Motherwell boss sets Viaplay Cup target and blasts 'pre-season extension' tag

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell doesn’t believe the Viaplay Cup group stages are an extension of pre-season, and has told his side to win their section.While Kettlewell says targets for the season will remain in-house, each player in his squad knows what is expected of them.The Steelmen kick-off Group G at League Two Elgin City tomorrow, before travelling to League One club Queen of the South on Tuesday.Motherwell then have back-to-back home games against Queen’s Park from the Championship on Saturday, July 22, and League Two's East Fife seven days later.As the Premiership club, Motherwell will be overwhelming favourites, and Kettlewell is looking to avoid any slip-ups.He said: “I’ll go to my party line which I’ve had since day one, I think, when I was managing up at Ross County.“I heard a lot of people saying ‘we’re still in pre-season.

I’m going to try and find a formula, what I want to do, and I’m going to try and get players fit’ and all the rest of it – I don’t buy into that one bit.“A lot of mind-sets have changed through time, because a little bit of it at the beginning was a ‘suck it and see’ and find out how it all goes.“If you can get through your group, win your group and get into the next round of the competition then supporters are happy, I’m happy, and I’m starting to see shoots of what I want, and it takes you into the league campaign.“It doesn’t bring about any unnecessary pressure or bad feeling about your group, so you can rest assured that we will be going all out to try and win our group.“As that top seed, I’ll keep pressure on us.

That’s what I expect, but the players already know that – they heard that on day one of pre-season, that’s what we’re working towards.”Kettlewell added: “I set targets,