Jens Berthel Askou urges Motherwell to ‘show we are serious’ against Celtic

Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou views Sunday’s trip to Celtic Park as a chance to show his unbeaten team are serious about their chances of competing in the upper reaches of the William Hill Premiership.

The Steelmen have drawn plaudits for their style of play and have added wins in recent weeks by beating Aberdeen in the Premier Sports Cup and the league.

With Rangers struggling to get going under Russell Martin and Celtic drawing a blank in five games already, the Motherwell manager was asked if there were chances for other teams in the league to make a statement early on.

“I think there’s opportunities in any league, every year, if you do things right,” he said. “And if you are consistent and brave and stick to what you believe, (that) is what will bring you success over time.

“Knowing that we are competing against clubs who have had more time together than us, who have more resources than us, it’s no excuse to not be competitive and ambitious. And that’s what we try to do.

“We know it’s going to be really, really hard to get a top position in the league when the league is over. But we are going for it with everything we can.

“And Sunday is going to be a big game for us to show that we are serious when we say we are here to compete.”

Motherwell have not won at Celtic Park for 10 years but Askou outlined his clear aim earlier this week.

“It’s the key message every time we go to play a football game,” he said. “We want to win, and we try to set up the team with the belief that they can win. We try to play the way we play, with respect for the opponent and what their strengths are.

“Obviously, Celtic is a top team that has many strengths that we have to deal with. But it’s also a team that, like everyone else, there are possibilities.

“If we find our best level, then we have the ability to hurt any team in the league.

“I think the key is actually how well we defend, because I trust our players to produce chances and also score goals. We’ve been able to score goals in most of our games, also against top opponents.

“So I’m convinced that if we do the defensive job well, then there’s good possibilities for us to get points.”