SCOTTISH PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS

The future of Craig Brown remained uncertain on Thursday night as the Motherwell manager kept an open mind to an approach from Aberdeen despite initially insisting he was staying at Fir Park.

Aberdeen are still awaiting a definitive answer from Brown after asking the 70-year-old to reconsider his decision not to be considered for their managerial vacancy.

Brown held preliminary talks with Aberdeen chairman Stewart Milne on Tuesday before Motherwell announced the following morning that their manager and assistant Archie Knox had rejected the approach.

The former Scotland manager later confirmed his decision to stay, admitting it would be difficult to bid farewell to the relationship he enjoys with the players and fans at Fir Park.

However, Brown then wavered following a second approach from Milne.

The veteran manager, who has worked without a contract since taking over almost 12 months ago, appears to be looking for some assurances from the Motherwell board before reiterating his commitment to the club.

Brown has used just 18 players this season, with some of them such as Bob McHugh and Jonathan Page just playing a few matches, and fears a further reduction in his squad size in January.

Alan Gow and Marc Fitzpatrick are both out of contract next month while 10-goal Blackburn striker Nick Blackman's loan spell also runs out.

Brown told Milne he had no problems with Aberdeen's offer but was reluctant to move away.

Brown told BBC Scotland: "It was more domestic issues than football issues that tempted us to stay. Archie has moved to 15 different homes.

"Both of us have grandchildren in the area and they would have been upset had we left, they think Aberdeen is Outer Mongolia.

"And obviously the main thing, we looked at the response we get from everyone here, the staff, the players and fans, it would be very hard to leave.

"But when he asked us to reconsider, we said yes. We will and we haven't yet done so because we've been involved in training this morning and a meeting with a couple of players after lunch, and we have still to sit down together and decide."

Brown admitted he wanted "simple reassurances that we are going to have the tools to do the job".

"We are very ambitious, we want Motherwell to succeed and we want to succeed with the team," he added.

"To do that you need resources and players, and back-up players. Reassurance of that would be very, very helpful."

Brown, who insisted he would not leave without Knox, continued: "I can assure you that money has never been mentioned in any discussion.

"What we are concerned about is is it the right thing to do? Are we going to a better job? Are we going to be as happy as we are here?

"Motherwell gave us this opportunity, we are indebted and therefore we don't turn our back on them without due consideration.

"Another club came in for us earlier and we said 'no' instantly."

Aberdeen earlier insisted they had not offered Brown the job.

A statement read: "The situation at present is that we are undertaking due diligence on a limited number of potential candidates, but we are not yet at the stage of making an offer to anyone.

"As has been widely reported, as part of this process, we enquired whether Craig Brown and Archie Knox would be interested in the possibility of coming to Aberdeen and that is as far as it went."

However, Milne's decision to court Brown again following public rejection would clearly suggest the former Clyde and Preston manager is their first choice for the post.

Aberdeen recruited their previous manager from Motherwell in June 2009 but Mark McGhee could not follow his Fir Park success at Pittodrie.

McGhee, who guided Motherwell to third place in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, was sacked last week with Aberdeen joint-bottom of the table after collecting just four points from a possible 39.

Motherwell continued to flourish after McGhee's departure with Brown leading them into Europe for a third successive season and almost into the Europa League group stages. Well sit in fifth place in the SPL, 13 points above the Dons.