Connor Shields says Motherwell must become more streetwise as they head into a showdown at Dundee United next weekend.
Shields, 25, from Coatbridge, admits the Tannadice clash is massive as the Steelmen bid to get their campaign back on track.
A bruising 2-1 defeat at home to Aberdeen on Saturday left Motherwell eighth in the Premiership, but still four points ahead of their Tayside opponents.
It has been a tough month for the Fir Park club, however, with league and cup defeats against Celtic, losses in the league to Rangers, Hibs and Aberdeen, and just three points from a 5-0 thumping of Ross County in Dingwall to show for their efforts.
But Shields says, collectively, they must improve.
He said: “We had chances. We started not great, conceding an early goal sets you back a bit and I don’t think we got into the game, to be honest.
“But we had chances, especially in the second half, and we just need to take them.
“I can’t remember them going up the park other than that one time, and then scoring, but as a collective we need to be tighter and smarter, I think.
“It’s frustrating, losing at home.”
Shields climbed off the bench at half-time and within 10 minutes had provided ammunition for Stuart McKinstry to level Bojan Miovski’s third-minute opener, only for Duk to head in the winner with 22 minutes left.
It looked like Motherwell were right in the game after their leveller, but Aberdeen struck with a classic sucker-punch.
Shields said: “We should have got more into the game after that. We had another two or three chances and it’s about being a bit more clinical.
“It’s everybody on the park, we can’t just blame one person, so it’s frustrating, especially at home.
“We wanted to put a good performance in, I don’t think we put in the best performance that we could have done.
“We knew it was going to be a tough period but next week’s massive for us and we need to go and put this behind us now, it’s done.
“We need to go and put in a good performance on for next week and take that into the last couple of games before the break [for the World Cup].
“The performances have been there, we’ve not been taking our chances, but that’s the make-or-break in football.
“You need to take chances, but that comes from everybody, from being tight at the back and taking chances at the front.
“We need to sit down as a team, collectively, and see where we need to improve and how we can get three points next week.”
Follow Lanarkshire Live Sport on Twitter via @LanLiveSport, like us on Facebook or find us on Instagram for the latest sports news, pictures and video.
