O'Brien begs for Motherwell chance
Mark O'Brien is hoping to be pitched into Motherwell's Scottish Premiership clash against St Johnstone and help them end a run of poor results.
The defender, 21, joined on loan from Derby earlier this month but is still waiting to make his debut for the Steelmen.
O'Brien is determined to make the most of his five-month spell at Fir Park and has told boss Stuart McCall he is ready for action.
He said: "There is nothing set in stone just yet but I've been training throughout the week and I'm fully fit and ready.
"Hopefully if I do get the chance, I can take it.
"There are a lot of injuries in the defensive area, so I could look on that as being an opportunity for me to come in and get some first-team games.
"If I can help out, and improve myself along the way, that's going to be good for the club."
O'Brien revealed how Scottish team-mates at County convinced him to jump at the chance of the short-term move to Motherwell.
He added: "I spoke to Craig Forsyth, Johnny Russell, Craig Bryson and Paul Coutts.
"They told me a lot about the league and said it's a much better standard than what people say.
"Everyone I spoke to told me it's going to be a great opportunity for me and that I should take it with both hands and enjoy every minute that I'm up here."
As well as O'Brien, McCall also recruited Henrik Ojamaa on loan from Legia Warsaw this month, and he says his business for the current window is now complete.
McCall said: "There will be nothing coming in. If anything, there might be one or two going out.
"We've brought the two boys in on loan and that's our business done for bringing people in.
"I still think the squad is strong enough and good enough certainly to be doing better than we are doing at the moment.
"Once we get one or two back from injury, we will have good healthy competition for places."
Zaine Francis-Angol and Simon Ramsden have both returned to training but are unlikely to feature this weekend, with a return from injury after the international break a more realistic target.
Meanwhile, St Johnstone manager Tommy Wright will pay no heed to Motherwell's early-season struggles.
Wright, who will add new loan signing Brian Graham to his squad, believes it is too early in the season to draw any conclusions ahead of the trip.
He said: "Motherwell are notoriously slow starters but look where they end up?
"They have been in the top three consistently over the last few years and in Stuart McCall they have one of the best managers in the country.
"He keeps producing teams that play good football on a tight budget and he keeps finding quality players.
"Alright, they have a few injuries at the moment, but Stuart McCall doesn't need me to tell him the season is only four games old.
"If they were to win on Saturday they would be on the same number of points as us. So, as I say, it is early days in the league.
"You can't get a feeling for the league until everyone plays each other once.
"When 11 games are played, the league takes a wee bit of shape.
"If our own performance is right it doesn't matter if they won the last three or lost the last three, we feel we can beat anybody.
"So that's what have to do, concentrate on what we have to do and be aware of what a good Motherwell team can do to you."
Source: PA
