Squad Dilemmas Please Baraclough

Photo by Jeff Holmes Motherwell manager Ian Baraclough is relishing the selection problems prompted by "ferocious" competition for places. Baraclough has four deadline-day signings vying for debuts and several players back from injury as Motherwell visit Ross County, the only team below them in the Scottish Premiership. On-loan Everton midfielder Conor Grant, former Plymouth winger Nathan Thomas, Sheffield United goalkeeper George Long and wide player Marvin Johnson, Motherwell's recent purchase from Kidderminster, are all aiming for their first taste of Scottish football. And Baraclough welcomes back the experience of Stephen McManus, Keith Lasley and Stephen Pearson after all three missed the 1-1 draw with St Johnstone on January 31 through injury. Baraclough said: "This Saturday couldn't come quick enough. It's been a good period for us, the two weeks, to embed the new players and bring one or two of the injured players back in. "The competition for places has been ferocious. There has been a real upturn in the tempo of training because there is more competition. "The new players want to make an impression, they have made an impression, and they have lifted everything around the club. "It's been like a mini pre-season where you try to put a lot of work into them, whether it's fitness work or technical. It's been a good two weeks and we want to finish with a good performance and good result at the end of it. "With the amount of positivity around the football club, the three points would give it a massive boost and an injection that I think would lift this football club massively." Motherwell still have at least eight players missing through injury and suspension but that is down on the 10 from two weeks ago. And, with seven new signings joining in January and only Henrik Ojamaa leaving, Baraclough has a very different selection problem. "For once, I'm going to disappoint a few," he said. "There might have been the odd one that I've disappointed by saying 'you have not made it this week'. "What any manager wants is to have a real conundrum at times in certain positions. That's what we have had in the last couple of days. "We have worked on a lot of things and players know what their roles and responsibilities are if and when called upon. "I am going to disappoint a few and they have got to react in the right way and say: 'Well, if it's not this week I might have to come off the bench and make an impact and make sure I am in your thoughts for the following week'."