McCall: Criticise Me, Not Players

Photo by Jeff Holmes Motherwell manager Stuart McCall has accepted that criticism of his recent work is only natural - but he has belief that his players can turn around their season. McCall is the most successful post-war Motherwell manager in terms of league finishes, having secured third place and two runners-up spots in the past three seasons. The former Scotland international has also led the club to a Scottish Cup final, but the feel-good factor around Fir Park has taken a battering this season. A Europa League exit to Icelandic side Stjarnan was followed by a League Cup defeat against Hamilton, and Motherwell have only won two of their first nine Scottish Premiership games. A 4-0 home defeat by Accies was a low but they slipped to second-bottom before the international break when they lost 3-1 to Partick Thistle and Motherwell are now desperate for points when Dundee visit Fir Park on Saturday. McCall said: "I would say in the previous three-and-a-half seasons I have done okay as a manager and the club has done really well. If you go on the results in the last nine games, I've been a rotten manager and the club has not done so well. And that's how football goes. "That's when you need to stand up, when things aren't going well. You've got to fight back and that's what we are hoping to do." McCall has been hit with more fitness issues this week after being dogged by injury problems all season, although he would not divulge many details. And he admits he is feeling the pressure, like any manager. "I put myself under pressure," he said. "I was under pressure last season when we got beat 5-1 at Tannadice with three games to go. We needed to win the last three games (to finish second) and managed to do it. "You always look at yourself, what you can do better. Obviously at the moment, results and performances have not been what we are capable of. Confidence is a big thing in football and we just need to regain that. "I don't know any criticism that has been levelled towards me. I don't go on websites or forums. When you've won two games out of nine, you don't expect plaudits. Criticism is natural. "When you look at this season's games, I'm a poor manager. You've got to accept that. The league table doesn't lie. But that's the challenge I've got. If I am getting criticism, fine. Criticise me and not the players because I know what sort of bunch we have in there. We have had little things go against us, but that's football, you've got to get on with it. "I've got belief in the players and their attitude and application." Some Motherwell fans have questioned McCall's role with Scotland, which took him away from his players for most of last week and the start of this week. But he believes it can only benefit him as a manager and consequently the club. "We arranged a game against Partick Thistle on the Thursday (last week) which I went down and saw," he said. "I can only learn off the likes of Gordon and Mark and little things in training and the opposition. "But I have always got my iPad. I watched the Dundee-Aberdeen game three times. It can be a good distraction in a way. "We flew back in the early hours of Wednesday morning and we were in Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and got a lot of good work done. "When you're planning for a game on a Saturday, you don't really get down to the shape of your team and opponents until Thursday, and we started on Wednesday. "We got some good work done, unfortunately there was a bit of illness hit the camp, and an injury."