ROBINSON REFUSES TO PANIC DESPITE HITTING ROCK BOTTOM

STEPHEN ROBINSON insists Motherwell won’t hit the panic button despite their slide to the bottom of the SPFL Premiership. A 3-0 defeat to Celtic at Parkhead made it six games without a win for the side who finished third last season. Insisting it’s now a new squad of players he has at his disposal, Robinson admitted he’s unsatisfied with a start to the campaign featuring two draws and no wins. Adopting a pragmatic approach, however, the Fir Park boss said: ‘It is not an unusual situation losing games with Motherwell. I have been here plenty of times before. It’s a club that gets players in — people keep judging us on last season. ‘There were eight different players that started in our last game, as opposed to who started against Hearts. It’s a different squad with different people. ‘Yes of course the frustration is we haven’t got points on the board. I can’t hide from that. ‘There have been things I think have been fairly good, which gives me the confidence that we will turn it around. ‘I look at other teams last season who didn’t start particularly well and finished top six and there’s no reason why we can’t turn it around. ‘We certainly won’t be pressing any panic buttons.’ Admitting his side have some experience of the foot of the table, Robinson (below) added: ‘It doesn’t make it any easier. I am not dismissing it as a start I’m happy with. ‘Performances on the whole I have been happier with than people might think but I am judged on getting results and at this moment in time we are not doing that. ‘I don’t think we will get judged on today’s game but after the international break we have games I think we can win and start getting a little run together.’

Despite crafting decent openings in a first half when they restricted Celtic to scraps, Motherwell goalkeeper Trevor Carson expressed his disappointment with the final outcome. ‘We came here with a game plan to frustrate them but they got the goal on the break and that was disappointing because that’s what we had worked on,’ he said. ‘Celtic do that a lot, they win the ball deep and they counter-attack on you. ‘After any defeat it is disappointing but I just felt that coming here and not making them really have to work for their goals makes it even more disappointing. ‘You have to be brave on the ball and at times they did give us possession but I don’t think we made the most of it. ‘There were one or two lapses though and they punish you.’