WEWON’TGET CAUGHT TOUT
Robinson: I’ve told boys to get cup final briefs sorted before Well battle Dons FIR PARK LATEST
STEPHEN ROBINSON has warned his Motherwell men if they get distracted by the scramble for Betfred Cup Final tickets they will be the ones who end up sitting in the Hampden stands.
The Fir Park gaffer revealed he ordered his men to sort out their briefs for Celtic next Sunday in advance as he didn’t want his players getting caught tout at Aberdeen tomorrow.
He said: “We said after beating Rangers, ‘Sort the ticket allocations out straight away’. I don’t want players running around next week saying they need two, 10 or 15 tickets – that’s all been done.
“To be honest, there hasn’t been a lot of talk about the final. We have a grounded bunch here.
“I don’t doubt it’ll be at the back of their minds, although they won’t speak to me but if they look that far ahead they won’t be playing at Hampden.
“I’ll pick a team that I believe can win the final and the team which plays against Aberdeen will have first shot at that.”
Motherwell dumped the Dons on their way to the final and Robinson is looking for a repeat performance at Pittodrie.
He said: “A lack of focus doesn’t come into it for us. Aberdeen away is a tough game – we’ve played them twice and won and lost one apiece.
“We know what we’re up against and what Derek McInnes brings to the table with his team but there aren’t any easy games up here – Ross County, Partick or anywhere.
“Aberdeen have only lost two domestic games – one of them to us and that gives us something to aim for.
“We don’t win football matches without putting in the kind of effort we did against them in the Betfred Cup.”
Meanwhile, Robinson admits being boss of Northern Ireland would be a dream gig – but he’s hoping Michael O’Neill isn’t about to jump ship to Scotland. The Well boss has been identified by the Irish FA as a possible successor if the former Brechin manager decides to take up the Hampden hotseat.
The former Northern Ireland No.2 might have to wrestle fellow target Tommy Wright outside Windsor Park for the honour but the Fir Park boss would certainly be up for the scrap.
It’s a waiting game at the moment but Robinson would rather his old pal remained in the post across the water. He said: “It’s a big honour for me to even be linked with something like that.
“I’m very patriotic about my country and proud of where I come from. I’ve worked at that level before and it was a massive honour for me to do that.
“I’m very, very happy as the Motherwell manager and Michael is still the Northern Ireland boss.
“I very much hope he remains the Northern Ireland manager, so we’ll worry about that when it happens.”
Robinson was O’Neill’s righthand man before he moved to Motherwell and it’s no stretch to think he could repeat the role with Scotland – while remaining in charge at Fir Park.
The 42-year-old dismissed the suggestion as he has enough on his plate with Well.
Robbo said: “My focus is totally on Motherwell. I’m not sure as a manager you could do both roles.
“If you go away and lose two or three games, it would be thrown at you that your focus isn’t at Motherwell, so I would say that would be very unlikely.”
Robinson’s full attention is on Well but he admitted O’Neill would be a superb appointment for Scotland.
Robinson said: “I’m not surprised the SFA have made an approach for Michael at all.
“If I was sitting on any international board in the world, he would be one of the first names on your lips.
“Look at what he has achieved with 35 or 36 players with four of them playing in the top flight – it’s a massive achievement.
“He would be near the top of the list I would imagine for any international board that are looking to be successful and qualify for major tournaments.”