Alfred Johansson has been overwhelmed by the welcome from Motherwell supporters in his first three months in charge. The 36-year-old Swedish manager, who celebrated his birthday on Sunday, says the early affection has made him blush as he focuses on building a sustainable project at Fir Park.

"Yes I do, almost to an extent that I, what is it you say, blush," Johansson said. "I’ve been here for what feels like 15 minutes and I get all that love. It’s just so early to feel that love."

He was appointed after a data-led recruitment process, replacing Jens Berthel Askou, and has overseen a mixed start. Motherwell sit fifth in the Scottish Premiership with eight points from six matches, a position that leaves them ten points behind leaders Celtic. Their recent form shows one win, one draw and three defeats from the last five outings, including a heavy 4-0 home loss to Aberdeen last weekend.

Building a project

Johansson's background is in analysis and sport science, having studied coaching at university in Stockholm. He played in his hometown of Enköping until his late teens before moving into coaching at 16. His career path took him from a youth role at Copenhagen to managing Rosenborg, where he was sometimes labeled a 'laptop manager'. He rejects that tag, focusing instead on the daily work required to improve a team.

"Ah now I understand," he said. "Yes it has been like this because, as a manager, you are constantly focused on the next training, next game and, when the transfer window is open, you spend a lot of time on players in and out."

His only league defeat so far was a narrow 1-0 loss at Ibrox against Rangers. The club's European adventure ended in the Conference League group stage after a two-legged defeat to SC Freiburg, and they suffered an early exit from the Premier Sports Cup at the hands of Stenhousemuir. Despite these setbacks, attendances at Fir Park remain strong, a fact Johansson appreciates deeply.

Current challenges

The squad is dealing with several absences, with Callum Hendry, Johnny Koutroumbis, Jordan McGhee, Paul McGinn and Oscar Priestman all currently sidelined. Top scorer Tawanda Jethro Maswanhise has found the net just once this season.

Johansson is looking to clubs in his native Sweden, like Sirius and Mjällby, for inspiration. These smaller sides have challenged for titles against bigger budgets, a model he believes can be replicated in Lanarkshire. He points to plans for a new training ground at Dalziel Park as evidence of the club's long-term vision, a project he is committed to seeing through.

Motherwell's next match is a daunting trip to face Celtic at Parkhead on 26 December. The full run-up to that fixture and beyond is available on our fixtures schedule. For now, Johansson's focus is on the immediate work, renewing his methods to ensure performance over the full season. He supervised a training session at Dalziel Park on his birthday before spending time with his wife Amanda and baby daughter Freya, a brief respite before the grind continues.

More detail at Daily Mail Sport