TALKING MOTHERWELL
THERE comes a point when sugar-coating things just isn’t an option. In such times, Scott McDonald can never be accused of mincing his words.
One can only imagine what was running through the Motherwell striker’s head when he was called upon to be the player answerable to the awaiting press on what was his team’s most juddering defeat of the campaign. And let’s be honest, there’s been a few.
Losing 5-0 to Parkhead, 3-0 at home to Inverness, 3-0 away to Hearts a month later before losing by the same result at Fir Park earlier this month and then of course the 7-2 dismantling in Aberdeen just 12 days ago.
Whatever way you slice and dice it, it should come as little surprise that last season’s surprise top-six package now sit 10th in the Ladbrokes Premiership with the worst goal difference in the league.
Despite all of that woe that has been interspersed with the odd glimmer of hope brought through six victories, Saturday’s 5-1 humiliation at home to a mid-table Dundee proved the final straw for many supporters who took to the streets during and after the game to protest against manager Mark McGhee.
They were still outside the Phil O’Donnell Stand in their hundreds when McDonald arrived in the press room. “Our performance in the first half was p*** poor. It was like a hot knife through butter,” said the Australian, the rumble of discontent just about audible on Fir Park Street. “You can’t be that easy to beat – especially not at home.
“You just have to dust yourself off and get on with it. There’s plenty of games still to play. We’ve got enough about us to be able to threaten teams going forward. But we have to do f***ing better at the other end.
“Everyone needs to take responsibility – both individually and collectively. But more so individually. You have to look at yourself first and foremost and make sure that you do your job properly. It’s amazing that, when you do that, all of a sudden things start going well collectively as a team.”
McGhee came in post match and highlighted the inexperience of his back four as a major contributing factor to Motherwell’s latest heavy defeat.
True, with an average age of just 21, the Well backline was without the presence of Richard Tait, Stephen McManus and Stevie Hammell.
However, McDonald was at odds with his manager’s assessment, saying: “Everyone is at fault. You can’t just blame young individuals. That’s just a cop-out. From front to back, everyone is responsible.”
HE IS just about right. There are times when a superior team just clicks and everything falls in their favour. Celtic can batter anyone, Aberdeen are second in the league while losing a few goals to Hearts isn’t a travesty by any stretch. Yet, Motherwell should not be shipping five goals at home to a club like Dundee. And it could have been more.
McGhee remains defiant and McDonald deflected the blame away from his manager on this occasion, but defeat away to Kilmarnock next weekend will do little to ease the pressure on the 59-year-old.
“That’s football,” said McDonald. “Claudio Ranieri can get sacked, you know what I mean? We are doing our utmost. I don’t think the manager is at fault for this at all.
“Yes, there’s been a few bad results. But we’ve had a tough run of games and haven’t been helped by injuries and suspensions. We’ve also gone down to 10 men in a few games, which hasn’t helped.
“But we need to stick together and get ourselves out of this. We have a big game away at Killie next week.
“We have a good record down there. It’s amazing how much better things would look if we go out and win.
“I’ve never been relegated in my career – and I don’t intend to start now.”