Stephen McManus enjoying life under new Well boss McGhee
Motherwell defender Stephen McManus has found playing under Mark McGhee like turning the clock back to his years with Gordon Strachan.
The centre-back played under Strachan at Celtic and Middlesbrough and recognises major parallels between the close friends and former Aberdeen team-mates.
The 33-year-old has now played under the entire Scotland coaching triumvirate of Strachan, McGhee and former Fir Park boss Stuart McCall.
"There are similarities in a lot of drills," McManus said. "The manager puts his own slant on them but for some of us it's like putting the clock back seven years.
"It's been great. The reason Gordon brought Stuart McCall and Mark McGhee in as his backroom staff is because they are very good at what they do, but they are good people. Good people surround themselves with good people.
"I can totally see the similarities between Gordon and Mark. They are very humble. They work extremely hard. They put a lot of trust and belief in the players and it's up to the players to maintain that trust by working as hard as they possibly can and doing whatever they are asking you to do."
McGhee has secured instant improvement despite experimenting with his team, having taken four points from two away games ahead of Saturday's Ladbrokes Premiership clash with Inverness at Fir Park.
"The manager has stamped his authority on the group, he's stamped his philosophy on it, and everyone is buying into it," McManus said.
Keith Lasley (calf) and Steven Hammell (groin) remain out
Brian Rice is confident that Inverness will not be disadvantaged with boss John Hughes consigned to the stand against Well.
Hughes was handed a one-match touchline ban for claiming referee Andrew Dallas was not ready for the top flight.
A further one-game ban was suspended until the end of the season but Caley Thistle's assistant manager said: "It is not a problem at all.
"Sometimes it is an advantage to have someone sitting in the stand with a different vantage point, seeing the game a different way.
"It is not a disadvantage at all."
Danny Devine revealed that the Inverness players had been well briefed on what is expected from Hughes.
"The boys know what the manager wants," said the 23-year-old defender.
Miles Storey (knee) and Gary Warren - who made a 10-minute return from a broken leg last weekend - will be given late fitness tests, while right-back David Raven is suspended.
Ross Draper (ankle), Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo (Achilles), Tobi Sho-Silva (hamstring), Dani Lopez (groin), Jordan Roberts (groin), Aaron Doran, Dean Brill and Richie Foran (all knee) remain out.
Source: PAR
