Motherwell: Mark Wilson labels Fir Park side as relegation favourites

Manager Ian Baraclough (right) has so far failed to reverse Motherwell's fortunes.

Ex-Dundee United defender Mark Wilson reckons Motherwell players fear they are short of attacking options to beat relegation.

Manager Ian Baraclough brought in George Long, Conor Grant, Marvin Johnson and Nathan Thomas on transfer deadline day.

However Wilson feels the Fir Park side are favourites to be relegated.

"With a manager who's not used to the league and not used to being down there, you fear for them," said Wilson.

Motherwell are 29 points worse off than they were at this stage last season and find themselves level at the bottom of the table with Ross County and St Mirren.

Speaking on BBC Scotland's Sportsound programme, Wilson said: "I know a few players from Motherwell, I was speaking to one or two.

"They're leaking a lot of goals, they're not scoring a lot, they're not creating a lot.

"Some of the guys I was speaking to were quite surprised that they didn't sign someone that could go and perhaps create or score goals for them because they're really struggling.

"You would put Motherwell favourites, purely because they've not been there. They're used to challenging for the league and that brings confidence.

Mark Wilson had spells with Dundee United, Celtic and Bristol City before signing for Dumbarton.

"When you're up at the top of the league winning, everything's fine. Down at the bottom of the league it's a totally different pressure, there's so much riding on relegation these days for players.

"If you get relegated now, a lot of contracts get halved or your deal gets cut short. There's pressure for players in terms of family life, and some players can't handle it.

"It's only when it gets to February going into March that you think 'We're adrift here'. It's only then that it clicks. You don't think about it from June to January because you're thinking of bigger things."

Now at Dumbarton, Wilson was part of the Dundee United team that faced the drop in 2004/05, but suffered just one defeat in their last seven games to eventually save themselves from relegation.

"I was the same at Dundee United, that went to the last day at Inverness and we had to win," he said. "Barry Robson scored a penalty and we won 1-0 and stayed up, but it was just ultimate pressure."