McCall ready to accept criticism
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."
Dundee manager Paul Hartley believes his side are ready to bounce back from their recent dip.
The Dark Blues have suffered four straight Premiership defeats after a bright start to the new campaign following promotion back to the top flight.
Hartley's team hope to get back to winning ways when they travel to Lanarkshire this weekend, and their manager says they are fully focused on doing so.
"It's a game we're looking forward to," he said.
"It's been a long wait since our last game against Aberdeen (3-2 home loss two weeks ago), which we played well in certain parts even though we lost.
"So overall we're just very keen to get back playing again.
"The players have been in good spirits in training all week and have been working hard.
"I detect they want to give a good account of themselves at Motherwell and hopefully get a positive result.
"The mood is good and it's a case of trying to get back to what we were doing before when we were getting some good results."
Source: PA
