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It's only a few weeks since talk of a four-way fight for the Scottish Premiership title.
Hearts have been top of the league since late September, the big Glasgow two have not had their troubles to seek but have kept themselves in the mix while Motherwell's form – and fabulous football – from the end of October until the end of February had the Steelmen bang in contention as well.
Sadly for manager Jens Berthel Askou, his debut season in Scottish football tailed off dramatically for a few weeks with just a solitary point from the five matches preceding Sunday's trip to Ibrox.
An impressive win over Rangers, however, and in particular the way the visitors played, has reminded everyone that while Well cannot win the league, they will have a significant say in who does.
The Steelmen have just dented Danny Rohl's hopes of silverware in his first season at Rangers.
The fates of leaders Hearts and second-placed Celtic may well be determined by five days in 'manic May' when both face tricky trips to Fir Park against the men in claret and amber, who appear to have rediscovered their mojo just in time for the most memorable top flight run-in for generations.
Motherwell are title 'king makers'
The question on many a lip prior to the first set of post-split fixtures was who would blink first. It appeared pacesetters Hearts had the trickiest game with an Edinburgh derby at the home of city rivals, Hibernian. They passed the test in the end, although nine-man Hibs very nearly held out for a point that would have been a gut punch to everyone in maroon.
This was after Celtic had taken care of Falkirk the day before, relatively comfortably. It was Rangers who stumbled, going down 3-2 to a Motherwell side who played arguably their best football of a remarkable season in a wonderfully accomplished first 45 minutes.
Former Hearts defender Allan Preston told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound he's in no doubt about the role the Fir Park side will play from here on in.
"They'll be the king makers," he said.
"They'll decide who wins this league, Motherwell, because they are so good. You just wonder, in those first 10 games of the season when they couldn't buy a win but they were brilliant, they were drawing so many, they would have been in the mix to win this title."
Everyone at Motherwell 'plays without fear'
Many Premiership managers will have considered over the past eight months or so – what makes Motherwell tick and how do you cope with their free flowing, expansive football? They've a real admirer in former Celtic, Monaco and Scotland midfielder John Collins.
"They play good football, they attack, they're creative, you know exactly how they're going to play," Collins told Sportsound. "All credit to Motherwell.
"The challenge you've got against Motherwell is they use their goalkeeper very well. He's an extra outfield player. Every single player on the pitch plays without fear. Every player wants the ball at every moment in the game.
"The man in possession hasn't got one or two options, he's got three or four every time. That's a team that's difficult to play against, difficult to press."
It all comes down to the coaching, of course, and the philosophy of Dane Askou. Collins has thoroughly enjoyed watching him go about his business, bringing the punters flooding back to Fir Park in the process.
"He's not asking players to run and dribble past five, 10 players," Collins explained.
"He's just asking players to move, to receive the ball and continually move; don't stand still all the time. When you watch them, the options for the man in possession of the ball, it looks so easy. They're cutting through teams."
- Win or bust for Rangers as Tynecastle trip looms large
- Rangers title hopes dented by thrilling Motherwell in five-goal epic
Askou 'wants to win every game'
There are a few contenders for performance of the season, not least Motherwell's Sunday win and their December dismantling of Wilfried Nancy's Celtic at Fir Park.
There was also the display that put them three goals up at Tynecastle before Hearts rallied for a point and a five-star, five-goal demolition of St Mirren in Paisley.
Against Rangers, the way they completely dominated Rangers on their own turf, however, with Elliot Watt, Callum Slattery, scorer Lukas Fadinger and double scorer Emmanuel Longelo all running the show for the whole of the first period was something even their manager acknowledged as extra special.
"It's hard not to say that's very pleasing," he told BBC Scotland. "The first half was right up there with us at our very best.
"Especially against the quality of team you're playing against. They've been winning and winning and winning for more than half the season now since Danny Rohl took over.
"So, to stay cool and still play our game when you have more than 50,000 trying to help them push for the win, to just be composed and do what we do, to defend with our lives and then produce that final moment of quality to decide the game, I'm really impressed with that."
Little wonder. Hearts and Celtic beware. As far as Askou is concerned, there may well be more of the same to come between now and the end of the season, with the Motherwell swagger well and truly back on the pitch.
"We want to win every game," he added. "I see a group of players that are talented enough to compete for the win in every game, no matter who we play and where we play.
"Anything is possible if you really go for it and reach out for it. We've not arrived here to just say, 'fine, top six, everything is good'. We want to attack the league and get as many points as possible."
Motherwell have already been one of the stories of a Premiership season like no other this millennium. They're clearly going to have a big say in who walks away with a title whose conclusion will be talked about and remembered for years to come.
