Manager Q&A Motherwell v Hearts

MARK McGHEE

Q: Were your players unhappy with the Hearts goal?

A: I thought it was a handball by Nade but on the balance of play we deserved to lose. It was a game that required a real physical effort and the conditions were as much of a challenge as Hearts. It was a difficult game for both teams.

Q: How big a part did conditions play on the result?

A: We opted against trying to get the ball down because we knew the conditions wouldn't allow us to do that. We tried to get the ball forward to Chris Porter and feed off him instead but Hearts coped with the conditions better than us and were first to most second balls. They're a big, strong team.

Q: Were you disappointed you didn't rally until 20 minutes from the end?

A: It was impossible to rally any earlier. In games like that where you are a goal up away from home entering the final 20 minutes you sit in. We put Hearts under a bit of pressure at that stage but they survived. The nature of their display means we weren't allowed to rally until the final 20 minutes.

Q: Is the state of the Fir Park pitch a concern for you?

A: Yes, you can't ask defenders to get the ball down and pass when it is bobbling about and your second touch is a header. You have to miss out the midfield which we're not best suited to.

Q: How is David Clarkson and why did he come off?

A: He hurt his left eye and his vision was blurred.

STEVIE FRAIL

Q: Was that a deserved win?

A: I think so. This is a difficult place to visit, especially the way Motherwell have been playing this season. The state of the pitch has been well documented and we changed things accordingly to miss out the midfield.

Q: Should the referee have stopped play for David Clarkson's head knock?

A: I didn't know Clarkson was down when we scored. It went from back to front quickly and the referee didn't stop the game.

Q: Will you be surprised if Christophe Berra isn't included in George Burley's next Scotland squad?

A: George has a lot of good players to choose from and it would be wrong of me to tell him who to pick but Christophe is going about his business in the proper manner. He was fantastic - as were the rest of the back four and Steve Banks. We've kept three clean sheets in our last four games and I'm delighted.

Q: Are there any updates on Andrius Velicka's situation?

A: He is struggling with a pelvic injury and that's the only reason why he didn't travel with the squad. I'm unaware of any bids for him and I'm just concentrating on the football side. Velicka's been important for Hearts but Mr Romanov has always said that if it is right for the club the player will move on. At the moment he is still here but if he does go then that creates an opportunity for someone else to step up to the plate. We will just have to wait and see what happens.

Taken from the Daily Record