Johansson on statement signing Hodge, HJK and 'playing our way'

[SNS] Manager Alfred Johansson has been speaking to the media before Motherwell face HJK in the second leg of their Conference League third-round qualifier. Here are the key lines: Johansson is "absolutely buzzing" to bring "very exciting" midfielder Joe Hodge to the club. The manager says he is "mainly a number six in our system" but can also have a "more box-to-box" role. The Swedish coach says the Republic of Ireland international possesses the "vision, quality on the ball and mobility" to play at the base of his side's midfield. Despite bringing in large transfer fees over the course of the past year, Johansson says Motherwell are "still going to be strategic" with incomings but agrees that Hodge's arrival signals real ambition by the club, given the pedigree he arrives with. Hodge will not be eligible for Motherwell's match with HJK on Thursday, while left-sided Dylan Williams still faces another "week or two" on the sidelines. Strikers Eythor Bjorgolfsson and Apostolos Stamatelopoulos are back in training but are still doing individual work away from the team. Johansson adds that his players will need a "strong, strong performance" to progress on Thursday following a 1-1 draw last week. The Swede hailed his side's second-half display in Helsinki, saying they were "more fearless, more aggressive and that's us". "We want to excite, we want to play our way," he adds.