Boss asks fans for time to get things right
Motherwell boss Graham Alexander urged the disgruntled Fir Park faithful to stick with them as they bid to solve their stuttering start to the new season.
Alexander cut a frustrated figure as he watched his side exit the League Cup in this hard-fought Dens Park encounter which comes on the back of picking up just one point from their opening two Premiership matches.
But the former Scotland star insists they’re giving it everything to turn things around and asked their travelling support – who vented their feelings on full-time – to be patient.
Alexander said: “We know that support gets behind us. We know they’re disappointed when we get beat. I wouldn’t expect any different.
“It doesn’t change the way I’ll approach training or next week’s game.
“We’ll go out to win. I think everyone can see that we go out to attack and to score goals.
“When it doesn’t happen and we concede a poor goal like that then we’re going to get beat.
“So there is a lot of work to do and it’s not for the lack of effort or trying.
“There are shoots of improvement that we had seen up until today and up until half-time I was reasonably content.
“But the second half wasn’t good enough and it wasn’t good enough to win the game. That’s clear”
Alexander admitted he was hurt by their cup defeat which denied them a place in the last 16.
But the Fir Park gaffer refused to point the finger at young forward Connor Shields who struck the bar when he ought to have given them a precious first-half lead.
He added: “Yes, it’s painful. We’re out of the cup and we can’t change that.
“We fell to a set-piece and losing a game like that is always disappointing.
“Who knows if Shields’ chance goes in, it becomes a different game?
“It’s a great opportunity but these things happen in football.
“I wouldn’t put the result down to one opportunity. That wouldn’t be right.
“Connor is a good young player and I know he will score goals for us.
“So there’s no blame on him. We didn’t do enough to win the game – simple as that.”