IF Motherwell's players still needed to have the severity of the club's predicament artic- ulated clearly to them, Ian Baraclough did not mince his words.

"Nothing else in their lives matters at the moment," the manager said of the SPFL Premiership play-off final against Rangers which begins with the first leg at Ibrox tomorrow night.

It is a statement that outlines the stark reality of the situation. Win over two legs and you get to fight another day. Take your eye off the ball for a second, and get ready to face the consequences.

It goes without saying that preparation for tomorrow's game must not be taken lightly, especially given Well's poor form away from home this season - three wins in total and only one this year.

Overcoming that statistic to beat Stuart McCall's team, or at least claim a draw, could prove vital to make sure it's not an uphill task back at Fir Park come Sunday.

Motherwell's home record of late is impressive. Seven games undefeated in front of the Fir Park faithful is not to be sniffed at and there will be an inner confidence that a result can be garnered on their own patch.

But given how crucial it will be to still be in the tie by the time Motherwell get their opponents back to Lanarkshire, it is understandable that Baraclough has adopted a zero-tolerance approach to distractions in his build-up for the trip to Govan.

"Going into a game like this, a lot of it is about keeping the players calm and focused," he told SportTimes. "We will get the right amount of work into them physically but we will also make sure that on the mental side there are no blockages. We will prepare for it as we do most games. There are one or two different things maybe, but nothing too out of the ordinary.

"The players must be fully focused. Nothing else in their lives matters just now. It is about being ready and switched on for both games."

While Motherwell's players shut off from the outside world, tidy away their PlayStation controllers and cancel the trip to Nandos, Baraclough is making sure they are well-drilled in what to expect tomorrow night.

Coping with the environment at a packed Ibrox is the first hurdle many of his players will have to get to grips with, and quickly. On Motherwell's last visit, back in September 2012, many of the Steelmen seemed overawed by the experience before eventually going down 2-0 in the League Cup.

Stephen Pearson, Stevie Hammell, Scott McDonald, Keith Lasley and John Sutton are just a few of those in the Fir Park ranks who know exactly what it is like to step out in front of the Gers at home.

HOWEVER, there are several players in Motherwell's first-team who will be unfamiliar with the home of Rangers.

It was confirmed yesterday that the game will be a sell-out. A wall of noise will surround Baraclough's players and he has made it clear to them that they must literally do their talking on the park.

"Tomorrow is going to have a very cagey and nervous feeling to it," said the Motherwell manager. "We have to make sure we deal with that and overcome that anxiety.

"We must react positively to the challenge of a full house. It will be very loud and we won't be able to get too much information to the players once they are on the pitch.

"They will have to understand what their jobs are and pass messages on between each other rather than just from the bench."

Baraclough has no intention of setting his side up with a view to trying to sneak a draw at Ibrox.

The firepower Rangers carry in attack through the likes of Kenny Miller and Nicky Clark, coupled with Motherwell having the second-worst defensive record in the top flight, is surely a cause for concern.

But the Well boss is keen to strike the right balance to make sure not only do his team pose a threat going forward, but also that they are disciplined enough in defence to make sure the tie is at the very least still alive going back to Fir Park.

Baraclough is also aware of the option of utilising his squad to the full after giving many of his fringe stars a run out against Partick Thistle last Saturday.

"We will go there with a threat, definitely," he said. "We will try to score but also make sure we have the right balance of attack and defence in the big, wide open spaces of Ibrox.

"We have to go and see what transpires going towards tomorrow and Sunday. They are two very different games and we have got to make sure we are in the tie bringing it back to Fir Park."