Emmanuel Longelo has praised Ibrahim Said after the Nigerian striker's double sank HJK Helsinki and set up a Conference League play-off with Freiburg. Longelo says Said has returned a 'different person' and is now showing his qualities on a consistent basis.
Said's double sinks HJK
Said netted twice to secure a 2-0 victory over HJK, following up his winner in the opening-day Premiership win at Hibs. Longelo believes Said is ready to become a key player for Alfred Johansson's side.
Longelo said: "He (Said) has been amazing since the start of pre-season. He has come back a different person. He has always had his qualities, but now we are starting to see it on a consistent basis."
Unbeaten run and cup focus
Motherwell are now six games unbeaten and have not lost under new boss Alfred Johansson. They face Stenhousemuir away in the Premier Sports Cup on Sunday, which is the immediate focus for Longelo and the squad.
Longelo said: "The mood was absolutely good. We enjoyed it. The crowd was amazing. It was a great game to play in and enjoy as well."
Freiburg test ahead
Motherwell will face Freiburg at home in the first leg of the play-off, going in as major underdogs against last season's Europa League finalists. Longelo is looking forward to the challenge and extending their unbeaten run.
Longelo said: "It will be a good test to see where we are against a team of such high calibre. I am pretty sure we will be ready for it."
Johansson on fixture congestion
Manager Alfred Johansson acknowledged the difficulty of congested fixtures, saying the extra day between games helps rest players. He admitted Motherwell were not at their best against Falkirk but saw improvement against HJK.
He said: "We will not be at our best in every game. We weren't at our best at the Falkirk game, even if the effort was so high."
