Jim Gannon eyes top-four finish as Motherwell enter 'defining period'

Published on Thursday 26 November 2009 23:00

MOTHERWELL manager Jim Gannon has challenged his players to prove their top-four credentials when they face in-form Dundee United.

United's win over Celtic on Sunday ensured there are just three points separating the Clydesdale Bank Premier League's leading quartet, with Motherwell a further three behind. Gannon, the only manager to have taken three points off United this season, is eager to see his team join the pacesetters by repeating the feat at Fir Park tomorrow.

The Lanarkshire side then face a trip to third-placed Hibernian before playing both halves of the Old Firm. "It will really be a defining period in the season, whether we are serious contenders or not," Gannon said. "It's okay having a good start but now we get into the tough part of the season when, if we want to be considered contenders, then we have to be winning these games. If we don't, then we are going to have to work really hard just to be the best of the rest. We're ambitious enough as a team and a management staff to strive to compete in the top four and that will start with trying to get results against Dundee United and Hibs."

But Gannon appreciates Motherwell will have to work hard just to stay where they are. He said: "For all we can look up and see how close we are to the top four, you look behind and you know there are teams who are starting to get some form and have fixtures that are winnable. St Mirren, Aberdeen and St Johnstone are all pushing to stake a claim for the top six."

Motherwell's opponents underlined their strength at set-pieces when Jon Daly and Darren Dods headed home late corners to secure victory against Celtic. But Gannon, whose team won 1-0 at Tannadice in September, believes his players can cope better in the air than Celtic. "They do have strengths from set-plays but I would like to think we would be stronger than Celtic and more organised than Celtic when it comes to set-plays," the former Stockport manager said. "But we do have to be mindful of the threat they have, not just the delivery but the presence they have in the box. We are going to have to be manful. We did that at their place and kept a clean sheet. If we do that again, we give ourselves a chance of winning the game."

Motherwell are unbeaten in six SPL games but have drawn most of them, including the most recent two matches when Hamilton and Aberdeen both finished with ten men.

"We need to be more efficient," Gannon said. "There are players who are not consistently at the top of their game. We are going to need, over the next four games, to have everybody at their best or approaching their best."