Mentality shift ahead of Motherwell v Celtic clash

Motherwell manager Graham Alexander has urged his players to go into Saturday's visit of Celtic with the same expectation of victory as their opponents.

Motherwell manager Graham Alexander.

Alexander has set about instilling a winning mentality into his side since arriving at Fir Park in January and the approach is gaining traction.

Motherwell sit fourth in the cinch Premiership, a point above Celtic, ahead of cinch Premiership clash.

The former Fleetwood, Scunthorpe and Salford manager said: "If you go and play for Celtic or Rangers or Man United or whoever, you are expected to win and you walk in that door knowing that expectancy is there. So why can't other clubs have that expectancy within their four walls?

"We try to instil an expectancy of winning. We have to put ourselves under pressure as well. We want to be under pressure, we are in a game that's full of pressure. You can either be scared of that pressure or engage with it and say this is why I wanted to become a professional footballer or a manager.

"I have managed clubs where there is an expectancy to win, but if there hadn't have been I probably wouldn't have joined those clubs. Because I want to win.

"If I didn't think there was a way of winning, what's the point of me being here? Absolutely none. I know the challenge but if we don't win the game, 100 per cent I will be disappointed.

"I think our players have that mentality as well. You can see that in them. We have to reinforce that every week but we go into every game with more than hope.

"We have a plan of trying to win, if we do it right, we give ourselves a better chance. I think we have to put that expectancy on ourselves every week."