Motherwell manager Graham Alexander has reminded his players to trust the process that got them results earlier in the season and not complicate matters as they seek their first league win of 2022.
Only Rangers and Celtic collected more cinch Premiership points than Motherwell in 2021.
But Alexander’s side have only claimed four wins in nine games since the winter break and slipped out of the top six following a home defeat by Ross County on Wednesday night.
There are four games to rescue their top-six push, starting with the visit of Mark McGhee’s Dundee on Saturday, and Alexander is looking to keep things simple as they chase that elusive win.
“It’s a real, simple game football and we want to keep it clear for the players what we have to do,” he said.
“It’s not about going to the board again and starting from scratch.
“We have won lots of points and over the past 12 months we have beaten all the teams in the division apart from the Old Firm. We just have to find that extra five per cent that can turn games.
“That’s where it comes down to the finer detail, which we discuss with the players. But we know exactly where we have to improve and that’s what we have to work on on the training pitch and make those improvements quickly.”
The former Scotland international added: “I think overthinking things is a danger, without a shadow of a doubt.
“Players have been playing football for 15-20 years, probably every day of their lives. You have to let the instincts take over as well.
“We have a clear idea of how we want to play but you can overthink things and make things complicated in your own mind when you are trying to find solutions.
“It’s my job and the staff’s job to make it clear for the players where we have to continue.
“We have evidence that it works because we have won a lot of games this season against top opposition. We just have to trust that what we have done before with these same players will work again.”
Alexander feels the “final moment” in both boxes is all that is preventing them getting more points.
Looking back to the 1-0 defeat by County, he said: “Our general play was okay, at best. It wasn’t terrible. It was nowhere near the speed and pace that we play at, but we still had the best chances to score.
“We can break it all down and I could get really tactical and go into information overload, but you have to score when you get chances to score. That’s the reality and at the minute that’s been difficult for us.
“But the opportunity is there and it’s still in our hands to finish in the top half of the table.”
