Keith Lasley discusses the performance at Rangers, the importance of home form and taking on a difficult opponent in Kilmarnock when he spoke to the broadcast media on Tuesday.
Here’s what the assistant manager had to say ahead of the match.
On the performance at Rangers
“It was a good performance. We knew we’d have to be disciplined and play a certain shape and system. And you know, I think Rangers in recent weeks have had a way of steamrollering teams, in terms of scoring a lot of goals.
“So we knew what we were going up against. But I thought the boys delivered the plan that we had on an individual basis.
“I think it was a lot of good performances. So I think for us improving is winning. We want to get better all the time and I think in terms of going to a place like that as I said, I think it was a big improvement and we just take heart from that. What we need to make sure is there is still more improvement to be done.
“There were some really good individual performances, but we believe there’s more to come from these guys and that’s our challenge now to keep pushing.
“It showed you the fine margins that were in the game. That it was a set play they ended up deciding the game. We were up against a good team and for us to go there and show what we did, we take heart from that because it was a good performance.
“We’ve got two massive games at home now and it’s up to us now to use those positives, continue to improve the things that were good and take that into these two home games.
“What we can control here is performances. That was a good performance, sometimes you don’t get that result.
“But as I said improvement is a big thing for us here, both on an individual basis in terms of the players themselves, and the team.
“If that happens, results come. We’re gonna need another top two performances in these next two games.”
On home form
“I think the home form in general, regardless of who it is against, is important. I don’t think that’s a team out there that will have a successful season without having a decent home record.
“I think it’s where, in front of your own supporters, you set out what you want to be. We want this place to be a hard place to come and people talking about Fir Park and Motherwell being a hard place to go.
“So it’s up to us to create that atmosphere here and create that environment for other teams to come in to so. That’s what we are trying to do.”
On Kilmarnock
“They are up to third now and they’ve been on a really good run. We know that challenge. We know the challenge of being back here at home and playing in front of our own supporters. It’s up to us to entertain them and and put on a good performance.
“So that’s a challenge that’s there. As a player sometimes you come off a game at Ibrox in front of a big crowd, and it’s been a big mental and physical effort.
“We have to go again. We have to reassess the boys and make sure we’re ready to go again.”