IAN BARACLOUGH has warned his Motherwell players they must smarten up to kick-start their stalling start to the season.

Three losses in their last three games have caused concern for the Well manager, especially given the positive nature of his team’s performances in two of them.

In the 2-0 reverses to Dundee United and Aberdeen at Fir Park, the home side more than held their own and had opportunities to take the initiative that they allowed to pass them by.

There was little between the sides in either of these contests, with a similar challenge awaiting Motherwell this afternoon in a trip to McDiarmid Park to take on St Johnstone.

And Baraclough has called on his Motherwell men to box clever from now on to help gain the upper hand.

He said: “It’s learning how to win games of football. I call it game management and when it is so tight you have to find a way of winning.

“Set pieces are a big part of the modern day game and that’s why people take so long on them, but defensively and in attack. It cost us too many times last year and it’s something we’ve been better at this year in the first three games, but it cost us again against Aberdeen.

“It’s disappointing we lost the game on a free-kick and it’s frustrating it stemmed from us having one at the other end. It’s about managing the game.

“We had a free-kick where we could have gone on and worked a two versus one situation to change the angle. Then when it goes into the box we have to make sure we win the second ball and not allow them to break.

“That is about managing the game and seeing what situation is needed and what is required at that moment. We allowed them to break, they then got a free-kick up at our end and it stemmed from there.”

The frustration that was experienced last weekend by Motherwell is an altogether different kind of pain that was common place last season.

While in the previous campaign the Steelmen were regularly getting turned over, now they are being pipped after deserving more out of the match.

For Baraclough it is at least an indication that his team are progressing in the right direction and that his players are gelling well following a busy summer.

Ahead of today’s trip to Perth to face Saints, the Motherwell manager has asked his team to keep the faith.

“That’s where you’ve got to keep believing and keep the confidence high,” said the Motherwell manager.

“As a coaching staff we will do that and do our bit around the players.

“They were disappointed and hurting after Saturday but we play like that and more often than not we’ll get a result.

“Back a week on Wednesday night against Hearts [2-0 defeat] out of the four games was the blip. We could have done a lot better.

“On Saturday, you couldn’t have said we weren’t at it playing for the shirt and playing for Motherwell Football Club.

“We got ourselves in a good position to go and win a game of football but it was Aberdeen that managed to do it.

“That’s what we need to work on.”