Interim Motherwell manager Stephen Craigan has insisted that he hasn’t had the time to consider whether he wants the job on a permanent basis following a whirlwind few days since Ian Baraclough’s departure.
Craigan took the beleaguered Motherwell squad for training for the first time yesterday ahead of today’s game against Partick Thistle at Fir Park, and he says that his immediate focus has just been on rallying the troops for that challenge.
He said: “I haven’t thought about it, there’s been so much going on in the last two days. When I joined in July I didn’t see myself being a first-team manager. I came in to work with the under-20s, which has been great.
“This has been sprung upon me. I genuinely haven’t thought about it – I’d a good life balance, I was enjoying what I was doing media-wise. I’m sure come Sunday or Monday there’ll be conversations somewhere along the line.
“The question can only be answered if it’s asked of me. This is interim – I’ll do it until the owner wants me to have it or someone else to have it. But the main focus, whether it’s one game, two games or 20, the focus will be to win football games.”
Tuesday’s League Cup defeat proved the final act of Baraclough’s disappointing nine-month reign as the Motherwell supporters made their feelings on his position abundantly clear.
Craigan, who enjoys a mutually respectful relationship with the Motherwell support, was surprised by their reaction.
“It was very disappointing first and foremost,” he said.
“I’ve respect for Motherwell fans because I spent 15 of my 18 years at the club and it’s the first time I’ve heard that. I didn’t hear them sing that during my tenure.
“You can’t dictate what fans are going to sing, they travel, they pay a lot of money, they’re entitled to have their opinion. The fans are a respectful bunch. They’re a demanding bunch I understand that, but they made their feelings clear and that was disappointing because I was a member of the coaching staff. On a human side for one guy to be standing hearing that wasn’t very nice.
“He always looked for the positives, he looked after the players and he wanted to take the flak himself, so that shows you the type of man he is.
“The human side is that he’s got a wife and kids to go back to, so as much as things are said and he’s been criticised and that’s the nature of the business, when you lose someone you know personally it probably hurts that little bit more.
“I’ve never been in a position before where I’ve seen a colleague lose his job. It was raw emotion when he came in and told us, a huge disappointment for all the staff.
“It’s been a mixed 48 hours, from the manager losing his job, speaking to the owner, him asking me to take the team. It’s been difficult but Ian said to us, the game moves on. The players have to re-focus themselves and move on.”
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