We can use Moult to attract new faces to Fir Park, insists Robinson
FOR Stephen Robinson and Motherwell, the season began with so much promise. There were 16 new faces brought in by the Northern Irishman and a surging League Cup run saw them go all the way to last month’s final. Last season’s ninth-place finish was a scenario that looked unlikely to trouble the class of 2017/18 when they ended October sitting fourth. But the sale of star striker Louis Moult, who has netted 14 goals this term in all competitions, to Preston North End in January is a body blow — added to the fact Well have won just once in the last six league games. And Robinson believes the 25-year-old’s success acts as the perfect advert for any potential signing as he looks to bring in a replacement. ‘If you’re a non-league or League Two player playing in front of 1,000 people, then you have a chance to come to a club with a coaching set-up like ours and the chance to play in front of 50 or 60,000 people,’ said Robinson. ‘Louis came up and hadn’t done it in England, did brilliant for us and has now had a life-changing move. ‘We’ve had Ben Heneghan and Marvin Johnson recently. ‘We’ve got Cedric Kipre, as well as young boys like Chris Cadden and Allan Campbell that we’ve produced ourselves, and there’s lots of interest in all of those guys. ‘Motherwell sells players. That’s what we do.’ The former Oldham boss accepts the Steelmen cannot compete financially with their Premiership rivals. ‘I’d love to get Scottish players in,’ he continued. ‘But we’ve been priced out of the market. Our market is Conference and League Two. The most we’ve spent is £10,000 on Trevor Carson.’ A hamstring tear keeps Moult out for tomorrow’s visit of Dundee, but Robinson is almost back to a full squad after four consecutive away defeats. Carson, Cadden, Carl McHugh and Peter Hartley were among the more recent casualties as he was forced to reshuffle his pack. Robinson added: ‘If you take five players out of our team, we’re going to be weaker, so we’re looking forward to having the boys back.’