Theo Bair: The Unexpected Motherwell Hero
During the summer transfer window, Theo Bair left Motherwell to join newly promoted Ligue 1 side AJ Auxerre on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee, rumoured to be around £1.25 million plus add ons. The Canadian international signed for the Steelman last season as a free agent from St Johnstone and had a successful campaign leading the line, scoring 15 goals with six assists.
The 25-year-old was named Motherwell’s Player of the Year, the club’s top goalscorer and in the PFA Team of the Year. The striker was without a doubt the Well’s star man. Speaking exclusively to Breaking The Lines, Motherwell fan and YouTuber Goggsy99 reflected on Bair’s time at the club:
“I think it was very successful. To just have him for one season – is a shame but I’m glad because a year isn’t long enough to get attached to a player that it would hurt to see him go. He came to the club as a disappointing signing at the time, due to his goal tally at St Johnstone, but Kettlewell unearthed a gem by focusing the game plan around him.”
“Once Mika Biereth had returned to Arsenal in January, he left a gap nobody expected him to be filled so emphatically. It’s not every day a player leaves a club in this league for a ‘top 5 league team’, so I’m really pleased to see Bair get his move that he has deserved. For a free signing, we will have recouped well over £2 million for him, considering what he earned us in terms of league placings, his fees for being at the Copa America and that’s before the add ons for his transfer.”
The former Vancouver Whitecaps player scored many memorable goals, but his performance at Ibrox in Motherwell’s 2-1 victory over Rangers is one that stands out for Goggsy: “After a 15-match winless run last year, he scored two brilliant goals in a 3-1 win over Livingston just after Christmas. One of the goals he scored he burst into the box, did a Ronaldo chop sending the Livingston defender to the shops before chipping the ball over the rooted goalkeeper.
He was sensational in the 5-0 win over Ross County when he scored a penalty and claimed an assist – unlucky when his volley was disallowed for offside, but on another night, he could have had a hat-trick. I’ve got to mention his performance at Ibrox in a rare 2-1 win. He got the first goal, and bullied the Rangers defence all afternoon, his presence will be missed for sure.”
Bair is going to be a difficult player to replace but Goggsy has been impressed with the Fir Park side’s recruitment this summer: “I think we’ve recruited well in terms of quality up the top end of the pitch. A lot is made of Bair’s spell, but people forget he didn’t get a great deal of game time in the first half of the season, due to Biereth being the designated talisman at the time.
We’ve recruited Bair’s attributes in other players such as Tawanda Maswanhise’s pace, and the height and aerial threat in Apostolos Stamatelopoulous – and Tony Watt’s work ethic makes up for it. It may not be seen right now but we have a habit of being a better team in the second half of the season, so I look forward to what’s just over the horizon.”
Stuart Kettlewell’s men currently sit fifth in the Scottish Premiership table and are in the Viaplay League Cup quarter-finals with a chance to reach Hampden in the semi-finals if they can get past Dundee United. As for Bair, he has kicked off his time in Ligue 1 by starting in each of Auxerre’s first three matches, and he’ll be looking to open his account in French football in Auxerre’s upcoming home match vs. Monaco.
By: Scott Bradley / @ScottBradleyX
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Ewan Bootman – SNS Group