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Daily Record
Sport
Paul Thomson

Motherwell will only get better under Steven Hammell, says Kevin van Veen as he hails risk-taking gaffer

Kevin van Veen insists Motherwell will only get better as the season goes on now they have Steven Hammell in permanent charge of the Steelmen.

The Dutchman was the hero on Saturday when he netted the winner in a 3-2 win over Aberdeen at Pittodrie - scoring for the fifth time in five games against the Dons.

But he believes the credit should lie at the door of the new gaffer and his assistant Brian Kerr, with a more adventurous style of play in comparison to former boss Graham Alexander paying off.

And van Veen is confident the new approach will continue to pay dividends for the Steelmen.

He said: "We are now on the ball instead of setting up more defensive and winning second balls.

“We now want to make the play. You will get caught up at times and there are risks but I like playing like that.

“We showed good penetration and that is what the gaffer wants.

“He wants us to play out and get as many touches. He wants quick football and it is working.

“The more time the manager gets, the better we will be.

“There is a fresh wind and all the boys are very positive about the manager.

“We need to help him with performances like this.

“The performance against St Johnstone [a 2-1 defeat], myself included, didn’t help him at all.

"We underperformed and the late goal against us should never have happened.

“The manager was very proud of the way we played away from home, as he said in the dressing room.

“There is a lot of positivity. The gaffer is very good with player-management and saying what he wants.

"You saw how we caught Aberdeen out so many times and we could have made it a lot easier for ourselves.

“Credit to the manager and the assistant for setting us up for the three points.”

Motherwell's players celebrate Kevin van Veen's winner at Aberdeen (SNS Group)

The former Scunthrope striker's goal in the Granite City was just his second of the season, keeping his cool in the searing Pittodrie heat to nod the ball into the net after Blair Spittal's strike had cannoned back off the crossbar.

But he has told the Fir Park faithful there will be more to come this term.

The 31-year-old, who was the club's top scorer last season with 11 goals, added: “I came into this game as I do every game – wanting to do well. I need to up my game, even this one.

“I was good in certain ways but I am still a bit off the pace in certain ways. I need to push myself to reach my potential.

“There is a lot more in me and I need to improve from last season.

“I have to give more and do more to cause havoc up top because that is what I want to do. You have to be there at the right times and I was there with the header.

“[After that]I had a chance, Ross Tierney and Bevis Mugabi had a chance – that could have easily been five or 6-2.

“But it’s three points and happy days.

"It shows I like playing against them and that is five goals in five games against them. It is really good.”

Follow Lanarkshire Live Sport on Twitter via @LanLiveSport, like us on Facebook or find us on Instagram for the latest sports news, pictures and video.

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