9.50pm

Terry Butcher is putting his players through a rigorous training schedule in an attempt to turn around our current run of defeats.  He said:
"We will be doing extra work in training this week in terms of focussing on our fitness, as well as trying to improve the physical side of our game.  In many ways it will be like pre-season all over again for the players, but we had good pre-season and a good start to the league and I’m hopeful the training and the work the boys put in before the Hibs game can help them rediscover the belief and spirit we had right at the start of the campaign.  We set expectations for ourselves, especially after we beat Celtic, and we have to get back to that level. It’s as simple as that."

Looking back to the defeat against Dundee Utd, Butcher added:
"We produced a barn-storming finish to the game and put them under real pressure for the last ten minutes, but overall we only played twenty minutes out of the ninety if you count the good ten minute spell we enjoyed at the end of the first-half.  However, we really shot ourselves in the foot in terms of losing the goal in the first minute and that meant we had to chase the game.  The players are not taking on board the lessons they should have learned in previous matches and that’s disappointing.  I was critical of the players afterwards in terms of their self-belief and fighting spirit as I thought we allowed Dundee Utd to dominate in key areas where we should have been more forceful."

Butcher remains confident that he can haul his side away from the bottom of the league:
"Four out of our next five games are away from home, but that’s what it was like at the start of the season when we were doing well, so it’s not impossible for us to pick up some points.  Hibs are playing well, although I think they are playing well for spells in games rather than for the whole match.  We should’ve beaten them at Fir Park earlier on this season, but we have to get those fighting and battling qualities back. Basically, we need to start competing again.  Also we need everyone in the team to play to their true form because if we’re carrying passengers we’ll be found out.  However, no team has given us a doing this season and if you look at the majority of games we’ve played then it’s just been down to us that we haven’t won the game, not because the opposition was superior.  Outside of the Old Firm there isn’t much to choose between the other ten teams in the SPL and I feel we’re more than equal to them, but the players need to get back that belief they had earlier in the season."

Scott Leitch (suspended) and Keith Lasley (injured) will both miss the Hibs match, and James McFadden is also expected to miss out due to his troublesome thigh strain.

Stevie Hammell and Stephen Pearson both made second-half substitute appearances for Scotland Under-21s in their 2-0 defeat in Belgium on Tuesday night.

Time for a bit of Under-18 news:

The Under18s have played two games in less than a week now and have both ended in draws. The first on Friday was a 1-1 draw with Dundee United.  Andy Scott opened the scoring in the first half with a right foot volley but early in the second half United equalised.  Straight from the centre, Andy Bell had a glorious chance to put us ahead but he hit his shot straight at the 'keeper. 
The 'Well team was: Ewings, Bell, Crawley, Quinn, Neville, Higgins, Barkey, Reilly, Grant, Scott, Clarkson. 

The second match took place on Tuesday and resulted in a 2-2 draw with Hibs.  It was a hard fought affair in which we opened the scoring early in the 2nd half through an Andy Scott lob after he was put through by Higgins. Shortly after  Hibs scored 2 goals in quick succession before that man Scott again was brought down.  He dusted himself down to convert the penalty, making the final score 2-2.  
Our team was: Ewings, Bell, Crawley, Quinn, Neville, Higgins, Barkey, Black, Grant, Scott, Clarkson.

Former Motherwell player Simo Valkari has been released by Derby County and is looking for a new club.

Time for a new opinion poll!

Who do you blame for the club's current predicament?