Steve Robinson will have been hoping for a top-six finish at the start of the season, but finishing up in eighth was made more acceptable given the riproaring success of the club's youth development.
At the start of the season, the likes of Curtis Main, Carl McHugh, and Chris Cadden would've been the players to look to for performances this season. Instead, it's the youth players like David Turnbull, Jake Hastie, and James Scott that have provided the encouragement.
The first half of the season was close to a disaster. Motherwell were trying to avoid a relegation battle, but were toiling for consistency. Only when Turnbull came into the side at the end of 2018 did the Steelmen start becoming an energetic force. Their main tool was the dynamic partnership of Turnbull and Allan Campbell.
Hastie returned for the second half of the season from a loan spell, whilst Gboly Ariyibi signed until the end of the season. That gave Robinson the pace, energy, and flair necessary to pack more of a punch going forward. They avoided the relegation dogfight comfortably in the end, but were still a soft touch at the back too often, particularly on the counter.
The season ended without being a classic, but the promising work of the youth academy was on full show. Motherwell will have to deal with the departures of Ariyibi and Hastie, whilst speculation will continue over the summer about the future of the likes of Turnbull and Campbell. It's going to be a colossal summer for the Steelmen.
