O'Donnell hopes Wimmer can 'spring Motherwell to life'
Stephen O'Donnell hopes the arrival of new manager Michael Wimmer will bring "a spring of life" to Motherwell as they aim to avoid a relegation scrap.The Fir Park side have slipped from fourth to eighth in the Scottish Premiership amid a dreadful run of five consecutive defeats, winning just one of their last 11 matches in all competitions.Motherwell have spent most of this season in the top six, and despite only being in the bottom half of the table due to goal difference, they are just four points clear of the relegation play-off spot, such is the tight nature of the league.European qualification remains possible, but O'Donnell has told his team-mates to accept their main focus for now is to pull away from the drop zone."I hope I'm wrong and we go on and win the next five games, but I think we've been aware for the past couple of months that we are in a scrap," the former Scotland full-back said."We need to get safe first. You can say that's a negative attitude, but that's for me a realistic attitude."We haven't been consistent enough, nor has the rest of the league. We just need to make sure we bounce back from what's been a tough run with the new manager and start his reign off with a good performance."O'Donnell and co will have the chance to do that at Tannadice on Saturday when they take on fourth-placed Dundee United, and the 32-year-old is aiming to impress."I think there's always pressure and enthusiasm around a new manager," the defender added. "You need to impress him, and I just hope over the coming weeks I'm able to do that."The manager hasn't been over in Scotland before with a team, so hopefully that just comes a real spring of life for the full squad."
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