Motherwell coach shares the 2023 flashback that proves how far team has come and his licence journey
The former striker became part of the coaching staff in the summer
He was part of a squad this time last year that was struggling for a win - now Jon Obika reckons can see Motherwell growth in a coaching capacity.
The former striker retired at the end of last season and became part of manager Stuart Kettlewell’s coaching staff. A game under the Friday night lights at Fir Park awaits this week against Kilmarnock and it comes with the club 11 points better off than they were at this stage last campaign, sitting fourth in the Premiership.
Obika was in the dressing room when a winless run proved difficult to shake, but he believes the team has fostered a positive culture. He said: “I'm just glad that when I think of this time last season, I think we’re 11 points better than the last season.
“So it just probably gives everyone a boost, especially the fans and the club, but I'm loving it. I feel we just have to continue with this momentum, and I feel that we can continue that building through the league. If they said this at the start of the season, we'd be thinking that's something we'll take.
“But it's just about building, you know, there's performances that we could have done better and whatnot, but that's just part of football. You can see we're sitting fourth, and now we can build from there.”
One player who has come into form is Apostolos Stamatelopoulos. The striker has had a stop-start time of it since arriving from Newcastle Jets but the first-team coach insists he could always see the Australian international’s quality, who netted a double vs Dundee United.
He said: “I think there's been some great performances from him where he hasn't scored, if you look back at his movements in and around the box, he's very sharp. So I think as a club we always knew that he was going to get goals. For him personally it's a great achievement getting his first double, and I feel he's going to just go on from now just as confident.
“Now he's getting good in terms of understanding the players he's playing with, but just through his movement you know he's going to get goals, and how the gaffer and everyone works with him in training, you could see it coming out on the pitch. So I'm just glad it all came through and he got his double.”
Obika meanwhile is loving life on the other side of the white line. It’s different to the playing side of things but with his A-Licence on the agenda, he is getting used to the longer days. The former forward added: “As a player, you probably can get off around half two, do your stuff, but there's a lot of stuff to do as a first-team coach. Things that you just have to be switched on, because the next day is another training session, planning, but I'm enjoying it.
“I'm just at the end of my UEFA B, and then I can go on from there. I feel like doing the UEFA B kind of gets you that feel, then UEFA A, and then obviously the Pro Licence. I'm settled for the coaching night out!
“I feel like the gaffer, Stevie Frail, all the staff members, they're like encyclopaedias when it comes to players. They know different players from League Two, Lowland League and this division, so you're just getting that sort of feel for myself. As a player, you don't really take that much notice of players outside of that, but now that's the database now, so yeah, that's what I've found different.”