It’s as if these players need a rocket... they are throwing Stevie and club under the bus
Twaddle’s verdict on Steelmen’s slump
KEVIN TWADDLE reckons the sorry Motherwell squad need a good rocket as their sub-standard performances are throwing the club and boss Stevie Hammell under a bus.
The Steelmen haven’t won in the league since October and are now only off the bottom of the Premiership on goal difference.
After the weekend 3-1 defeat at Aberdeen, a banner was put outside Fir Park that read: “Show some passion for the badge on your shirt!”. It has left a lot of the Motherwell support fearing the worst and putting their 39 year stay in the top-flight on the line.
Twaddle said: “It’s as if these players need an absolute rocket. I speak to a lot of Motherwell fans and the lack of fight is the most alarming thing about recent performances.
“Most fans accept this season is going to be a struggle to try to stay in the top flight. Fans can take getting beat if your team has given everything. When you’re bottom of the league you need to fight and show desire. That’s the minimum requirement.
“His players need to take a good look at themselves because they’re throwing their manager and their club under the bus with their performances.”
Twaddle was at Fir Park as Hammell came through the ranks and he reckons if the current team had the battling qualities of their manager they wouldn’t be in their current predicament. The former winger said: “Stevie will know the results haven’t been good enough but the thing is he can’t go on the park.
“Stevie as a player was a proper winner. The team he has inherited is far from that. There seems to be a lack of desire.
“Hammell gave everything on the park and was really motivated. I feel for him just now. He’s in a difficult position. I’m not really sure how he can rectify the situation. If I’m being honest there are quite a few players in that Motherwell team who just aren’t good enough to be fair.
“Even if the players don’t have the quality they have to give the workrate and determination that Hammell showed as a player.”
Twaddle also knows the manager will be feeling things as much as anyone connected with Motherwell. He said: “He is a legend at the club and the pressure is on him to keep the club in the Premiership.
“I really feel for Stevie because I know how much he’ll be hurting. I know what Motherwell means to him. That’s the hazard of going back as the manager.
“All that seems to be forgotten because of the predicament the team is in. Stevie will be hurting as much as any other Motherwell fan and he will be determined to turn things around.
“There are frustrations there because they haven’t won in the league since October He’s brought in his own signings in the last window but it’s going to take a bit of time to gel.”
Well can at least take a break from the league this weekend and focus on the Scottish Cup.
They are to Raith Rovers and that could ramp up the pressure. But Twaddle reckons it could kick-start their campaign. He said: “This is an opportunity to get away from the league and get an extended cup run.
“But it’s a hard game because Raith are doing well and have good quality. It will be a tough test and if they were to lose it would just ramp the pressure up on the club again.
“I would back Motherwell to win the game but it won’t be easy or pretty. I firmly believe they’ll win because their Premier League quality will just see them through and hopefully that can help get their season going.”