Apex Scores Lite Apex Scores Lite flag
back Back
Johansson on sticking to principles, Rosenborg lessons & duo's return
Updated Fri, October 23, 2026 at 4:13 PM UTC

Alfred Johansson has been speaking to the media before Motherwell host Hearts in the Premiership on Sunday (14:00 GMT).

Here are the key points:

  • Johansson will "stick to my principles" following a run of five successive defeats. He says: "There are some big positives we need to continue with and reinforce and then there are some issues we need to fix."

  • The Swede is drawing on experiences from his spell at Rosenborg to help him get through this difficult period: "We were just above the relegation zone and newspapers all over were like, 'Rosenberg is going to go down, this is the biggest crisis ever' - and we ended fourth that season. All of a sudden things that we had been working on clicked. We just stuck to what we had been working on and got the hang of it with a young squad. I don't believe in changing things completely."

  • Johansson credited Motherwell's players for staying "professional" throughout the tough run of form, adding: "You see it every day in training. They have a fantastic attitude and fantastic effort. Everyone is just committed and works really hard. They make my job easy."

  • The return of Oscar Priestman and Regan Charles-Cook this weekend is a "big positive" for the Steelmen. Callum Hendry and Paul McGinn are "progressing well" but aren't quite ready for their return.

  • On Hearts, the Motherwell boss says: "I expect to come up against a good team that are aggressive in their high pressing. You can see they've got a coach from abroad that focuses on these things. I think they've been doing really well. They've been quite solid defensively in the league apart from the Celtic game. I think we'll come up against a good team that will try and be themselves at Fir Park."

You may like

How have 'best team north or south of border' last season lost six in a row?

bbc.co.uk 3 hours ago

Celtic boss Martin O'Neill full of praise for his players' resilience in 'best win of the season ...

dailymail.co.uk 2 days ago

Scottish Premiership: Motherwell v Hearts

bbc.com 2 days ago

Chris Sutton: One Celtic Player 'Unhappy' Amid 'Big Concerns' for Martin O'Neill

givemesport.com 2 days ago

Casey Alexander's K-State Wildcats Showing Promise In Exhibition Games Against Missouri and Nebraska

si.com 1 hour ago

Martin O'Neill insists Celtic are no Jekyll and Hyde team after latest European no-show

dailymail.co.uk 4 days ago

Hearts star Claudio Braga expects fiery welcome for Rangers boss Derek McInnes on his return to T...

dailymail.co.uk 20 hours ago

The Numbers Don’t Lie: Iowa Football is Dangerous After a Loss Under Kirk Ferentz

si.com 6 hours ago

Men's and Women's Soccer Teams Dominate Tough Opponents

si.com 3 hours ago

Georgia Football Coach Kirby Smart Gives Honest Take On The Florida Gators Ahead Of Giant Top-25 ...

si.com 4 hours ago