Hamilton Accies boss urges side to use league position as motivation

dailyrecord.co.uk:

John Rankin has challenged his Hamilton Accies side to use their ‘relegation-threatened’ status as motivation to kick on in 2023.

Accies host sixth-placed Raith Rovers at New Douglas Park as their first-footers on Monday, knowing that a win could potentially take them off the foot of the Championship, and with a game in hand over Arbroath.

Hamilton lost 2-0 at Cove Rangers last Friday night and Rankin knows their need to get points on the board is dire, having last won a league game at Inverness on October 18.

He said: “Where we are at this moment in time, we have to use that as motivation and we have to use that to kick on. “Looking at the table and seeing yourself bottom of the league is never a good feeling, but we have to use that to kick us on for the second part of the season. “It’s important to get the year off to a good start, it’s important to pick up points. “It’s equally frustrating for ourselves, the players and the supporters, and everybody connected with the club, where we are in the league just now. “We have to battle through that and try and improve our position. “We’re at the stage of the season where we need to start picking up points. “The players are aware of that, I’m aware of that – everybody is aware of that. “It now becomes a case of the more points we can pick up, and the faster we can do that, the more confidence it breeds.” Rankin says it’s important for Hamilton to get off to a good start against Raith on Monday, having conceded early in both defeats this season.