Motherwell ace's route back to top form outlined as team effort required and style of play emphatically backed

The Zimbabwean international has not fired on all cylinders yet this campaign, after becoming a PFA Scotland Player of the Year nominee last term, off the back of being top scorer at Fir Park. He was a key figure under Jens Berthel Askou in a term where Motherwell finished fourth and the Dane’s managerial successor, Johansson, has no doubts over that version of Maswanhise being unlocked this term. It will take a team effort, however, to get him there.

"The team needs to play better,” said Johansson. “That's the answer. So last season you had, if you just look at statistics, if you go a little bit deeper than only goals and assists, if you look at the players that were producing attacking threat for Motherwell, it was definitely JT, it was definitely Emmanuel Longelo, for instance.

How can Motherwell get the best of Tawanda Maswanhise?

"But it was also players like Elliot Watt, Eli Just and Callum Slattery. These players were contributing heavily to final third entries and to through passes and smart passes and many other attacking threat metrics that we can measure, which will then provide, for instance, JT with situations with much better conditions to score goals. And that was not built last season over the course of a month or two. That was something that was developed throughout the season.

"And after a while, I'm going to use your own words, then it clicked. And then you see the end product by looking at the tally of JT. But JT himself cannot score goals for Motherwell. So JT, we have to analyse him within the context of 11v11, within the team. And if we can play a better build-up, if we can be better when we turn between lines and accelerate, the game with runs and passes with fluidity, if we can have a better offensive structure in the opponent's box when we finish the attacks, if we can press better, if we can defend long balls better, then JT will score more goals."

A three-week international break will ensue after Saturday’s Premiership match with Dundee at Dens Park. Motherwell have had a hectic opening gambit to begin this season amid Conference League qualifiers that ended in play-off defeat to current Bundesliga leaders Freiburg, but have won once in seven games, losing 4-0 at home against Aberdeen midweek. Johansson has continued the possession-orientated style of play from last season and insists maintaining it will unlock long-term results.

"My job when it comes to development and performing is to focus on the here and now, to help the players in their next training session and next game,” he added. "But I also have a responsibility to not get affected by the results of any one game. I have to zoom out and understand this is a project that needs time to develop.

What is Motherwell’s latest squad news?

"People can hate to hear that word, time. They might just want to win, and that's what we want as well. But how do you win games? Is it just random? No, it's not. You need to follow your strategy and in football the strategy is the style of play. You need to follow that and become really good at your strategy, so you can execute it with bravery and confidence on matchdays.

"You will hit bumps in the road, but that's not a problem. The problem will be if you can't cope with that. But I'm not afraid of that in this group. I love this group of players, who have a lot of untapped potential. We'll try our best to make sure our performance on Saturday is on a higher level."

There are no squad changes anticipated for the game against Dundee, with absentees like Callum Hendry, Paul McGinn and Oscar Priestman progressing in their bid for a return to training, while attacker Regan Charles-Cook is being managed in terms of workload. There had been online speculation over a groin injury.

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