When Alfred Johansson took charge of Motherwell Football Club this summer, plenty of people wondered if he was walking into an impossible situation.
The Scottish club had just finished an impressive fourth place in the top league, the Scottish Premiership, playing attractive football on one of the league's smallest budgets. They had also lost three key players: Elijah Just moved to Swansea City, Elliot Watt headed to Turkish side Samsunspor, and Calum Ward joined QPR. On top of that, Johansson was following Jens Berthel Askou, a popular Danish manager who had left for French club Toulouse.
Yet somehow, the 35-year-old Swedish manager has made it all look easy so far. Motherwell have won all three of their matches under their new boss, including a 5-0 victory over HB Torshavn from the Faroe Islands and a thrilling 2-1 win away at Hibernian on Sunday.
That win at Easter Road showed exactly why Motherwell fans have reason to be excited. When Hibernian pressed hard in the second half, Motherwell stood firm thanks to summer signing Martin Moormann, who threw himself into block after block. Then, on the counter-attack, Ibrahim Said struck a brilliant winner.
"In the first half we showed some good stuff on the ball, but more than tactics, we have to praise the spirit of the team because at times we had to ride out storms," Johansson said after the match.
Eight players made their Motherwell league debuts in that game, with five of them starting. That kind of upheaval could destabilize any team, but Johansson said the squad's togetherness made all the difference.
"To show that kind of commitment and team spirit this early, all the credit to the players. It shows we have got the right characters in the door," he said.
Midfielder Oscar Priestman agreed, telling Sky Sports: "The manager has brought in his own methods and stamped his authority on the team. We're all really enjoying it."
Captain Regan Charles-Cook described the mood simply: "The group was so together. It still feels the same. It feels like a family."
Motherwell face their biggest test yet on Thursday when they travel to face Finnish side HJK Helsinki in European competition. But if the first three weeks are anything to go by, Johansson has built something special at the club.