Michael Wimmer can implement phase two of Motherwell action plan as star confident mid-season gamble will pay off
Defender is anticipating a number of new signings at Fir Park that suit the German’s philosophy this summer once their Premiership status is secured
Motherwell’s mid-season gamble to pluck Michael Wimmer out of the air is about to pay off during the Premiership’s relegation run-in.
That’s according to defender Stephen O’Donnell, who reckons three precious points for the Steelmen against St Johnstone in their first post-split game on Saturday will all-but seal top-flight survival and ensure they don’t get dragged into a relegation battle.
The Fir Park side opted to roll the dice when they appointed unknown quantity Wimmer in February, but 32-year-old full-back O’Donnell - who recently agreed a new deal with the club - expects the German boss to cash in on that Premiership status over the summer as he puts the second phase of his plan into action.
He admitted: “I think whenever it's someone you don't know, there is a risk but it’s a risk with anyone. If you go for somebody that's deemed safe and knows the league, and then you relegated, it's a disaster because he's meant to know how it works here.
"Yes, it was a wee bit of an eye-raiser because he wouldn't have had that in-depth knowledge of the full squad - all 30 of us - so I think what was positive was that he's come in and he wants to change things. Every manager is going to want to get their ideas across.
"But he's not been daft with trying to change things too quickly. Even when he changed our days off, he waited until there was a break. It tells me he's an experienced man, he knows football, and doing things knee-jerk can sometimes have a detrimental effect.
"He's come in, been very clear, he's not tried to change too much. The system has been the same, very similar to what we had before with the previous manager. There's just some slightly different asks from certain players, and that's where it maybe comes down to him getting his own players in to deliver on the standard he wants.”
O’Donnell is anticipating that Motherwell’s recruitment this summer will be vital if Wimmer is to prove a success story at Fir Park long-term.
The former Scotland international added: “He needs more time to get his message across and needs to sign players that fit his style, his philosophy. For ourselves, there's quite a lot of boys out of contract which can maybe free up some space. But he can only be judged when he gets his own people in.
“He’s been very clear with us how he wants to approach things. The 0-0 draw with Hearts, for example. You might get that one player that understands his style a wee bit more or has a wee bit more quality and you win that game so it's fine margins.
"I think recruitment is going to be massive for him. We just need to make sure we do everything to stay in the league so that he's recruiting as a Premiership manager and give us the best opportunity to kick on.”