Hertha Berlin clash will get Motherwell ready for Rangers, says boss
Motherwell boss Jens Berthel Askou reckons Friday's friendly against German giants Hertha Berlin will set his side up for their Premiership opener against Rangers – because they're a similar standard.
The 2 Bundesliga side arrive at Fir Park in the final warm-up match before Russell Martin brings his new-look Rangers side to ML1 on August 2.
Having qualified for the Premier Sports Cup last 16 with a 3-0 win over Morton on Tuesday, Askou says he has been using the competition's group stages as preparation, getting as many players as possible used to playing 90 minutes, and giving his squad a chance to impress him.
Askou has made several changes from game to game in the League Cup, and said: 'We are rotating and mixing up as we need to, right now, while we're playing twice a week in pre-season. We're trying to get people ready to play 90 minutes.
'We have a big game for us against a very good opponent, that will match us like some of the level that we're going to face against Rangers in the first league game, so we need to get people through that in a good way, both physically and finding a high level of performance.
'I want to see everyone and give them an opportunity to show themselves.'
Askou is pleased to have progressed to the next stage of the competition.
Apostolos Stamatelopoulos opened the scoring in 52 minutes, bundling home the rebound after James Storer had parried Johnny Koutroumbis' volley, before Tawanda Maswanhise netted a double, the second a tup-corner curler from 25 yards out.
Askou said: 'I'm pleased. Result-wise that was the goal. There will be more important goals for us this pre-season.
'Getting as far as possible in the League Cup is important, but we want to see if we can balance that out with progressing, improving and building the squad, and getting through the pre-season without big injuries. I think we've done that.
'We're pleased to finish it off strong, with the strongest performance in the group stage.
'I think Tawanda has the potential to be a very important player for us and we try to create an environment where everyone can express themselves.
'He has looked better and better, there was room for him to exploit, it suits him very well. He took advantage of that today and I expect him to do that, going forward.
'Apostolos's first goal in seven months, and I don't care and I don't think he cares how it came.
'I've told him, and he had several situations in the first games here, it started against Twente when he was a foot off scoring, but he was there today and put it the last few inches over the line, which is what we need.'
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