Johansson Discusses Transfers, Highlights Said’s Goals and Warns Against Underestimating Stenhousemuir

Motherwell manager Alfred Johansson has addressed the media in anticipation of Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup match against Stenhousemuir.

Here are the key lines from his media conference.

• After the Europa Conference League qualifying victory over HJK Helsinki, Johansson commended the “superb” atmosphere at Fir Park and remarked that the bond between the team and the fans has exceeded his expectations since he took on the role.

• He noted the fans’ attitude towards their team differs from what he has experienced in Sweden, stating, “people are very humble; I don’t feel the same in Scandinavia. I feel that when we are doing well and people are coming to see us play. It’s a sense of gratitude that I haven’t maybe felt before.”

• At the season’s start, Johansson encouraged Ibrahim Said to enhance his end product and consistency. Following two impressive goals against Helsinki, Said is now meeting these expectations.

• Johansson indicated he is looking to complete “a thing or two more” in signings before the transfer window closes.

• Regarding potential player departures, he acknowledged, “I mean, these are moments of uncertainty, right? When there is a transfer window. I’m not going to place any bet on how it’s going to look at the end of the window.”

• Looking ahead to the match against Stenhousemuir, Johansson anticipates a challenging encounter against the Championship side, emphasizing, “to underestimate that task on Sunday, that would be the most stupid thing in the world to do. We respect our opponent and the way that we do that is to try absolutely everything we can to go there and win the game. Not underestimating one percent.”

Motherwell manager Alfred Johansson has been speaking to the media ahead of Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup clash with Stenhousemuir.

Here are the key lines from his media conference.

• Following the Europa Conference League qualifying win over HJK Helsinki, Johansson praised the “superb” atmosphere at Fir Park and says the connection between the team and the fans has been “better than what I thought” coming into the job.

• The attitude of the fans towards their team is different to what he has experienced in his native Sweden and admits “people are very humble, I don’t feel the same in Scandinavia. I feel that when we are doing well and people are coming to see us play. It’s a sense of gratitude that I haven’t maybe felt before.”

• At the start of the season Johansson says he asked Ibrahim Said to improve his end product and consistency and – after two stunning goals against Helsinki – he is now demonstrating both.

• He is still aiming to do “a thing or two more” in terms of signings before the end of the transfer window.

• On potential departures, he adds: “I mean, these are moments of uncertainty, right? When there is a transfer window. I’m not going to place any bet on how it’s going to look at the end of the window.”

• Focus has quickly turned to Stenhousemuir, with Johansson saying he expects a tough test against the Championship outfit and says “to underestimate that task on Sunday, that would be the most stupid thing in the world to do. We respect our opponent and the way that we do that is to try absolutely everything we can to go there and win the game. Not underestimating one percent.”