MelvinBragg

For someone who rated Jennings so highly that replacing him was the priority, you do him a disservice. He has very good positional sense (has to with his pace) and he was very good at knowing how to retain possession. Finding someone like that on our budget who hasn't had his head turned by someone offering more money is no easy task..

I'm assuming that he didn't "spunk all the money" on a defender given that we offered Stevenson and McFadden deals. So there are funds available? Would you rather he brought in a centre midfielder for the sake of it? If he couldn't find someone who could contribute who was within our budget, then not much else he can do. Oh wait a minute, he did find someone within our budget, but the player chose to go to Hearts. Again not much he can do there. For the most part, our wage structure dictates we get the players willing to come to the SPL that Hearts, Hibs, Dundee United and Aberdeen don't want. I think McCall's done alright with those constraints...

I can see your thinking there. I'd love us to be able to do both frankly. Compete against Rangers and Celtic when we play them and beat the rest. The two shouldn't be mutually exclusive. Reason I asked the question was that I think that's the real reason for our frustration. Teams like Dundee United, Kilmarnock and St Johnstone finish below us and, logic would state, we're better than them. Yet they somehow know how to play against the Old Firm. Personally, I'd take a season of finishing eighth and a couple of magical cup nights and beating Celtic at least once. I don't want to be sitting in ten years time and the last truly great night the Well having given me still being the CIS Cup semi in 2005. There have been great games and great moments since then (2-2 vs Hearts in the cup, Jutkiewicz's last minute belter against Hibs spring to mind) but in terms of games that will live long in the memory like boxing day 2002, it's been too long. That's what I as a fan wait for, that's why we put up with the innumerable terrible games against St Mirren. They're the dues we pay so we can go absolutely tonto when Fitzpatrick scores a last minute winner at Easter Road or when Bobby Russell slaloms through a Rangers or Celtic defence. Finishing third is great but doesn't bring you the pure unadulterated joy that these moments do (with Fitzpatrick's goal and the last day of the season against Celtic, I'm sure I lost three minutes of my life in 2005). But like I say, I understand the opposite argument. I just go the football to experience the extreme emotions, and we haven't had enough of extreme joy for some time...

Right, here goes... Firstly, the mitigating factors. There was a huge amount of pressure on us last night. Almost every other SPL fan would have been desperate for us to win to put "them" in their place (I say almost, I suspect some Celtic fans would have been cheering them on hoping for an Old Firm game in later rounds). An unusual postion for our players to be in. I suspect more neutral fans wanted us to win last night than when we played in Europe representing Scotland. Some of this will have filtered through to the players. The expectation level was only increased by the fact we're top of nthe league at the minute. It wasn't just "SPL Motherwell against third division Rangers", it was "top of the SPL Motherwell against third division Rangers". None of our players are frankly used to that level of expectation or pressure. The other teams that have faced Rangers this season have been able to go in free from expectation or pressure. None of our guys have played at a level/club where they have had that level of nexpectation before. Did some of them freeze? Or were some of them looking at Rangers results and thinking that we only had to turn up to win? Before criticising McCall's pre-match comments, I'd wonder if it was the case and he was trying to focus the players minds. Add in the fact it was Rangers biggest game of the season (at least until the next round) and the fact the pressure was totally off them (McCoist has been banging the drum about how they've lost so many millions worth of talent long enough that some of the media are buyng it) and it explains a bit whey they started like they'd been drinking red bull and we started like we'd be drinking red wine. Our horrendous record against Rangers is a factor. You can argue that only Hammell, Lasley, Murphy and Hateley have been around for much of that time but you can be sure it is something everyone at the club is aware of. It gets brought up on here every time we play them so you be sure they know about it (and you can be sure that McCoist made his players only too aware of it as well). It must take a psychological toll. You can argue that it should make players even more determined to set it right but if you fail at something often enough, every time you try there must a small voice in the back of your head telling you "you can't do this". You look back to Jim O'Brien's penalty or Ross Forbes being wrongly flagged offside and you start to wonder. Was the third round in 91 not the first time we had won at Pittodrie is something like 40 years? Sometimes these runs just happen. Ok, that's it for mitigation... Truly dreadful performance, Wouldn't have been the lineup I'd have gone with. Kerr has looked decent since coming into the team but the last couple of games his form has shaded a touch, coincidentally at the same time as Humphrey's. I'd have paired up Hateley with Humphrey not so much to keep Hateley out of midfield (that would have been a bonus, perhaps) but to offer reassurance to Humphrey that someone he has played in front of for over a hundred games is behind him and he would know what to expect in terms of Hateley's use of the ball, positioning and general play. I would have played Law in the middle and Murphy out left as a signal of our intent to go for it. Might have given the right side of a back four that has looked ropey on occasions something to think about, rather than Law drifting inside into traffic. I'd also have played McHugh instead of Ojamaa. This Rangers team has struggled to keep clean sheets against lower league teams. Do these teams play with a striker dropping deep with almost a free role? No, they concentrate on getting balls into the box and getting bodies in there to get on the end of it. I'd have played Higdon and McHugh and told them not to move any wider than the edges of the penalty box. Exert the maximum pressure on a back four that must have its weaknesses. Would this team lineup have made a difference? Maybe not if the individuals performed as they did last night but it might have caused them at least a few problems. Could single out individuals buit what's the point, no one played to the level they can do. Quicker to mention guys who did a decent job. Randolph couldn't do much at either goal and Higdon tried manfully with the service he got. Actually thought Hateley had a decent first half in midfield, but reckon we needed him more at right back. Rangers started on the front foot. It felt almost like playing against Celtic in the 90s, they would come out to try and blow you off the park in the first ten minutes but if you rode it out, then you could get yourself into the game. That Celtic team were very much like a heavyweight boxer that if he didn't knock you on yoiur arse on the first round, he started to panic. Difference last night was that we panicked and Rangers didn't. Watching the game, I really do think that some of our players thought it would be easy and the start unnerved them and they never recovered. If you look back at our previous wins over Rangers and Celtic, we had guys who seemed impervious to pressure in the big games, guys like Nijholt, McFadden and Coyle or guys who'd been around the block and seen it all before, people like Cooper, Russell, Coyne and Krivokapic. Sadly it's very difficult to change someone's personality or give them the experience of playing for a massive club where there is pressure. So we're left with the trying to instill belief in a group of players who seem somewhat timid when it comes to these games. Truly gutted today, if not surprised. Gloating Rangers' fans? We just need to take it on the chin. Not much we can say to defend our team today. A lot of us have enjoyed laughing at their expense over the summer and the last few weeks (and I'm sure we will again). If we dish it out, we need to take it...

Francis-Angol for giving me the only laugh of a miserable night. Only because I can't vote for McCulloch for his three points comment...

It's an interesting question. Finish eighth (or thereabouts) as St Johnstone are likely to do but have a win against Celtic or finish higher up the table by being more consistent against the other sides? Obviously in terms of measuring success, financial and sporting, the second option would be the way to go. But as fans, we don't tend to sit around waxing lyrical about the season we went unbeaten against St Johnstone or Inverness. What really sticks in our memories are the victories against the odds. Which tends to mean against the old firm. Great memories is what we as fans want. To be able to look back and say "D'you remember the night...?" Would I swap a third place finish for a couple of nights like we had in Butcher's first season (6-1 vs Hearts, beating Rangers) and an eighth placed finish? I probably would. But I'm a fan, not the guy balancing the books...

Is that racism or just ignorance?

Anyone who didn't see this coming was kidding themselves on. Can't blame McCall if the players don't turn up..

That thought did strike me. A sign of how good the last few seasons have been is the fact that we consider the likes of Kilmarnock and St Mirren as weaker teams than us. Teams frankly that are a similar size to ourselves. Losing a two goal lead with ten minutes to go obviously isn't ideal but looking at it after the fact, if there's not a lot between most of the SPL, a draw probably is a better result for the away team..

Ojamaa in for Murphy is the only change apparently...

I tend to agree with that but you do know if we win, it'll be a case of "Well, Motherwell should beat them" in the media. And if we lose, it'll be the biggest shock of all time. Don't mind admitting that I'm dreading next Wednesday...

Cup game shouldn't be the priority as such but that's the one I want us to win the most of the three. Not because of who it is but because cups offer our best chance of glory. I mean real trophy winning glory not the glamour of playing in Europe. Fact that the club has said that they made more from getting to the Cup Final than finishing third should also point us in that direction...

Michael Higdon. 6 games, 6 goals. Not a bad start to the season..

I'd have put McHugh on as we're putting ball in the box and he's more likely to find himself in there than Ojamaa...

Don't know about that. We seem to be second to the ball in midfield. Would rip yer arm for a draw right now...

Pretty poor to be honest. But Dundee aren't up to much so at 1-0, we still have a chance...

Unless Hibs win and we don't...

I don't imagine he'll sign but I'd certainly award McFadden legend status. Anyone who, as a teenager, has the hopes of a club put upon his shoulders and doesn't wilt under the pressure deserves it. Because let's be honest. In that first post administration season, everyone was looking to him to get us out of trouble. Which he eventually did by virtue of his transfer fee. After that season, McFadden or Butcher could wipe their arse with a Motherwell shirt in the centre circle of Fir Park and I still wouldn't boo them...

Tend to agree with Jay on this one, unless James McFadden has turned into a tough tackling midfielder, then we don't ned to sign him. As I said around the transfer deadline, I'm glad we didn't bring someone in for the sake of having another body. Money is tigh so let's not waste a wage on someone who won't improve the team. Could Mark Kerr have done a job? Possibly. Better than Carswell or Hetherington? Possibly, given his experience, he'd have performed on a more consistent level than them this season. But if these two young guys can come in and play a fair few games and we can survive this season, the long term benefits will outweigh the points having the likes of Mark Kerr in the squad would have won us this season...

What, you're not looking forward to being 2-0 down and hearing the home fans singing "SPL, you're having a laugh!"?

Haven't been to Ibrox since September 2001 when I was nearly thrown out before kick off for complaining about the fact that some scrote in the home end was waving a red hand of Ulster flag at us during the minute's silence for the victims of the September 11th attacks. Never been angrier than I was that day and frankly for my own health and sanity, it's probably best I don't go back there..

Players I have heard of who play for Rangers Alexander Wallace Black Templeton McCulloch Shiels Sandaza Kyle Little Don't know what the foreign guys at the back are like but definitely suggests they're stronger going forward than they are at the back...

Top scored in the first division? Two words. Richard Offiong...

Would this be the same Michael Higdon who scored against both Celtic and Hearts last season? And in more than one game against Dundee United? And a hattrick against Hibs?

Try telling that to the guy behind me at full time going on about how Humphrey wasn't good enough.. Don't think the East Stand linesman did him many favours but he kept plugging away. Certainly looked up for it today.. On a more general note, really good result today. Given the back four we had and ICT have been scoring plenty then it's a real achievement. I suspect that McCall played Law wide to offer Angol some protection today and Hateley was selected in midfield ahead of Carswell or Hetherington so that we had an experienced midfield in front of an inexperienced back four. It's a call he got right. Oh, and Higdon and McHugh look like the only true strike partnership we have. Murphy and Ojaama combine well with Higdon sometimes but today you saw the benefit of someone playing closer to him. Good day at the office...