Peter Leven spoke to the media on Friday morning to preview our cinch Premiership match with Motherwell at Pittodrie. RedTV subscribers can watch in full through the video above.
“Team news everyone is fit and healthy so there are no problems there. A few of the boys Bojan, Nicky and Connor went down with cramp last weekend, we have played 50 odd games this season so it was just fatigue. Graeme Shinnie is suspended as well for tomorrow.
“The players have been great since I have been in. You can see the levels that you can get to against a good side. It is five huge games coming up and we have to take advantage with the first two being at home. It’s important that we keep those levels from last Saturday. There is still plenty of work to do. Everyone is down there fighting for their lives.
“We are just looking at ourselves. The most important thing is that we get three points. Motherwell are a good team, they carry a lot of threats so we need to be at our game. They are a good team with good players, Bair up top and Spittal, they have got players who can hurt us. Over the course of the season we have done okay against them so I hope that continues.
“I have not had much contact with Jimmy Thelin this week. There was a brief text message after the game on Saturday saying well done on the performance and unlucky with the result.
“I think that’s just speculation. Listen, I am committed here, I have loved it here and I am happy to be part of it for next season.
“We’ve done okay. There is obviously room for improvement and I’ll always work on that. I am happy here, it’s a great club and hopefully the next five games can go well.
“The 3-3 game with Motherwell at Pittodrie in February was a crazy game. Credit to the boys for coming back and we had Bojan’s goal chopped off which I thought was debateable at the time. We could have won that. We need to be a lot tighter but they have players who can hurt us so we need to be ready for that.
“It was big effort from everyone on Saturday. The medical team have been fantastic all season. Nobody is out injured and that is a credit to the medical and sport scientist staff as well. They are raring to go, obviously they were disappointed last week but can take a lot of encouragement from it.
“Junior has got quality, you can see why he has played in the English Premier League. Ester Sokler coming on, trains at a top level everyday, delighted he has got his goal and could have scored a couple more. I am delighted with the full squad, all taking part. Killian coming on, Ryan Duncan and Jack Milne, a young player as well doing well at right back. I am pleased with the whole squad and they are all together right now which is pleasing.
“That is up to Jimmy and I will have a chat with him over the next couple of weeks with who he wants to keep and who he wants to replace. For me Junior has been credit to himself, his professionalism, the way he trains everyday and you see his quality at the weekend. Junior is a great player for me.
“We have got to build on the momentum. I think we are on a decent run in the league and obviously we need to take the positives from Saturday and use that. Scoring three goals against Celtic and try to build that momentum into Saturday’s game. I have said to them that we want to finish as high as possible which is seventh. I have set that challenge down to them.
“If you look at the game against Celtic, we were brave on the ball as well. The first goal, which we worked on quite a bit, Jamie pops the ball into the hole and plays it back to Clarky and then we put Bojan in. We work a lot on these combinations. Yes you have got to have that determination and will to win but you have to bring that quality as well on the ball. I think when we are at home and on our day we are a match for anybody.”
