Stephen O’Donnell insists there is no need for panic at Motherwell despite the club enduring a four-match losing streak in the Scottish Premiership.
Speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to Rugby Park to face Kilmarnock, the experienced defender remained confident that the team can turn their fortunes around.
“We’ll come back in April and, if we haven’t won since then, I’ll be panicking,” O’Donnell said.
“Right now, it’s frustrating and disappointing. There are plenty of words you could use, but ‘panic’ isn’t one of them. There have been a lot of changes over the summer and it’s far too early to be talking about panic, especially when we enjoyed a positive run in Europe, even if we’d hoped it would last a little longer.
“We have plenty to work on, but there’s no panic. Hopefully we can get a positive result on Saturday. It’ll also be nice to play on grass. In fact, it’ll be my first time playing on a grass pitch at Killie since my reserve team days, so that’s going back a while.
“I’m looking forward to it and hopefully it turns out to be a good game.”
O’Donnell captained the Steelmen in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Celtic, marking his first start since recovering from the injury that had sidelined him from Alfred Johansson’s plans.
After playing a prominent role under former manager Jens Berthel Askou, the defender is determined to help Motherwell recreate the momentum of last season’s successful campaign.
“Wins change everything,” he said. “Three points can completely alter the mood around a club and allow you to approach the next match with a far more positive mindset.
“We just need that win, and hopefully it comes on Saturday.”
O’Donnell admits he has had limited opportunity to watch Kilmarnock this season, but expects a difficult challenge.
“I saw them against Celtic in the opening game of the season and thought they were a little unfortunate,” he said.
“It’ll be a tough match. I’m looking forward to going back there and hopefully it’s a good day for us.”
The former Scotland international also highlighted the importance of patience as Motherwell continue to adapt following significant changes behind the scenes.
“When the previous manager came in, there wasn’t much expectation,” he added. “Now, the fans have their own expectations about what they want to see from the team, and meeting those expectations takes time.”
