There;s a clue within the taking part in profession of Graham Alexander that he would not really feel the necessity to man the panic station at instances of excessive nervousness. As a nerveless penalty kick specialist he scored 61 objectives from spot, the Motherwell boss is not the kind to make a drama out of a disaster.
Regardless of a Europa Convention League salvage mission going through his crew in Sligo tomorrow evening, the previous Scotland defender prefers to explain the problem as simply one other sport of soccer. Aidan Keena's strike for the League of Eire aspect final Thursday has Properly strolling a tightrope forward of their second-round, second-leg qualifier however Alexander has stripped the problem again to the fundamentals.
He stated: " What I all the time attempt to do after I was a participant, as a supervisor, first video games of the season, play-off semi-finals, play-off finals, cup finals... I all the time break it right down to a sport of soccer. Once I was a participant within the fourth division or Premier League, or a world, I broke it right down to a sport of soccer. Eleven gamers v eleven gamers, two objectives and a soccer.
"And that is how I noticed the sport final week. I did not see something that made me suppose it was a unique kind of sport of soccer.I performed two-legged video games as a participant and a supervisor and that does change sure facets of a sport of soccer.
"If that had been one leg, we might have been much more gung-ho within the second half, definitely within the final 20 minutes, however there's a second leg to come back. Nothing shocked me actually. There was nothing completely different other than one crew taking part in away to try to get a end result and one other attempting to get one other end result at house.
"It was what I anticipated to be sincere. I've performed two-legged video games earlier than, simply not on a European stage. I assumed it was two good groups attempting to win the primary leg."
The 50-year-old former Burnley full-back additionally insists there are main respect points at play by anybody relating to the Irish aspect's win in Lanarkshire as a shock end result as he opted to speak up tomorrow's hosts and insists there isn't any hazard of any superiority advanced inflicting anybody inside his membership.
He stated: "To count on groups to not be at a aggressive stage and adequate to beat you'll be extraordinarily disrespectful. I do not know if it is real looking or respectful or no matter, we're speaking a few European cup competitors.
"I can solely converse for myself, my gamers and my employees, however we handled Sligo with the utmost respect as we might with anybody we compete in opposition to.It would not even enter into my thoughts and we attempt to not let it enter into the gamers' minds that we're taking part in somebody who's inferior to us. I do not agree with that."
Alexander additionally admits Motherwell's most important problem at The Showgrounds could contain successful the thoughts sport. He stated: "There's plenty of issues you need to do in a sport of soccer to win it and plenty of that's bodily and technical, however plenty of it's within the thoughts. So we all the time method each sport attempting to maximise every little thing we now have in these facets."
The fallout from the Fir Park defeat introduced the curtain up on Motherwell's season to the sound of boos however Alexander insists it comes with the territory. He stated: "In soccer, if you do not get a end result then you might be all the time going to get criticised. Am I sitting right here shocked at that? No.
"Does it make me change something I'd do in between video games? No. Wouldn't it make me change the way in which I do my job? No.
"In order that's how we go ahead. I attempt to deal with what I can management and what I can affect and assist my gamers win video games of soccer. The remainder of it occurs."
Motherwell could go into the tie one aim behind however Alexander believes there's loads of time to rescue their state of affairs and he is adamant his crew have greater than sufficient high quality to progress into a 3rd spherical assembly with both Sparta Prague or Viking. He stated: "There's at the very least one other 90 minutes to go so there was no must panic. We nonetheless have sufficient in our crew and sufficient time to win the tie."
"My encouragement is from my crew and my gamers. It isn't about how the opposition did within the earlier spherical or what occurred ten years in the past or three years in the past or final 12 months, it is about now. Each crew in soccer is able to good and poor outcomes and performances.
"My confidence is right down to how our gamers method the sport. We can't be pondering something damaging about our opponents as we did within the first leg too . For us it is about us bettering the little bits we have to enhance to get a optimistic end result.
"To be sincere I do not need my gamers taking a look at what Sligo or Bala City did within the earlier spherical as a result of if we do not carry out it is irrelevant what occurred just a few weeks in the past. It is purely about our efficiency. We each know extra about one another as groups. However we really feel that we now have made good strides within the three video games we have performed this season, exterior final week's end result.
"We all know that is inside our grasp and future and we now have to do something we are able to to try this. I do not suppose any crew is infallible. That is the fantastic thing about soccer and we now have to offer our greatest efficiency to show it round."