Stuart Kettlewell receives meaningful Motherwell backing as ashen-faced skipper doesn't miss in impassioned plea

Liam Kelly was close to tears as he insisted Motherwell will never find a better manager than Stuart Kettlewell.

After a dismal night in Dingwall for the Steelmen, the Scotland keeper laid his head on the table then gave an honest, scathing and heartfelt post-match reaction. Ross County beat Well 3-0 and Kettlewell’s side have now gone 12 games without a win. The players braved a walk across the park to applaud their visibly angry fans’ presence on a freezing Tuesday night in the Highlands. And captain Kelly said: “We came out with a clear game plan, clear instructions and didn’t do the basics anywhere near good enough.

“It’s an insult even to say that because it was way below that. We can’t defend properly, attack properly, there was no strong midfield, no strong goalkeeper. We kept passing the ball to the other team so tactics are irrelevant. Tactics weren’t the problem. We’ve got a brilliant manager. Maybe in times gone past we’ve had something else to blame but this is a clear reflection on the players not being good enough in the moments just now. And there are a lot of players who have been good enough for a long time.

“We picked up 10 points from the first four games and we’re on 14 after 16 games. We were lucky we got the manager when we got him or else we wouldn’t even be in the league to play Ross County.

“The buck stops with the players, I don’t care what anybody says. I include myself. We wouldn’t be in the league without him. I’ve had a lot of managers and he is right at the top.

“In terms of the detail he puts in, in terms of treating you like a man, in terms of emotional intelligence, we won’t get better So we absolutely need to get the finger out. We’re really lucky we have got him, I don’t imagine we