'Pessimistic' O'Donnell focused on survival despite Motherwell's lofty position

Stephen O'Donnell insists Motherwell's primary focus this season is to avoid relegation even though they sit fourth in the Scottish Premiership.

Stuart Kettlewell's side have won their last two matches and are eight points ahead of Friday's league opponents Kilmarnock, who sit eighth.

Despite their strong start to the season, defender O'Donnell says they will not be thinking about a top-half league finish until their top-flight status is secure.

"We're sitting in a good position," O'Donnell said. "That's the first thing. We're in a really good position. As always, there's room for improvement.

"And it's always about building new runs. And hopefully on Friday night we can continue and go three on the bounce.

"I'd love to say (fourth place) it's realistic. I'd love to say we should achieve it.

"I think we need to focus on getting to a points total that keeps us safe, keeps us in the league, and from there we then build."

Motherwell were last relegated from Scotland's top flight in the 1983-84 season, and O'Donnell believes pragmatism and not getting carried away is behind that record.

"I think that's how the club has had financial success," the Scotland international continued.

"You start from there and then you can kind of try and kick on. So hopefully that's what we can do.

"We've made a hell of a good start to do that, and the sooner we get to a points tally where we feel safe, then we can maybe look to reassess and kick on from there.

"I'm pessimistic, so we need to make sure that we stay in the league.

"I think that's where Motherwell wants to be, where Motherwell should be.

"If we are fourth it's a hell of a good achievement, or top six, it's a brilliant achievement as well.

"And bottom six is where financially we probably should be. But as a club, we look to overachieve. We look to push ourselves. And that's certainly what we're trying to do."