Fears that top trio will leave Fir Park

Apr 29 2009 by Andrew Weston, Wishaw Press

Top trio to leave Fir Park at end of season?

MOTHERWELL boss Mark McGhee will demand “definitive answers” when he holds crunch talks with his out-of-contract players this week.

Stephen Hughes, Maros Klimpl and Graeme Smith are all free to leave the club in the summer and McGhee has already stated that he feels goalkeeper Smith will leave for pastures new at the end of the season.

All three players have been central to Motherwell’s revival since Christmas that saw them narrowly miss out in a place in the top six.

And last week it was rumoured that midfielder Hughes could be in line for a shock return to former club Rangers.

McGhee has already met with chairman John Boyle regarding next season’s budget and is looking to get one step ahead of his SPL rivals given the fact his side are well clear of the relegation zone and have little to play for.

“When we went 2-0 down to St Mirren I started planning for next season,” McGhee told the Wishaw Press this week.

“I put out a case to the players immediately that I will be judging them for next season based on now and the end of this season and I don’t expect any slack off.”

He continued: “We have had a brilliant run since Christmas, 21 points from 15 games and I would like to make it another five wins if possible although I know that is going to be difficult.”

Regarding The Steelmen’s out-of-contract players, a bullish McGhee added: “One of the things I have said to them is that I want definitive answers soon regarding who is staying and who is going.

“And that is something we will talk to them about over the next week or so.”

Despite having suffered the disappointment of missing out on a top six berth in the last weekend before the split, the former Aberdeen and Celtic forward is determined to prove that his side belong in the upper reaches of Scotland’s top division.

He said: “I look at it and say we should really be trying to prove and continue to prove that we are good enough to be in the top six by making sure we are the dominant team in the last section with these five games.”

Motherwell travel to Falkirk this weekend, a side four points adrift at the foot of the table but boosted by their win over Dunfermline on Sunday that earned a date with Rangers in the Scottish Cup final at the end of the month.

And McGhee is determined to approach the match in the correct manner saying: “We want to win the game and I want to show people we want to win the game by going in with the right attitude and mentality.

“We must approach the game in a professional way.

“The other teams will expect that.”