Stuart Kettlewell refused to hide his disappointment at missing out on bringing Kevin van Veen back to Motherwell – but believes the goalscoring form of Theo Bair can help soften the blow.
Bair netted his fifth goal in his last five Premiership appearances to earn the Steelmen a throughly deserved share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw against Kilmarnock.
Much of the pre-match chat surrounded Van Veen making his return to Fir Park in the blue and white of Killie.
The Dutchman, who netted 29 times last season for Well, began the game as a substitute.
“Everybody knows the relationship Kevin van Veen has with the football club and the ridiculous numbers he posted last season,” said Kettlewell.
“There is disappointment but I think it just shows where things are – that performance today probably tells everybody that I undoubtedly wanted to bring Kevin van Veen to this football club.
“We were blown out the water by the likes of Kilmarnock and I believe St Mirren were involved in that as well – that’s not for me to try make anybody feel sorry, that’s simply a scenario that was dealt in front of us.
“Our guy that led the line for us was pretty decent himself. Big Theo is getting better and better and he is my player, Kevin is not – I’ll continue to focus on him.”
The January transfer window was to be a frustrating one for Motherwell, and in the end, their attempts to bolster their striking options proved to be futile.
Mika Biereth and Conor Wilkinson both headed for the Fir Park exit door, leaving Bair as the club’s only fit senior striker.
Kettlewell will now assess the free transfer options available to him, as he looks to steer his 10th-placed side clear of the relegation zone.
“We’ll analyse that and see if there’s a situation that could help our group and strengthen our group,” he added.
“As it sits just now, there’s nothing to tell – we’re always trying be pro-active contrary to sometimes what people think.
“We’re always looking to see if we can bring in anybody that improves our squad, if the answer to that is no then fine.
“Whether that comes down to money, whether that comes down to willingness to play at this football club – the one thing I’ll say to you is that every single player that is sat there as part of my group moving forward wants to be here and play here.”
Derek McInnes admits it will take time for his new signings to be fully match fit, though he is sure they have the ability to make the difference as Killie push for a European place.
Van Veen and Greg Stewart both came off the bench as Killie were pegged back to draw, having led through Lewis Mayo’s volley.
“These boys aren’t quite up to speed, we have to be realistic and understanding of that,” he said.
“Kevin hasn’t played, he told me November but I think it was actually October.
“He’s been training a lot on his own, being fit and being game fit is different.
“Our biggest strength this season has been the collective – it’s about the team but the individuals can be the difference and the ones to turn tight games.”
Martino resigns as Inter Miami coach after early playoff exit
Gerardo Martino has resigned as Inter Miami's head coach due to personal reasons, the MLS side have confirmed.
The Argentine ends his 17-month stint in charge of the Herons following their MLS Cup exit just under a fortnight ago.
Martino, who oversaw Miami's Leagues Cup triumph soon after his arrival last season, guided the franchise to this year's Supporters' Shield with a regular-season record tally of 74 points.
However, they were eliminated by his former side Atlanta United in round one of the MLS Cup playoffs.
Miami opened their best-of-three series against Atlanta with a 2-1 win, only to lose by the same scoreline in Game 2 before falling to a dramatic 3-2 defeat in the decider.
“It has been an honour to work at such a special club, and to lead such a special team," Martino said.
"I’ve enjoyed my stay at Inter Miami and will treasure the memories made and relationships forged here for the rest of my life.
"I depart with nothing but gratitude for my time here and would like to offer sincere thanks to everyone that made it possible."
Fonseca: Milan have 'respect' but 'are not afraid' of Juventus
Paulo Fonseca said Milan have plenty of "respect" for Juventus, but his side "are not afraid" of their rivals ahead of their Serie A clash on Saturday.
After a slow start to the season, Milan are six points adrift of Juventus in the table, but only a place behind them, as they aim to make up the ground on the top six.
The Rossoneri have played a game less than Thiago Motta's side, and could catapult themselves back into the Scudetto picture with a win this weekend.
Milan return to the San Siro for the first time since a 2-0 defeat to Napoli at the end of October, and could register two consecutive home defeats in Serie A for the first time since between October and November in 2023.
"It is not decisive, but it is important, like all of them," Fonseca told reporters ahead of Saturday's game.
"I can't say that the game against Juve is more important than the next one against Empoli because we need consecutive victories.
"It's a different game, but I always think positively. We are Milan, we have a lot of respect for the 'Bianconeri', but we are not afraid. We are here ready to win."
A boost for Milan is that Juventus will be without top scorer Dusan Vlahovic for Saturday's clash after returning from international duty with a muscle problem.
Despite the Serbian's absence, Fonseca was aware of the danger his probable replacement, Timothy Weah, would pose, having managed him during his time at Lille.
"Juve knows how to adapt very well. I don't know if Weah will play," Fonseca said.
"Weah is very fast and attacks deep, not like Vlahovic. It will not be the same thing of course.
"We will have to pay attention to movements in depth and less to support work, because he is a player who does less of this job."
While Fonseca has endured a stuttering start to his tenure at the San Siro, Milan have shown they have the ability to match the very best.
They beat rivals Inter in October before stunning Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in their last Champions League encounter, keeping their play-off hopes alive.
"I believe it's a matter of motivation and not pressure," Fonseca said.
"Against Inter, Juve and Real it is easy to be motivated, it's more difficult to go to Cagliari and have the same motivation.
"Pressure is always with us, every day. If we don't want to have pressure, then we shouldn't be here."
'Right guy at the right time' - Amorim confident of changing Man Utd's fortunes
Ruben Amorim believes he is the "right guy at the right time" to turn Manchester United's fortunes around.
The 39-year-old signed a two-and-a-half-year deal earlier this month to keep him at Old Trafford until June 2027, replacing Erik ten Hag after he was sacked in October.
Amorim is the sixth permanent United manager since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, having left Sporting CP to take charge during the international break.
He won two Primeira Liga titles as Sporting head coach as well as two Taca da Liga trophies, while he led the club to a perfect start in the league this season, winning all 11 of their games.
United sit 13th in the Premier League table ahead of their trip to Ipswich Town on 15 points, though they are just four points behind Chelsea in third.
Amorim recognised the size of the task ahead of him in Manchester but is confident he can make a change.
"I'm a little bit of a dreamer and I believe in myself, and I believe in the club," he said during his first press conference.
"I think we have the same idea, the same mindset and that can help.
"I truly believe in the players; I know you don't believe a lot, but I do. I want to try new things. You guys don't think it's possible, I do.
"Call me naive, but I believe I am the right guy at the right time. I truly believe I am the right guy."
Aged 39 years and 302 days, Amorim will be the youngest to take charge of his first match for the Red Devils since Wilf McGuinness in August 1969 (31y 288d).
United have won just four of their 11 league games so far this season, and have struggled in front of goal, netting just 12 times so far.
Expected to implement his favoured 3-4-3 formation, Amorim admitted it would take time for the club to adapt and has asked for patience as the players get used to his tactics.
"I know at Manchester United we have to win games. We need a lot of time because it's a tough league, we have to improve a lot to try to win the title," he added.
"We have to change the physical aspect of the team. I don't know how long it will take."
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