Robbo: Second cup run was our hair of the dog
STEPHEN ROBINSON knew the risks of a Betfred Cup Final hangover turning into a full-blown crisis after seeing it happen to Dundee United.
So to see his players bounce back to the verge of another final just five months later tells the Motherwell boss all he needs to know about their strength of character.
Amid the disappointment of their 2-0 Betfred Cup loss to Celtic in November came the slump in results that too many provincial clubs fall into.
St Mirren’s downward spiral to the second tier can be tracked back to the ultimate high of their trophy success in 2013 while Dundee United went into freefall in the weeks following their final defeat by Celtic in 2015.
The loss of talisman Louis Moult to injury before his January sale to Preston only made Well’s predicament worse as they embarked on a run of six defeats and two draws.
The winter break could not come quickly enough for Robinson’s men.
But since returning, refreshed and bolstered by some good business in the transfer window, the boss has been impressed by the character they’ve shown to book another trip to BY EUAN McLEAN Hampden for tomorrow’s Scottish Cup semi-final.
Robinson said: “Our results after that final, coupled with the injuries, brought about that lull. It’s hard psychologically to get the boys going again because they have given everything to get to a final.
“Craig Hinchcliffe on our staff was at Dundee United and he made us well aware of what happened there – and it could happen to anyone.
“You go on a run after a disappointment and then you get injuries.
“The injuries were the hardest thing for us rather than the Cup Final loss. We dealt with that in a week but the injuries were the biggest thing.
“We didn’t bleat about it at the time but when I look back there’s things we could have done better.
“I learned a lot during that period. When the injuries happened the boys who came in weren’t quite up to speed. They weren’t match fit as they hadn’t been playing. How do you get around that?
“We’ve looked at that since, we’ve tried to ensure when the guys come in they are ready to go.
“We won one in 11 during that November/ December period and that’s the reason we are not in the top six.
“But the season could have unravelled completely. We were determined to ensure it didn’t.
“Our motivation was to go again and try and reach another final. The lads got a lot of publicity the last time, it raised their profiles. That was our drive, to get there again.
“It’s a credit to everyone here that we’ve been able to galvanise it, bring people in on a budget and get everyone going again.
“The character of the boys is such even when they’re losing games they won’t lie down. The determination and drive is incredible at times.”
That determination is a quality for which this side is renowned but Robinson reckons it comes at the expense of the credit they deserve for the quality of football they play.
He said: “The boys don’t get the credit they deserve but we’re not too bothered. We’re physical, with good energy and a high tempo, well within the rules.
“When I was a player you’d go to Millwall and the whole environment was horrible. Their fans made it a tough afternoon and the players replicated that attitude. That’s what we’ve tried to recreate.”