Hours after his appointment was confirmed our new manager suffered with the rest of us as we conceded goals in the dying seconds of each half to turn a win into a draw. Ross County were the beneficiaries last week and we now face the other rival in the struggle to climb from the bottom reaches of the table.
St Mirren last won at the beginning of October and only one point has been earned in the following seven attempts. It can hardly be a surprise that like Motherwell, their interest in the Scottish Cup was ended at the first hurdle. They too have lost a manager, though his departure was forced, and Gary Teale will be in charge for our visit. His view of the game is, “Next week is a must-win, in my opinion. It's not about the points because we will still have time to come back, but for the confidence it is crucial." Their plight can give us some hope that others are also struggling.
The Buddies’ hopes will be heavily weighted on returning striker Steven Thompson. He has yet to complete a full game since his almost three month absence but his scoring record against us suggests that we’ll have to be mindful of his predatory instinct. Jim Goodwin has promised to clean up his act and this season’s collection of seven yellows and one red underlines the need for change. He was dismissed at Fir Park in August when Motherwell opened the campaign with a 1-0 win.
Our defence will be far from full strength. Ramsden completes his two game ban while Hammell, who has made only three league appearances this season, seems to be no nearer recovery. Erwin must be in contention for a starting place (he has been a late substitute in the last six games) and Ainsworth will be hoping that his second half showing against Ross County might move him up the pecking order.
It will be fascinating to discover how Hutchison deploys his resources. Will he try to play safe and set out a defensive eleven with an eye on the break or will he choose to attack in numbers? Will he introduce one or two of our younger players or will he rely on the more established members of the squad? Motherwell usually take a decent support to Greenhill Road and they'll not mind what tactics or personnel are employed if we leave the ground with three points.
A 2-1 win to the new manager!