AS eye-opening moments go, Alex Fisher was left with no doubt about what is required from him in a Motherwell jersey on Wednesday night.

Just a few minutes after Rangers had inflicted a 2-0 defeat at Ibrox, bringing about Motherwell’s eighth game on the bounce without a victory, manager Stephen Robinson told reporters about how those filling the Louis Moult void hadn’t stepped up to the mark - Fisher being one of them - and that another two strikers would have to be sourced in January to replace the Preston-bound striker.

Unbeknown to most in the room, Fisher - who had started the game for Motherwell before being substituted late on - was within ear shot waiting in the wings as he prepared to speak to the press himself.

“On paper, the manager has a point,” said Fisher. “There is an increase in pressure at the moment and I think I will relish that.

“If the manager brings some people in in January, then fair enough.

“I will accept that. I see that as good competition and I will relish that.

“He is a very honest guy. Every chat I’ve had has been straight down the line. He is well within his rights to say what he did.

“Rangers was a frustrating game because we did have a few chances. But we have a good chance to finish off the year against Hamilton on Saturday.”

Fisher is by no manner of means the only person who should have felt his ears burning as Robinson shot from the hip on Wednesday night. He didn’t miss, which is perhaps something those charged with scoring goals in claret and amber haven’t been doing.

OnWednesday night Craig Tanner spurned two glorious chances at 0-0 - although he was still by far Motherwell’s best spark on the night - while Ryan Bowman has only scored twice in his last 14 games.

In terms of Fisher himself, the transition to life in Lanarkshire has not been an easy one. The man brought in from Inverness Caledonian Thistle has yet to open his scoring account in a claret and amber jersey in his 17 appearances, many of which have come from the bench due to the formidable pairing of Bowman and Moult which has now been broken up.

“The manager said to us after the game that you live an die by what you do in both boxes,” said the 27-year-old Englishman. “Louis was very good. He had a knack of sticking the ball in the back of the net.

“Since he’s gone, we haven’t scored as many goals. That’s clear to see but I feel we haven’t quite had the rub of the green too.

“Now we have one more game to really stake a claim for our positions. I see it as an opportunity more than anything.”

With only tomorrow’s Lanarkshire derby standing in the way of Robinson and his hunt for a new striker in the January transfer window, the visit of Hamilton Academical represents a last chance to impress before reinforcements are called upon.

“I see it as a challenge,” added Fisher. He is well within his rights to say what he said.

“But are you a man or a mouse? Do you step up or hide from it? I want to step up. I have worked as hard as I can and I will always give 110%.

“I have been unlucky with a couple of efforts, where keepers have made saves. I have also missed some chances. But I feel a striker should be judged on getting into positions as much as anything. If I do that, then hopefully the law of averages will work out and I’ll stick a few in.

“Hamilton is an opportunity and I want to take that.”