On the other hand most of the current Motherwell team proved their worth with the successes in recent league campaigns. So what has gone wrong?
O'Brien on target
Anyone who watched the painful post-match interview with the manager will see that he has no magic cure. His frustration and distress is shared by the majority of the 4,016 who attended Saturday's game.
Francis-Angol provided much of our limited attacking threat in the first half. He carried the ball for many yards up the left wing but he has to share the failings of the defensive shambles that was too easily penetrated. Sutton looked uncomfortable in the deeper position and at times Ojamaa was an isolated forward. Ainsworth succeeded in delivering a few crosses but Dundee’s stand-in ‘keeper was happy to claim them only yards from his goal line.
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Everyone agrees that confidence is low and that was clear from the number of misplaced, rushed passes and the speculative long balls that were soon returned by the Dundee attack. McCall is right to say that there’s no magic formula and that what’s needed is a belief that things will turn around. We may need some help from the opposition to start a recovery but the sooner it happens the better.
The Friday night series ahead takes on an increased importance given the loss on Saturday. Without some success against Aberdeen (a), St Johnstone (a) or Dundee United (h) we could be holding up the table in November.