THERE have been signs that Iain Vigurs is not feeling quite himself this season.
Wandering into a chilly press room yesterday while wearing only a T-shirt, shorts and a pair of flip-flops was one of them. The rest have been found in his performances for Motherwell, arriving at the club in the summer though seemingly without the sense of authority which had made him so conspicuous at Ross County last term. Vigurs has started 10 matches this season, has been unable to score in any of them, and will alight at Rugby Park today without much of a track record there either. "I made my first SPL start there for Inverness . . . we lost 4-1," he said.
Vigurs threw the comment out casually but watched to see if it hit the mark. There are often reasons why someone will make a self-deprecating remark and it is usually so that others will not feel inclined to pile on, although the 25-year-old was not looking around for cover. Motherwell are fourth in the SPFL Premiership and could go second with a win over Kilmarnock this afternoon, but Vigurs would prefer that his own form follows a similar trajectory at the same time. The recent international break was spent trying to get a head start.
"I've had a frustrating season," said Vigurs. "I can't really put my finger on it but I know that if I keep working hard then it will come. That's what happened up at Ross County - the first season or two I did well, but I was all right. It was not until the third or fourth season up there that I started to play the way that I know I can. I think it will come. I want it to come quickly. Against Kilmarnock."
The Ayrshire side have a player who was given a glimpse at his past form - Kris Boyd having returned from a Scotland squad for the first time in three years. He might have come off the plane carrying a knock had Stuart McCall had his way.
"I was trying to give him sprints from 18 yard box to 18 yard box after the Norway game to tire him out," smiled the Motherwell manager, who doubles as a Scotland coach. "I wanted Gordon [Strachan] to throw him on for 10 minutes so he could get kicked. Boydy wasn't having that and he was wrapped up his bubble jacket."
The Kilmarnock striker was quite comfortable too in pushing another past internationalist for a return to the Scotland fold. Stephen McManus, the Motherwell defender, last played for his country when he scored a late winner against Leichtenstein three years ago and Boyd is convinced that he is also capable of breaking into Strachan's plans.
"Stephen been fantastic for them and if you look at the [Norway-Scotland] game the other night, there were not many defenders left. You would not rule a return out," said the forward. "He's worked under Gordon, won trophies with Gordon, played well and has been the captain of his country. I'm sure he will be looking at getting himself back in the set-up."
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