Michael Wimmer vows to bring ‘intensity and proactive football’ to Motherwell

New manager Michael Wimmer has vowed to bring “intensity and proactive football” to Motherwell as he bids to halt their slide down the William Hill Premiership table.

The 44-year-old German was appointed as Stuart Kettlewell’s successor on Monday at a time when Well are on a five-game losing streak and have won just one of their last 11 matches, slipping from fourth place in mid-December to eighth.

Former Austria Vienna boss Wimmer is determined to see his new team climb back into the top six over the next seven games before the split as he sets about implementing a high-energy game plan.

“I want that we play proactive football, try to be dominant also and have high ball wins,” he said, facing the media for the first time at Fir Park on Tuesday afternoon.

“My building blocks are from control, dynamism and to be goal-oriented. I want to bring energy into the club, have many duels and energy and atmosphere also with the fans.

“I think it’s a traditional club and a traditional club needs intensity.

“I think it’s important now to get my playing style, my ideas into the club and also to find the balance because it’s the end before the table is split. So it’s also very important that we are successful, that we get points because I want to reach the top six.

“I think if you see the table from place three to place 11, there are only 11 points between them and so the table is very tight and everything is possible.

“The next aim is to implement my idea, slowly, but bring it into the club, bring it into the team and to achieve the top-six place.”

Wimmer, the first overseas manager of Motherwell since Finland’s Harri Kampman had a short stint in 1998, is confident following his first two meetings with the players that he will get full buy-in from his new squad.

“Yes, I’m convinced that I can implement this, because I saw the players yesterday only in a meeting and today in a meeting in the training session and the players are very hungry to get the information,” said the former Stuttgart caretaker boss.

“In the session there, they did it very well and I’m convinced that it’s possible. But it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. It takes time to implement all the things.”

Kettlewell cited abuse from Motherwell supporters as his reason for quitting last month, but his successor had no concerns about that and was confident he could forge a strong bond with the Fir Park fanbase.

“This is the past, and it’s not my topic,” Wimmer said of Kettlewell’s situation. “I’m looking forward and I like to have good connections to the fans.

“I think it’s very important that the relationship between the team, the club and the fans has to be tight. With togetherness, many things are possible and if the groups are split, it’s always dangerous.”

Wimmer has no notable links to Scottish football but he revealed how attending Rangers’ 3-1 victory at Hearts on Sunday helped whet his appetite for his first game away to Dundee United on Saturday.

“I know things about the UK football because many coaches from the Championship, I know very well, for example, (former Hull boss) Tim Walter, so I followed UK football, but I also followed Scottish football and I like it,” he said.

“I like the intensity, the honesty from the football and I like the passion. I like the fans, they are passionate.

“This is crazy, I like it. On Sunday, I watched Hearts’ game against Rangers. I was surprised by the energy and the power in this game. I’m looking forward to the first game.”