Stuart Kettlewell has targeted three points at Ross County on Saturday as a natural progression for his in-form Motherwell team – because he knows they are far from perfect.
The Lanarkshire side took their points tally to 19 with a 2-1 win at home to St Johnstone a fortnight ago, making it back-to-back victories in the Premiership, and while there was plenty for him to like in that game, Kettlewell wants them to keep developing.
Steve Seddon and Marvin Kaleta have come into the team and excelled, while Harry Paton and Johnny Koutroumbis are amongst those nearing a comeback, having missed large parts of this season.
“During the international break I always use that time for us to try and grow, and for me to continue to get my message across to the players, not just for fitness or minutes on the pitch, but for us to become technically and tactically better from what we are,” said Kettlewell.
“I ain’t patting us on the back, we’re certainly not perfect at this point.
“I think there’s a lot of room for growth in this group of players.
“I think we’ve put ourselves in a pretty decent position, but without question I’m trying to drive that message of us improving and us getting to 22 points.
“My task in the last game was to get to 19 points, knowing that if we did, we’d all go into the international break in a positive mind-set.”
Liam Gordon sitting out the second of a two-game suspension against St Johnstone, and injuries to Paul McGinn and Stephen O’Donnell had Kettlewell short of defenders, but reckons Steve Seddon stepped up to the plate.
He said: “I’ve always been certain that he could play there, I wasn’t necessarily thinking we would get to the stage of him playing there, but Liam Gordon came out [through suspension].
“Unfortunately we lost Shane Blaney, not to injury but for personal reasons, and you start to look at Paul McGinn, Stephen O’Donnell, these guys who are injured, so that obviously gives you a little bit of a dilemma – but it doesn’t after that game.
“I thought Steve was excellent, really composed on the ball, defended manfully, and he gave us a real balance to the left side of the back three.
“I’m delighted for him, and he’s the type of lad that has had to be patient, but the way he goes about his business every day, I’m not surprised that he came in and slotted in.
“He will tell you he will play absolutely anywhere on the pitch to get a game, which is always a brilliant example for the young players in the group.”
Kaleta has been slowly building his fitness, but the young defender has been pleasing Kettlewell.
He said: “We got him 90 minutes against St Johnstone, which was brilliant. There has been a bit of a joke with the senior players, and we’ve all had it as young players, but he’s been cramping up a little bit.
“I think this is only his fourth senior game of football, but in the space of just over two weeks, so it’s a brilliant landmark for him to get through the 90 minutes, and I genuinely believe that he will go from strength to strength.”