Motherwell manager Graham Alexander is only just in the door – but already he sees positives in his new players as each of them are offered a clean slate at Fir Park.
A former Scotland international, Alexander takes over as Well boss following his time as Salford City manager, where he guided them to the Football League. His first game in claret and amber comes on Saturday away to St Mirren.
Alexander has spoken to the man he is replacing, former Preston teammate Stephen Robinson, and says he can see quality in the current Well crop: “With players the dynamic changes and everything, but certainly one of the attractions for this role, this job, was the quality that was in that squad.
“Stephen Robinson told me that as well. I spoke to him before I took the job. My teams had played against his in England and I just wanted to get a feel of what the difference is. The fixture list is a big one because in England it is Saturday/Tuesday for six months of a year.
“He found he got more coaching time with the players here which he found to be brilliant. He said he couldn’t speak highly enough about the people, the club, the fans and the players as well. He just felt it was time for a change for everybody. He said for some reason it is not quite working at the moment and he knows I am a relatively experienced manager and have had success in England.
“You can see a club from the outside but speaking to someone who has been in here, working day in, day out, he was so complimentary about everyone. I think there is always room for improvement, the league doesn’t lie over time, but that’s not to say there are bad players or players who are not good enough for this level, because I believe there is.
“I’ve been told that as well by people who know them better than me, and I just feel there’s obviously been a problem or an issue, or I wouldn’t be here, and it’s my role and my job, my responsibility to find out what the issue was and try and fix it. I’ve only travelled up last night, took one training session today but I’ve got to say I was really impressed with the quality that I saw.”
Motherwell currently sit joint-bottom ahead of their trip to St Mirren but Alexander says players will be given an opportunity to prove themselves to him. He’s also aware of speculation surrounding out of contracts stars, including Allan Campbell, Declan Gallagher and Stephen O’Donnell.
But for now, he wants to see what his squad are made of: “I think it’s important for me to give them the opportunity. I didn’t actually ask Stephen about individual players, I didn’t want that information, really I’ve analysed the team in games and stuff, but I wanted to learn about them myself, and if there was any negative sides with those players they can have a fresh start with me. I think it’s important to do that.
“I need to ascertain what the squad is capable of, which players want to be here for the long-term, and be reactive to that. The team hasn’t scored enough goals, it has conceded too many, and that’s a recipe for not winning games, so we have to fix that at both ends of the pitch.
“There’s a group of players who can actually achieve improvements at both ends of the pitch, but I always feel that a fresh face, a new face, some stronger competition, always sparks the dynamic in the squad that can be positive, but I don’t really have a mind about what we actually need at the moment.
“I know there has been speculation surrounding two or three of the players, good players, and from what I’ve seen today in training I can see why they’re good players and people are talking about them. I didn’t see any negativity, I didn’t see sulking, everyone was positive about the training session and looking forward to the game tomorrow.
“I haven’t had any individual chats with players or staff, it has been more been the group, because at the end of the day it’s not about me today getting to know them individually, it’s about trying to get three points tomorrow. Going into next week when I have a bit of space, a bit of time, that’s when I’ll have individual chats, get to know people, and get their thoughts on their current status, because I don’t know what each individual is really thinking about.
“From what I’ve seen this morning they’re good players, fit players, and the changes we’ll make over the next few weeks will get that missing ingredient, because I think there’s a lot of talent there. I think winning makes players better, it makes them more confident and I think if you get the ball rolling you can do it whatever way you want.
“In the short-term, the club is in a position that it doesn’t want to be in, that it shouldn’t be in, and obviously my initial task is to help get the team out of that, and I think it’s certainly capable of it, but after that I don’t really want to talk about certain positions.
“There’s not a game I want my team to go into trying to get out of it with a draw or anything like that. I have been beaten in the past because I’ve always gone for wins, with that risk, and I’d like to believe that if I was watching the team that’s what I’d want to see them doing, and to go into a game actually believing they could win it.
“It doesn’t always happen, that’s football, but I think there’s an attitude and a character about my teams in the past that has come through, and it’s through good professionals, good attitude, hard working but with talent and ambition, and a balance to try and win games.”
Motherwell will retain coaches Keith Lasley and Maurice Ross as Alexander’s reign gets underway and the new boss explains why: “I know Maurice because I played with him in the Scotland squad and when I spoke to Robbo he spoke very highly of Keith.
“In previous roles I have brought my own staff but another I went to they were in place for the whole time I was there. All I am bothered about is building a good team on and off the pitch. My responsibility is to create winning and successful teams.
“I don’t know Scottish football inside-out and they have already brought information to me. I am going to need that support.”
Alexander says he’s eager to get straight to work as Motherwell eye a big win in Paisley: “I’m really looking forward to it, I can’t wait to see my team up close and personal, getting feedback from them, seeing them and how they react to different situations.
“Then after that that’s when your managerial head comes in to look at what the issues are, how we can improve, how can we continue to get better, and that’s what the mind-set is. It is a clean slate. If I go into a new club I don’t sit and give it chapter and verse about this, that and the other, I believe in actions, rather than just words.
“It’s over time that players realise it’s an open field and anyone can play in this team, if you do the things that the team needs you’ll be in the team. Players are adults, it’s their choice to behave how they want to behave. We believe we put them in an environment that doesn’t really allow you to do that, or the players actually sort it out themselves.
“We never treat players in a negative way but I do understand I can’t play everyone every week and that’s how I see football working. I believe when you come in it’s important that the players don’t think you have any pre-conceived ideas about them, I think that’s a massive negative, so I’ll purposely steer away from that. What I will see from watching games is my opinion.
“Players have a chance to prove themselves, if they don’t play every week there should be a stimulus in there where they want to prove they should be in the team, so in theory that’s the scenario.
“I think there are a couple of problems that we need to work out, but I think it’s a team that’s been nearly there, so I don’t think it’s major surgery, overhauls and drastic actions, and I want to see the bounce over a period of time.”
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