Law: Baraclough can restore buzz
Josh Law believes new manager Ian Baraclough can help him and his Motherwell team-mates regain the positivity that has been missing for much of the season.
Baraclough led Motherwell to a 1-0 victory against 10-man St Mirren in his first match in charge and is looking to continue his winning start when he makes his Fir Park debut against Partick Thistle on Saturday.
Law said: "He has given us certain stuff that he demands which is pressing high up the pitch and keeping possession.
"Obviously it's not going to happen straight away but there were signs on Saturday that it was happening, but it can be difficult playing against 10 men because they sit deep.
"But in training a lot of work has been about quick play and pressing and it's been going well.
"He's a really positive guy and he keeps telling us to be positive ourselves and get behind our team-mates."
Law got off to a flying start to his Motherwell career with two goals in the first 20 minutes of his debut against Icelandic side Stjarnan. But the team lost a lead three times in the tie to exit the Europa League and the blow seemed to carry forward into a poor domestic season.
But the 25-year-old hopes they can now look up the way after they moved further away from the bottom two on Saturday.
"Obviously it's been a difficult season for us all, and when you're a new player coming into a team that finished second last season then you are going to feel a bit down that you are down there," said Law, a summer signing from Alfreton Town.
"But I feel over the last month or so my form has been coming back to me a little and I am starting to settle down a lot more and hopefully I can just keep getting better from here."
Law set up John Sutton's goal against St Mirren after overlapping from right-back, where he was moved to at half-time from his normal midfield role.
"I have played there before, I played there for a full season when I was younger," he said.
"You can see play build up from behind the ball so you know when to make your runs and I enjoy the position."
Ryan Stevenson revealed getting on the Partick Thistle goal trail has given his mind a rest.
The 30-year-old former Hearts and Ayr United forward signed for the Jags in the summer, but did not break his scoring duck until November 29 when his double gave Thistle a 2-0 William Hill Scottish Cup win over Hamilton.
Another brace in the 4-0 Premiership win at Inverness has taken his tally to four in five games.
And ahead of the trip to Motherwell on Saturday, where victory will take Alan Archibald's men nine points clear of the home side, Stevenson said: "I am doing okay. It was a difficult start but I got a couple of goals and then a couple last week so it is a decent spell for me.
"Coming into a new club, it takes you a while to get used to the surroundings and everything that is happening.
"I was kind of doing okay at the start of the season but the goal didn't come and the more you think about it the worse it gets.
"I probably did over-think it for a while but then went back to basics, knowing it would come and it did.
"If you are playing up front you need to help your team. I had a couple of assists but the goal was the biggest thing.
"After the relief of the first goal hopefully I can kick on.
"I don't have a target - I could go back to not scoring for a while again.
"I will just try to keep it going as long as I can.
"It would be nice to get into double figures but I won't set myself any targets in case I don't hit them and I'm disappointed."
Stevenson is expecting a tough test against a Well side who have appeared to rally under new boss Ian Baraclough, who replaced Stuart McCall.
Last week's 1-0 win at St Mirren was the Steelmen's first victory in five matches.
"They are a good team," said the former Ipswich player.
"They haven't had as good a season as they would have hoped and it was a shock when Stuart McCall left.
"A new manager came in and that gives everyone a lift. They had a good result last week so it is a massive game for us as we can put a bit of daylight between us and them."
Source: PA
