Askou's bible, blame-free coaching & Bodo/Glimt inspiration

Despite back-to-back defeats silencing talk of a Scottish Premiership title push, Jens Berthel Askou's Motherwell approach continues to generate intrigue.

A sitdown interview with Open Goal, external, along with an access-all-areas feature in The Athletic, external, has provided further insight into how the Danish coach works.

Here are three key takeaways:

What is Askou's system?

The Dane's asymmetric 4-2-2-2 formation demands short, incisive passing, aided by players constantly rotating and making forward runs.

Aggressive counter-pressing and a deliberate choice not to contest first balls in defence have contributed to Motherwell having the best defence in the league, while they are also among the best sides in Europe for regaining possession.

Askou's bible and blame-free coaching

The 43-year-old Askou fights against "blame culture" and has made his players - such as Scottish football veterans Paul McGinn and Stephen O'Donnell - feel "free" by accepting errors to ensure they do not fear taking risks.

He has a "football bible" comprising more than 300 slides detailing his game model, from pressing and playing against 10 men to defending against goal kicks.

Bodo/Glimt inspiration

The Well boss delivered a presentation highlighting the rise of Bodo/Glimt.

Askou even predicted Bodo/Glimt's remarkable Champions League win over Manchester City in January and hoped his players would be inspired and motivated by the modest Norwegian club's extraordinary success.