Stephen O'Donnell has insisted there is no panic at Motherwell as they look to end a damaging four-match losing streak. The defender's call for calm comes ahead of a quick return fixture against his former club Kilmarnock, who beat them 3-2 just last week.
The result at Rugby Park was Motherwell's fourth consecutive William Hill Premiership defeat, leaving them with just one win from their last nine league outings. That solitary victory came against Dundee United back in September, and the team now sits 10th in the table with eight points from nine games, having recorded two wins and two draws against five losses. O'Donnell, who made 20 league appearances last season, acknowledged the pressure but stressed the need for perspective.
O'Donnell's perspective on the challenge
He pointed out that the team is still building after the success of the 2022-23 season under former manager Jens Berthel Askou, which raised expectations. The defender noted that fans have put an expectation on what they want to see, and that takes time to deliver.
O'Donnell admitted he has not seen much of Kilmarnock this season, having only watched their opening-day match against Celtic where he felt they were hard done by. He emphasized that the fundamental issue has been the performance levels of the collective group, not a change in message from the coaching staff. "As a manager, you can have all the best ideas in the world, but you're only as good as your players go out and deliver," he said, adding that individual mistakes are part of the game.
Match details and live context
The upcoming match at Kilmarnock will be O'Donnell's first time playing on grass at Rugby Park since his reserve-team days there. Motherwell's recent fixtures have been punishing, with the 3-2 loss to Killie preceded by a 2-0 home defeat to Celtic and losses to Dundee and Aberdeen. The team has lost its last four matches, a run that includes the 3-2 defeat at Kilmarnock on Saturday 17 October, the 2-0 loss to Celtic on 11 October, a 2-1 defeat at Dundee, and a 4-0 home loss to Aberdeen. Over the season, they have scored 11 goals but conceded 16, leaving them with a negative goal difference and a significant 16-point gap to leaders Celtic.
Alex Lowry, who scored in the recent 3-2 loss, is the club's top scorer this season with three goals in nine appearances. The immediate focus is on stopping the rot, with a home game against third-placed Heart of Midlothian looming on Sunday 25 October.
More detail at The National Scot
