At Celtic, finishing second is as bad as finishing last.
But in a season as unique as this, James McFadden thinks that Martin O’Neill’s side dropping to fourth is far from impossible.
Jens Berthel Askou’s side are the form team in the country, and have lost just once since October. The Well legend thinks that leapfrogging the champions is on the cards.
He said on Sky Sports: “I know that everybody keeps laughing at me for saying Motherwell, right…
“But if you look at the game (at Ibrox) next week… the loser of that game, if there’s a loser, or even a draw…
“If you take Celtic, they’re not used to looking any further than second. Rangers are the same. They’re not used to looking at who’s in third.
“They don’t care, because they’ve never been close.
“To think that a team in fourth, within a couple of weeks, could go above you, it puts an extra layer to it. Something we’ve never seen before.”
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Celtic, Motherwell and Jens Berthel Askou
Motherwell’s 5-0 win at St Mirren on Saturday was yet another sign that Askou is building something special at Fir Park.
Wilfried Nancy’s Celts were played off the park at Fir Park in December, whilst Brendan Rodgers’ side were given a real scare in October.
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Hearts’ unlikely title push has been the story of the season, but quality of Motherwell’s football has been a close second.
Understandably, this has led to widespread calls for Celtic to hire Askou in the summer, with O’Neill’s candidacy for the permanent role uncertain.
But a more immediate concern will be the Steelmen’s trip to Celtic Park next month, by which point they could be in a position to overtake the champions.
From a Hoops perspective, it’s bleak stuff – but it’s pretty hard not to, as McFadden has, take a step back and think about how remarkable this situation is.
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Jens Berthel Askou widely being tipped for the Celtic job
The Fir Park boss hasn’t made any noise about his Motherwell future, but the media certainly has.
Charlie Mulgrew has given Askou a rousing endorsement, saying that his football would be ‘perfect’ for the Scottish champions.
Frank McAvennie has also urged Celtic to appoint Askou, saying that he would be the one to take the Hoops to the next level.
Asked about who will be leading Celtic this August, Tom English saw him as the favourite, describing the appointment as a ‘no-brainer’.
Even Chris Sutton is sold on Askou – and he is not an easy man to please.
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