being given the job on a two-and-a-half-year contract. His first game in charge was a 0–0 draw away to Hamilton Academical on New Year's Day 2011, with McCall stating: "It was a fair result. You take positives, a clean sheet, but we can be better and we will be better." He followed it up with a 4–0 victory in the Scottish Cup against Dundee before his maiden league victory – and the club's first since November – against Hibernian by the end of January. McCall was partly selected as new manager because of his knowledge of the lower leagues of English football; he was active in the transfer market in his early days, bringing in Steve Jones – a player he had at Bradford – and Mike Grella from Leeds United, although the latter move was cancelled because of a FIFA ruling limiting the number of clubs a player can sign for in one season. Having operated without an assistant for his first few weeks in charge, McCall chose former Airdrie United manager Kenny Black as his number two. McCall led Motherwell to the semi-finals of both Scottish Cup competitions – they were defeated 2–1 by his former side Rangers in the League Cup but reached the final of the Scottish Cup by defeating St Johnstone 3–0. At the start of the following season, Motherwell lost only one match in their first six making them joint leaders of the Scottish Premier League, which led to McCall being named the Clydesdale Bank Premier League manager of the month for July and August. Well continued their good form, with McCall winning the award again in October, alongside player of the month Keith Lasley, in a month when the side went unbeaten. Motherwell's final position in the Premier League was in 3rd, allowing them into the Champions League for the first time in the club's history. At the start of the 2012–13 season, McCall was unable to make signings after losing ten players. In the summer transfer window, he made two signings Simon Ramsden and Fraser Kerr. McCall attempted to sign the returning James McFadden and Ryan Stevenson, but both were unsuccessful. McCall then managed the club's first Champions League match in the second round against Panathinaikos, but they proved to be too strong and Motherwell failed to win either leg losing 2–0 and 3–0 respectively, which McCall described as "cruel". After the