St Johnstone Manager Simo Valakari Reflects on Motherwell Loss

St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari provided his post-match comments after the team’s 2-1 defeat against Motherwell. He expressed strong disapproval of the first-half performance, stating: “First half was not close to where we need to be. We cannot be this soft. To go two goals down away at Motherwell, a strong defensive side who can hit you in the transitions, we put ourselves in a very difficult situation.” Valakari then described his half-time address to the squad, emphasizing the critical nature of the subsequent period: “At half time I said to the boys it would be the most crucial 45 minutes in our time together because these 45 minutes will tell what kind of team we are and want to be.” He challenged the players, offering them a clear choice: “Either we can go down, give up, or show something.” The manager acknowledged the team’s improved effort in the second half, noting: “I think in the second half they put their heart and soul on the pitch to try to get something out of it.” Nevertheless, he concluded that the initial performance had placed them in an insurmountable position: “But in the first half we put ourselves in too difficult a position.”