Motherwell boss identifies how many transfer recruits he needs as injury bug hits six stars

‘Well boss Stuart Kettlewell‘Well boss Stuart Kettlewell
‘Well boss Stuart Kettlewell | SNS Group
Motherwell are still hunting players in the transfer market.

Stuart Kettlewell says he needs to add more players to his Motherwell squad, after his side secured a 2-1 friendly win over Livingston.

The Steelmen have brought in eight fresh faces so far in a major overhaul with Andy Halliday and Sam Nicholson returning to the club after time in claret and amber last term. Paul McGinn, Nicholson, Ross Callachan, Johnny Koutroumbis and Zach Robinson watched on from the stands with niggles and injuries as goals from Shane Blaney and Moses Ebiye secured victory ahead of a friendly against Linlithgow Rose, which will include senior and academy players.

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Kettlewell said on the transfer front: “We need to add more. I tried to get as much business done as I possibly could. I was constantly getting asked the question in the last several weeks of the season, are you thinking about what is coming next. I think the influx in players tells you that is exactly what we were doing.

“We are trying to bring in that quality, bring in a robust edge to us so we have a strong squad that is required at this level. There’s always going to be a couple of positions you can steal that bit of quality in.

“It might not be right at the start of the window as much as I’d like to get everyone in on day one and work with them as I feel that is my bag, and the coaching staff’s aspect we can help players become better. We still feel we are two or three short of making us a strong group than we were last season.”

The injury situation has proven a frustration for the ‘Well boss, who faces uncertainty over Nicholson, while Koutroumbis could face a spell out with a muscle injury. He explained: “My biggest frustration is that we’re sitting here with six injuries to guys that probably could and should be on the pitch, that would add loads to the group.

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“But we can’t keep saying that, we have to make sure we have as many players readily available. Paul McGinn was one, when we were out in Holland on the first day and that was a contact injury, but for the rest of it we have to make sure we have as much availability as possible.

“We would hope to get Paul back on the pitch in the next couple of weeks, maybe the next week or so, hopefully. Sam Nicholson is a bit more of an uncertainty, Zach Robinson is carrying another niggle, so it’s when that settles down.

“Probably the most frustrating one is Johnny Koutroumbis, from absolutely nothing we’ve got a muscle injury there that will keep him out for longer than just a couple of weeks.. That’s a bit frustrating. He was looking good, fit, strong, and somebody we really feel can add to our group.

“That’s probably the longest-term one. Ross Callachan is a muscle injury but it doesn’t look too significant, so again hopefully we can get Ross on the pitch back sooner rather than later.”

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With Premier Sports Cup group stage action kicking off vs Edinburgh City at Fir Park next weekend, Kettlewell said of the friendly vs Livingston: “We’ll take loads from it, in the sense that we’re playing against a good team, in my opinion, getting a few players playing for the first time at home, getting a little bit of a crowd in here.

“In the first 45 in particular I feel we completely dominated the game, there’s not any points at stake here, but I think the run of the game was ours. In the second half we came out and were lacklustre, we didn’t have the same level of energy, or the same thrust in our play.

“We were rusty but I suppose that’s why these games are here, to try and get rid of that ring-rust and let a few players experience playing here at Fir Park.”

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