Source: FOOTYMAD
Well Prepared
Older heads on and off the pitch look to have paid dividends for Motherwell so far in Europe. Can they do it again? Motherwell defender Mark Reynolds believes added experience on and off the park should help the club improve on their previous performances as European underdogs. Well take on Europa League seeds Odense in the first leg of their play-off tie in Denmark as they make their third consecutive attempt to reach the group stages. Two years ago, most of the team and manager Mark McGhee made their European bows in the first round of UEFA Cup against Nancy, but Motherwell failed to do themselves justice as the players struggled with an unfamiliar formation to lose 3-0 on aggregate. Last year Well fell in an earlier round as Jim Gannon`s ambitious tactics and an inexperienced team failed to match Steaua Bucharest as the Romanians swept to a 3-0 first-leg win. Things have been different this season and the early signs have been more promising under 70-year-old former Scotland manager Craig Brown and assistant Archie Knox, who won the European Cup Winners` Cup when an assistant at Aberdeen. The Steelmen have conceded just one goal, which came from the penalty spot, in four games against Breidablik and Aalesund to give them added confidence ahead of another contest in northern Europe. And Reynolds, who has now played in 12 European games, is a lot more comfortable going into the latest test. He said: "The manager sets us up so that we look suited to European football. He is vastly experienced in that field and knows what it takes to get results. He realises the importance of getting away goals and keeping cleaning sheets and the way he sets us up shows the experience he's got. I think you learn from every experience. Craig Brown and Archie Knox are two vastly experienced managers and the players have the experience of playing 10 or 11 European games. The older you get, the more experience you pick up and certainly this team has benefited from being in European competition for three years.'' When Reynolds looks back to Motherwell's first European game for 13 years against Nancy, he is convinced that inexperience was a major factor in their performance. The defender said: "We knew they were a big team and good quality, and over the piece they were the better team. But certainly I think we could maybe have approached the game a bit differently. But that's football, it's easier to identify mistakes once they've been made. But I think we have all learned and are used to the European stage. It's easier to play in a level when you're used to playing there. There are first-time nerves and although you don't expect it to get the better of you, sometimes they can creep in. So it's good that the whole squad has experience of playing in Europe.'' Editor Ger Harley (ger@scottishfitba.net)Admin Team (admin@scottishfitba.net)This is Scottish-Fitba.Net
