Motherwell boss Steven Hammell has challenged his squad to take the next step in their development under his management when they face Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup tonight.
Ange Postecoglou’s side travel to Fir Park having only faced the Well over two weeks ago, where the Bhoys came out 2-1 winners at Parkhead.
The Steelmen are also on a poor run of form at this moment in time, having picked up just one win in their last six matches.
However, despite their poor form, it has been more positive on the performance side of things under the new management of Hammell.
The 40-year-olds next match as boss at Fir Park doesn’t come any more difficult, facing Celtic once again, who will be looking to retain their trophy.
Hammell understands how tough a task lies ahead. But, he has challenged his side to take the next step in their development under his management and turn their performances into wins.
And although the Well boss was full of praise for the Hoops, he urged his players and supporters to get right up for this evening’s game as Celtic come to town.
He said [Glasgow Evening Times]: “We don’t want to run teams close, we want to do more than that.
“We want to go that one step further. How we do that has a lot to do with what we do every day. The belief within the squad, the starting XI, and hopefully, the fans getting right behind us will help us achieve that.
Hammell continued: “It (winning) would mean everything. It will be difficult and a challenge but one we are up for.
“Anything worth achieving is going to be difficult, but we’re prepared for it. We will give it absolutely everything we’ve got.
“It’s as tough as it gets, you’re playing a team with high quality who are well-coached, they’ve got a certain style that they play which is difficult to coach and understand, which shows you where they are at.
“But it depends on what we do and how we bring the best version of us. That will give us the best chance. We need everyone individually to be strong at a high level and everyone, including me and the staff, to get the fans onside and bring the noise for us.
“We need all these things to contribute to getting a result.”
Celtic face a potentially tricky task, but they have shown they are more than capable on the road.
As Ange Postecoglou mentioned in his midweek presser, going away to any team, particularly at the latter stages of a cup competition, can be a tough task.
However, the Hoops have showcased their ability on the road under the 57-year-old’s management and came through a trip to Dingwall in the last round.
Now, the Bhoys are within touching distance of a place at Hampden Park, and I am sure the Celtic manager will be keen to return to the country’s national stadium next year.
Motherwell have already shown that they can be a difficult opponent, pushing Celtic right until the very end at Parkhead earlier this month.
So, Postecoglou will be making sure his squad are at the top of their game ahead of a potentially tricky cup tie later on this evening.
In other news, First start, four changes; Celtic Predicted XI vs Motherwell.
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