Kevin van Veen bagged Motherwell’s winner against Livingston, but insists there’s more to come this season.
The Dutchman netted his third goal of the season in the 1-0 Fir Park win from the spot, with all three being winners.
But the 31-year-old reckons he’s got a bit to go to hit the heights of last season, when he scored 11 times.
He said: “I’m happy to score three goals in four games, don’t get me wrong, and it’s three decisive goals from my end.
“But my game-play is still there to improve.
“I thought last season i was a lot better than I am at this very moment, but if I can be as important as I am at the moment...
“The penalty does bring pressure, and where are you going to put it.
“There are a lot of others who want to take it, but the responsibility is on your shoulders to help your team go 1-0 up and get the three points.
“But I still need to improve, I still feel I’m not there yet, and I’ve still got a lot more to give.
“I’m striving to get better and better every week, and I’m making steps forward.
“Last week at Aberdeen [3-2 win] was better and this week the second half was better, but I need to make sure I’m good from the first minute.”
Van Veen struck in the 68th minute, after Blair Spittal’s corner was headed by Ricki Lamie but struck Christian Montano’s arm.
The former Scunthorpe and Northampton Town hit man is adamant that referee Nick Walsh made the right call, but says the better team won anyway.
He said: “We just watched it back in the dressing room. Somebody has headed it back in, the defender of Livingston had his hand well wide, in an unnatural position.
“I wasn’t sure in the game, but I’ve just seen it back and it’s a 100 per cent penalty.
“The penalty gave us three points, but I still think we were the better team.
“We dealt with their main threat, Joel Nouble, who was not in the game because of our two centre-backs, who were magnificent. Defensively we didn’t give anything away.
“Going forward in the first half we were poor, pedestrian, and the gaffer gave us a team-talk at halftime.
“It was better, going in behind, playing on their shoulders.
“In the last minute if I had played it out a bit better [to Joe Efford] it could easily have been 2-0.
“We were sloppy, but I do think the better team got the three points.”
Van Veen says a lot has happened at Motherwell, but the squad have dealt with the departure of Graham Alexander and the arrival of Stevie Hammell as boss.
He said: “There has been a lot happening at the club. Everybody saw it, and there has been a lot of changes and the mood was not good.
“We let ourselves down in a game that everybody had looked forward to [Sligo Rovers].
“But to come back and see how we’re doing at the moment, that’s nine points and we shouldn’t even have lost to St Johnstone, to be very critical of ourselves.
“We should be unbeaten, so that’s a massive positive after the hit we had at the start of the season.
“But there’s massive character in the group, we showed that last season.
“The new boss has brought a fresh wind, he’s very positive, we’re taking some responsibility on the ball, show you want the ball, don’t hide and give the man on the ball an option.
“There’s a lot of positivity at our training sessions, there’s a high standard, and we work very hard.
“Back in the day he was a good player himself, so he really wants to play football.
“There’s a good buzz around the club, and hopefully we can continue that into next week at Kilmarnock.”
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