Graham Alexander admits Motherwell’s under-performers have landed themselves a clean slate with his arrival.
But the new man in charge has warned the Fir Park flops he won’t hang about in making changes if performances don’t improve.
Alexander is set for a whirlwind introduction to Scottish football against St Mirren today just 24 hours after being unveiled as Stephen Robinson’s replacement.
The former Scotland international knows there’s little time to settle in as he looks to turn a drastic run of 10 games without a win that’s seen the Steelmen slip to joint bottom of the Premiership.
Robinson took aim at individuals within the squad after his last match in charge 10 days ago, accusing some players of “having their heads turned and believing that they’re possibly better than they are”.
Alexander spoke to former Preston team mate Robinson before accepting the job.
But he insists he’ll make his own mind up on his squad in the coming days and weeks.
Asked if this was a fresh start for the squad, he said: “I’m not one who comes in and gives this big Churchillian speech because it’s words and anyone can say words.
“But I think they’ll learn over the next few weeks how I behave and how I am as a person and they’ll know that it is like that.
“It’s about who helps the team win. That’s it.
“Naturally there will be players who’ve been playing week in week out and now their credit in the bank with the previous manager is back down to nought.
“And the ones who were in the red are on nought again because they’ve got a free go at it.
“I’ve spoken to people about the club as a whole - the scenario and the environment. But I haven’t actually spoken to people about individual players.
“I want to make my own mind up. I think it’s important.
“I got on with some managers and didn’t get on with others.
“But generally I was the same person.
"It’s only human nature to clash.
“So for me it’s important that I come in with an open mind to these players and we’ll see how we go.
“Robbo said that they were a good group of payers who weren’t maximising their potential.
“That for me is my first and biggest task.
“My job, is to create two teams one on the pitch and on off it.
“If people help that exam and make it better, they stay in it. It’s the same with the staffing.
“I’ve got a completely open mind. I’m not one of those managers who comes in and goes ‘right, he’s this so get him out’.
“At the end of the day, every person who works for a football clubs has to bring value – player, coach, manager. That’s what I’m going to judge everybody on over the next period of time.”
Alexander is one of a select group of British players to have made over 1000 career appearances - including 40 for Scotland.
He’s on record as crediting David Moyes at Preston for turning himself from an average lower league player into an international full-back in the Premier League.
The 49-year-old concedes he wasn’t the most talented player. But after having his eyes opened by Moyes to the potential of where dedication and attitude can take a career he now hopes to instil those same traits into his players at Fir Park.
“I was speaking to Allan Campbell and he’s 10 games ahead of where I was at his age,” he said.
“How I was as a player certainly played a part in where I got to.
“I didn’t have enough talent to play top level or international football but my attitude, character and discipline got me to where I ended up in the Premier League.
“That only came later on in my career when I worked with certain people - I wasn’t like that as a 20 year-old.
“I think of the people who influenced me to make changes, improve and get those qualities and I try to be similar because I think it’s a manager’s responsibility to not only get results but improve players and open their eyes to what they are capable of achieving.”
Campbell, out of contract in the summer, has been linked with Millwall and while a new deal remains on the table for the 22-year-old midfielder Alexander wants to get this afternoon’s clash with St Mirren out the way before sitting down with players - including Stephen O’Donnell - who will soon be free agents.
He said: “Every manager wants to keep their best players but I don’t know all the ins and outs of Allan’s contract, what he feels and believes. What is on the table for him going forward.
“I have stayed away from that stuff when I spoke to the board because I want to get this game done then we have a week til the next one and I can get into the bones of what we need and what we have in the squad now.
“I wanted to give the players my full focus today and not have other issues.
“They all trained really well this morning, I was so impressed.
“I have had a little chat with Stephen O'Donnell about the St Mirren - something I think we need to tweak which will help him - and he was great. He agreed.
"Going forward I will have these more intimate conversations about people’s futures and what we want to bring to Motherwell. There’s always speculation about players especially when they are playing international football. It’s always going to be that going into December and January.
“But I want to focus in the St Mirren game and these boys didn’t show me anything to suggest they didn’t want to play. If I felt one wasn’t focused then he wouldn’t be in the team.”
The former Salford, Scunthorpe and Fleetwood boss has tasted success with all three clubs and could be forgiven for feeling aggrieved at the way things ended at Salford in October - when he was axed after five games unbeaten at the start of the season.
But there’s no hard-feeling towards the ‘Class of 92’ board at Salford.
He said: “If I ever left a club as a player or a manager then it’s in a box, gone, and I go on with my life.
“Every manager or player wants to work in an environment day-to-day that’s ideal. And the information and communication I’ve had from several people has told me about the people at Motherwell, how they behave, how they want to work, and nothing has made me feel any different.
“We’ve had a look around the stadium, the gym, and it’s like I remember football 15 years ago, at Burnley and Preston.
“It gives me a similar feeling to those two clubs I played for – and I loved playing for them, so I’m really looking forward to it.
“Stephen Robinson said to me that if he could take time off and go back he’d do it. He loved his time here so that more than anything told me a lot.
“Because when a manager leaves a club it’s not always a healthy ending, but I felt I wanted to speak to Robbo and he was so complimentary about it.
“I knew him having played with him and I knew he’d be honest, so that stands it in good stead.”
