
'I don't feel we're quite there' Martindale feels Livi have work to do
The Lions came up to the top flight via a play-off final win against Ross County at the end of last season.
Livi began their Premier Sports Cup group with a 2-1 win at East Fife on Saturday before a 1-0 defeat to fellow Premiership rivals Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on Wednesday night.
Assessing the season ahead, Livingston boss Martindale said: 'Still a bit of work (to do).
'I feel that is probably the negatives of gaining Premiership entry via the play-offs.
'It feels as if you are just off the bus from Ross County if I'm honest.
'So we are a wee bit undercooked in that term, I don't feel that we're quite there.
'We've come up against Premiership opponents early doors. Other years we are the Premiership team, so you are not getting this test as early in the season.
'So a wee bit undercooked but still fairly happy where we are as a group.
'I spoke to the boys, we are going to lose games of football this year and you guys (media) are going to put your stats up, you have not won in five, two points in eight.
'We never had that last year and that's easy to manage as a manager.
'Last year was very, very easy. Win games of football, it's easy to be a manager, going into your work on a Monday morning with a big smile on your face, you've just won.
'This year's going to bring different dynamics, different questions to the group and myself.
'I've been here, obviously this group are not used to losing games of football.
'So for me, we'll focus on the performance because you're not always going to get the result.
'And if you're going to lose a game of football, I think you want to come away from that game of football obviously disappointed but with a lot of positives at the same time.
'I felt that was the case on Wednesday night. I felt for the large part of a game the performance was there but we don't get the points that maybe the performance deserves.'
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