Is Neilson a 'safe as houses' option for Well?
Would a move for Robbie Neilson be a safe but sensible decision from Motherwell?The Fir Park side are still on the search for a new manager following the shock exit of Michael Wimmer, who left for family reasons and joined German third-tier side Jahn Regensburg almost a fortnight ago.Former Hearts and Dundee United boss Neilson, who departed Tampa Bay Rowdies earlier this year, has said the vacant job at Motherwell would interest him.The 44-year-old got Hearts promoted twice and led them to two third-placed top-flight finishes across two spells, as well as making two Scottish Cup finals. He also guided United to promotion in 2020.That record is why former Premiership striker Rory Loy feels Neilson would be a risk-averse appointment as Motherwell, who are looking for a fourth manager in three years, search for some much-needed stability."You look at Hearts, appointing Derek McInnes is probably as safe as houses in terms of the risk involved," Loy told the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast. "I think Neilson is pretty similar for Motherwell. I don't like the cliches of 'he knows the league' and 'he knows the players', but it is relevant to an extent. And one thing he has had is success. "Whether Hearts fans enjoyed how he played or his personality or how he came across, he had a level of success where they were consistently finishing in good positions in the league. "The difference is, and it's quite rare, Wimmer wasn't actually sacked. Motherwell maybe like what they did and could see where it was going, so they might not be too concerned about going a bit more leftfield again."
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