Stuart Kettlewell insists making Motherwell “horrible” hosts is one of his first priorities as boss to ensure they aren’t evicted from the Premiership.
The Steelmen had become a soft touch on their own patch winning just once in 11 league games leading to their slump to level bottom of the table before Stevie Hammell was axed two weeks ago. But Kettlewell wants to turn Fir Park back into a fortress as he looks to lead his troops up the table. His impact as caretaker was immediate as he led Well to two home victories against St Mirren and Hearts.
And after penning a 16-month deal to become the new permanent manager, the 38-year-old said: “I’d like Fir Park to be a horrible place to come to for opposition teams but where supporters enjoy what they see in front of them. It can be a horrible place to come for a number of reasons. By how you play, pass the ball, your energy and aggression, discipline and structure.
“There’s a number of ways to do it but, yeah, I’d love this to be a place where teams and players come and think ‘I’m not looking forward to that’. It’s been like that before.
"As a player, manager or coach whenever I came here you knew it was going to be a proper game. I would love that to be the case and it has been in the last two games.”
Kettlewell’s first game in charge on a permanent basis comes against fellow Premiership strugglers Kilmarnock this weekend followed by a trip to face second bottom Ross County. And while his 100 per cent record as interim boss has brought the feelgood factor back to Fir Park he insists there’s still work to be done at the bottom before they can start thinking about making a break for the top.
He said: “Let’s not forget where we were 10 days ago and the position we were in. Nobody gave us a chance and safe to say a lot of people thought we were doomed because we hadn’t won games, were struggling at home and had been put out the cup.
“The biggest focus right now is to make sure we are a Premiership club come the end of this season. Moving forward, what do we want Motherwell to look like as a football club?
"The identity when teams come to play us here. A variety of play - I don’t believe we can be fixed to just one specific way of playing and never think about a plan B.
“The development of players and people too. It’s important we can get young players into the team and recruit guys you would maybe call a project and facilitate their development to players who can bring in money because it’s a business as well.”
