Stephen Robinson spoke about the loss to Hibernian, facing St Johnstone and the importance of the next block of games on Friday.
Here’s what he said to the broadcast media.
On defeat to Hibernian
“Obviously we were disappointed by the result. But when I look back on it, there were a lot of positives in the game.
“We’ve reiterated to the boys about the basics of football and staying with runners. We got punished. Hibs were ruthless in punishing us in the chances they had.
“That’s the level. That’s the level of players you’re playing against. You can’t afford to make those mistakes. And we’ve worked on that during the week.
“We know we’re in for a very tough game again against St Johnstone. So we have to put that right, but also continue with the positive aspects of the performance and keep trying to play and create the chances that we did.
“We didn’t deserve to take anything from the game. Because we didn’t do the basics. Make no mistake about that.
“But our general play from box to box was very good. There was some very good football involved, but our end product and our delivery and our final pass wasn’t quite there.
“It happens sometimes. And Hibs defended it well and we didn’t stay with our runners, which is a basic thing in football. You can work on everything, but if you don’t do the basics right, you lose football matches. So that was our lesson.”
On the forthcoming fixtures
“I think the next three games are huge for us. It gives us an opportunity to stay where we are and maybe even gain ground.
“The league is very tight. There’s not very much, I don’t think, between any team that you play. Outside of the top two, there’s not a lot in it.
“Key things in the game are what win things at times. If key moments go for you, or against you, it can dictate the result.
“We are a team that has to be patient. We don’t have a massive targetman that we can launch balls up to. And that’s not what we want to do.
“We want to be patient. We want to break teams down. It’s that quality in the final third. Getting that consistency from our front players and help them with their decision making.
“That’s the key to it, the decisions in the final third. If you watch Celtic and Rangers last night in Europe, both terrific results, the key to it is it doesn’t matter how much possession there is. Their forward players are the key to winning and losing football matches.
“We have to bring more ruthlessness to our game and decision making in that final third.”
On facing St Johnstone
“Tommy always has them well organised. I think their league position doesn’t suggest how they’ve played at times. It’s so tight down there, there’s not a lot of difference between bottom and sixth. There’s very little difference between it.
“I think it’d be a hard game. I think they will sit in at times. We’re going to have to break teams down. But our boys have to take that as a compliment. You know, people didn’t used to come to Motherwell and sit in. They do now and they try and hit is on the counter attack.
“So that’s something we have to be aware of because St Johnstone have got pace up top with their front three and they’re dangerous.
“We have to go in with a real positive mindset. Take the game to St Johnstone and try and get three points in the board, get us back on another winning run.
“I think Tommy’s record speaks for itself over the years and what he’s done with St Johnstone. He’s massively overachieved and we will expect them to be organised.
“I think he’s signed some very good players. I think they’ve got a good squad on paper and you know, he’ll always be looking to turn that into results. But hopefully it won’t be starting Saturday.”
