Hartley: We just won’t pay anymindto Bren’sgames
TALKING WELL
PETER Hartley is confident Motherwell won’t be affected by Brendan Rodgers’s mind games in the build-up to the Betfred Cup final – and will play their natural game against Celtic on Sunday.
Rodgers was publicly scathing about the Fir Park club’s uncompromising style following their controversial semifinal victory over Rangers at Hampden last month.
The Northern Irishman claimed some of the challenges the team managed by his countryman Stephen Robinson had made had “endangered players’ lives and careers”.
And the former Swansea City and Liverpool manager also stated that referees need to be “really firm” with their “constant physical challenges”.
But Hartley believes Rodgers’s remarks were carefully calculated and possibly betrayed an underlying apprehension about how Robinson’s side approach games.
Asked if he thought the Parkhead club’s manager was possibly concerned about Motherwell’s aggressive game plan, he said: “He could be. I’d imagine Brendan Rodgers is very clever and meticulous with the things he says.
“But I can’t speak for him. It is his opinion. All we care about is everyone in that dressing room. We know we have a job.”
Hartley stressed the Motherwell players were undeterred about being branded a dirty team by their many detractors in Scottish football and would stick to their usual game plan on their return to Hampden.
The 29-year-old also predicted his side, who have beaten Aberdeen and Rangers in the previous two rounds, were capable of causing a huge upset and pulling off what would be a famous triumph.
“If we take the physicality out of our game then we are not going to be the same team,” he said. “If we play Celtic at their own game then they will beat us. We have to try and make Celtic play our game.”
“Celtic have been head and shoulders above everybody in this league for a few years now. But our gaffer is working on a way to beat them and pick an 11 full of belief.
“In the semi-final nobody gave us a chance. It was only little old Motherwell. We are always the underdogs. But we won and we are going there to win again – We are going to Hampden to lift the trophy. Celtic are human. It is 11 men v 11 men.
“We get a lot of criticism about being physical, but we are a good team. We are a team that plays football in the right areas. We do the basics well and when we get in the final third we create chances.
“You saw t hat against Aberdeen this season. We have beaten them twice and scored five goals against them in three games so we are no mugs.
“Without a doubt there is a distinction between being a physical team and a dirty team. I wouldn’t say we are a dirty team. Scottish football is very physical as well. If you look at our yellow card record in the league we are sixth so I wouldn’t say we are dirty.
“The full team fears no one. That’s why we’ve had such a good start to the season.”
HARTLEY has come a long way since suffering successive relegations with Hartlepool and Stevenage, but he believes those experiences have helped him at Motherwell.
“The worst moment was when I was captain of Hartlepool and we were relegated,” he said. “It is my home town club and I found it very difficult to walk around the streets. I had a dog’s life. That’s why it turned me into a man from a boy. It wasn’t just a job, it affected my day to day life. I couldn’t pop to Asda without taking pelters.
“You have to deal with it in a professional way. You can’t give back as much as you’re getting. At the time, when you’re stuck in that environment you think there’s no way out. But I was young and learned from it and here I am today.
“When you look back you realise and take the things from that experience I’ve had from being at the wrong end of the table so early in my career has helped me now.” HAMILTON manager Martin Canning has backed striker Rakish Bingham to keep improving after he signed an extension to his deal at the Superseal Stadium on Tuesday.
The 24-year-old attacker has now committed to the Lanarkshire club until the end of next season, having joined from Hartlepool United back in August 2016.
Former Wigan, Falkirk and Mansfield Town man Bingham has hit 11 goals in 54 appearances for Accies, and he climbed off the bench to play a key role in Hamilton’s second goal in their win over Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday.
And his manager believes that there is a lot more to come from the pacy forward, both in terms of goals and his general play, now that his immediate future has been settled.
“Rakish has improved the longer he’s been here and there is so much potential for Rakish to get better again as well,” said Canning. “He’s quick, strong, he’s got two good feet, he can finish. I believe he’s already a good player but I believe he can get better.”
There were no huge celebrations from Canning’s squad following Hamilton’s first league win at Ibrox since 1926 last weekend.
The final whistle had barely blown before Canning was warning his men that they must focus on Saturday’s visit of Hibernian.
“As much as you have to enjoy a result like that, the biggest thing is to refocus,” he said.
“It can be quite easily forgotten a couple of weeks down the line if you’re not picking up results. Nobody remembers that you beat Rangers or beat Hibs at the start of the season, it’s the here and now.
“When we went to Hibs and beat them earlier this season, they were just off the back of beating Rangers at Ibrox, and maybe approached our game with the same mentality that we are trying to avoid approaching this game with.””