Stuart Kettlewell 'wants more emotional intelligence' from Motherwell players

Stuart Kettlewell says he wants more “emotional intelligence” from his Motherwell players as they look end a winless run that now stretches back three months.

The Steelmen drew 3-3 with Dundee on Saturday, after fighting back with ten-men to score a 97th minute equaliser.

And that came a week after another late goal earned a point from the league leaders at Celtic Park but they haven’t won a game since September 3 when they beat Hearts 1-0.

They are currently eighth in the Premiership table, but have played more games than the four teams below them and are only three points off second bottom.

It’s Ross County up next at Dingwall and the Highlanders will leapfrog the Fir Park side with a win in the game that is taking place on Tuesday.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Kettlewell said: “What I want us to do is manage the game a little bit better, in where we play, how we keep possession, what our energy levels look like and what our decision making looks like.

“But I know the nature of the game and you’re playing against another 11 men who can influence that as well and I understand that, but there is no doubt, It’s an incredible number of times that we’ve had that rally at the end of the game.

“Even stretching back to last season we were scoring late goals, showing brilliant personality, character and desire to well for this football club.

“But I feel we have to give ourselves a better than that, being down to ten-men, having to score an injury-time equaliser, we have to put ourselves in a better position than that.

“Again it’s that emotional intelligence that I keep speaking about, get yourselves ahead of the game, manage it better, make better decisions and it starts to make the game a little bit more enjoyable rather than having to scramble about looking for the answers on the pitch.

“It’s about being proactive rather than reactive.”