to me as well.”
Robinson topped a shortlist of candidates compiled by the Motherwell board with his main rival for the post understood to have been the club’s former Finnish midfielder Simo Valakari.
“The club went through a process of speaking to people and we just got on with things,” added Robinson. “It’s all done now and we are looking forward to getting on with the job in hand. I am absolutely delighted and proud to lead this football club, a club with a rich history in the Scottish game. My mission from the board is absolutely clear. Firstly, to ensure the team have a strong finish to the SPFL Premiership season and finish as high as we possibly can between now and May.
“Then, to help shape the club going forward with a strong emphasis on hard-work, discipline and a real passion and desire for Motherwell FC that the fans can get behind and be proud of.”
Robinson impressed at Motherwell during his first stint as assistant manager from February 2015 to July 2016. He left to become manager of Oldham Athletic but was sacked after just six months at the English League One club.
“We are extremely pleased Stephen has taken the role of manager and we look forward to working with him in the future,” said Motherwell chairman Jim Mcmahon.
“The Executive Board, together with representatives from both the Supervisory Board and the ’Well Society, identified a shortlist of five candidates from over 50 applicants as well as doing an extensive amount of background work.
“It was clear that Stephen was the outstanding candidate. He has a real vision of what the club needed in the short, medium and long-term and a plan of how he would implement it.”
“It was clear that Stephen was the outstanding candidate. He has a real vision of what the club needed in the short, medium and long-term and a plan of how he would implement it” JIM MCMAHON