Conceding six goals has brought Motherwell's defending into focus - and manager Graham Alexander accepts he's been at fault when setting his team out.
The Steelmen head into this weekend's Premiership match with Aberdeen at Pittodrie off the back of a 6-1 loss to Rangers last Sunday. They sit seventh in the table.
Motherwell have taken one point from the last available 15, conceding at least twice in five consecutive matches. Their last clean sheet came against the Dons back in September, a 2-0 victory.
Alexander says the team as a whole has to improve their defensive work, but he doesn't shirk responsibility from his involvement.
He said: "What we have addressed wasn't just Sunday. We have not been good enough defensively in other games.
"We didn't do things well throughout the team against Rangers. We have focused on that, but we have also spoken of the goals conceded in other games, ones we wouldn't expect to.
"When I say the whole team, I include me and my whole coaching staff. There are things I haven't done well enough to prepare my team to defend better.
"That work will be ongoing to make us better. We have the ability to change formations in-game, when we need to see a game out or try and get something. We are looking at our individual and collective mentality."
Only Rangers, Celtic and Hearts have bettered Motherwell's 15 goals this season - although Hibs, Aberdeen and St Mirren are all tied on that number.
The 'Well boss says getting it right at the other end of the pitch won't be a quick fix: "We have to do better on that as on the other side of it, we are up there in the goalscoring charts.
"It's a very tight league and that defensive side of it has damaged our results in the last month. Only the top three have scored more goals than us.
"But our goals against for a period of time is not good enough. We have to understand that it's down to the whole team.
"It's not an overnight fix and this will be a continual process of trying to improve our defensive qualities, from front to back."
Motherwell introduced three new centre-backs to the club this summer - Sondre Solholm Johansen, Juhani Ojala and Darragh O'Connor. But Alexander says an adjustment period isn't why the Steelmen are struggling in defence.
He added: "That's a factor (the new signings) but it's not the reason for it. We believe we have good players throughout the squad as I feel there's a real competition between the boys.
"It's not a case of four players are good at defending, another four aren't. We have analysed things and tried to fix things that we have to do better.
"I won't hide behind injury and illness at the back where we have lost players. But it's whole defensive side of things from the front to goalkeeper - we have to compete better."
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