Rangers (H) Sunday 21st August

[Andy_P]

Another let-down sadly. Perhaps 3-0 isn't a true reflection of the game but it ended up being very comfortable for Rangers.

 

I thought we were pretty decent in the first half and were unlucky to go in behind far less than by two goals. Our old achilles heel came back to haunt us with their opener but there was no disputing the quality of monkey-boy's finish for the second.

 

In between that ofcourse came Murphy's disallowed goal which came after a good sustained spell of Motherwell pressure. Couldn't see anything at the time through the ruck of players other than the ball going in the net. Immediately after in the confusion there were conflicting reports flying around that it had been handball but was by a Rangers player and handball but wasn't actually a handball.

 

Having had a look at it on TV now it does seem to have struck Murphy's arms but it seems very harsh. He seems not even to have been aware that it hit his arm far less having made any attempt to control it with his arm. It's all the more frustrating given we didn't the earlier appeal for something very similar, though granted Thomson's positioning was the best for that one.

 

The second half was unfortunately pretty flat. The Brazilian sent me a HT text saying unless we got an early goal they would just sit back and pick us off and so it eventually proved, even if it took until five minutes to go for them to do it.

 

As ever with any defeat things that might get be passed over when you win, get greater scrutiny so I expect to read questions asked about the decision to retain Humphrey over Forbes and once more the lack of movement on the bench when it was clear some players were done.

 

I'm pleased we have, what should be a winnable game during the week, before we go into what will be a very testing match next weekend in Dunfermline.

[Haggischomper]

While we fucked about with endless foreplay that went nowhere.

Dewell might say that having Higdon in the team is playing with a big stiffy

[Well 4 Europe]

All been said, should have played Forbes, too open, ripped to shreds on the counter.

 

Humphrey abuse is harsh IMO. He beat his man and put in more crosses than anyone else(his usual mixed bag of results) linked up well with Hateley and done alot of work which is more than can be said for Murphy. Vast improvement on last week.

 

Higdon well he's not John Sutton so I don't know why we keep using him in the same way. I actually felt a bit sorry for him as he was isolated with no support. I still think he will be a very good player for us but he definitely plays better when Murphy or Law is closer to him and doesn't play the lone striker role as well as Sutton, however I won't be as quick to jump on his back as a few seem to have done already.

 

Murphy was poor again, not in his best position but he seems to lack belief that he's good enough to take these guys on. He's got the ability no doubt but he needs an injection of arrogance or bravado or whatever you want to call it that McFadden and Goodwillie and the likes seems to have.

 

Big Hutch again showed he has along way to go to be the player some on here think he will be. The amount of times he lost Jelavic at set pieces was unreal and led to the first goal. He was left exposed towards the end but he needs to stop letting Jelavic bully him!! Then again he is young and hasn't even played 40 games for us yet so maybe he's just young and still learning. Another one with alot of potential.

 

The rest well... weren't great with Hammell probably the pick of he bunch. Randy was solid enough but maybe a bit suspect at the second?

 

Anyway we move on, a trip to Clyde in midweek and Dunfermline on Saturday, few places we haven't been for a while, I'm looking forward to it.

[el-pidge]

Can't agree with much of that to be honest... didn't see anything that resembled a penalty for us, three-nil didn't flatter them at all because they looked far more likely to score than we did every time they went forward, and I lost count of the number of even our tippy tappy passes that were intercepted or otherwise poor.

 

Bring on Clyde!

 

No.

 

Our tippy tappy deteriorated as the game went on and heads went down. First half we were knocking it about perfectly. Of course they looked more likely to score... they HAVE creative flair.

 

Penalty from a blatant hand ball, don't try and tell me that was ball to hand. He controlled it with his arm.

 

Maybe 3 nil didnt flatter them in the sense that they scored on the break and played to do that. My point really was that we dominated the play from start to finish and it was ONLY our inability to penetrate that meant they COULD pick us off the way they did. Again, IF we had more creative flair, Rangers would have struggled... cause they were pish.

[underboyleheating]

Rangers would have struggled... cause they were pish.

As Malmo and now Maribor showed us europe they are indeed pish. Unfortunately this pish was still good enough to beat us by 3 goals.

 

 

[Welldaft Mk1]

As most have stated 2nd top after 5 games - I would have bitten your hand off for that.

 

Still very annoying that we are so ineffectual against the currant buns.

 

First half I thought we played very Well, looked the better team, but yet again came undone from our ability to self destruct and not defend set balls into our box. Once they scored the 1st goal - they were always going to sit back and hit us on the break. That added to the fact they have decent finishers leads to a 3-0 scoreline.

 

2nd half was almost the opposite of the 1st. We were very poor and looked as if we lacked the belief and know how to get back into the game. Very few pass marks for the 2nd half and Humphrey needs a rocket up his ar#e, far too casual with his passes.

 

Murphy will be going no-where on the basis of that performance. In some ways that is maybe not bad news, but again he was very quiet today.

 

One player I do want to single out for praise is Higdon. A lot of criticism on here that i don't think is warranted. Granted he did not score again today, but almost without fail he won his headers and more often than not laid the ball on for where our players should have been, inc a belter in the 2nd half when i was sure Las was going to score.

 

What we need is a penalty box striker in the mould of Skippy and he would make a great combination for Higdon. Murphy is not that player. We have no-one up front to get on the end of his knock downs. Hardly his fault. Give the big guy a break.

[el-pidge]

I'm actually in a state of shock that the BBC has us on 45% possession.

 

Did I have the blinkers on today or is that right????!

[TigerWoodsMFC]

Rangers 2nd goal killed us, and I felt at times we were scared to shot. But we're still 2nd after 5 games so we can't really complain.

[Steve Diggle]

Thought their was a really depressing lack of belief in the 2nd half. Thats probably the most constructive way to convey my thoughts on the playing front.

 

I think we, like so many times before blew it tactically an from a management side of things.

 

I have no idea how or where Murphy was asked to play today. Absolutely stumped.

 

Also, I'd go back to the point I made through the week - if we bring someone into the team in previous weeks and that player has played well then I think in football terms its good practice to accommodate that player in the next game.

 

That, and not using any substitutes when there are some very poor performances on show sends a wrong message to both the unused subs and the players who aren't performing. This side of McCall's managerial style will end up breaking the confidence of fringe players and tells players who aren't performing not to worry as their position is bullet proof.

 

We should have been all over them like a rash today. Instead we were unstructured, gung-ho and overall 'daft boyish'. Made a shite team look good.

 

Supporters are singling one or two of the usual suspects for criticism. I witnessed one or two of the golden boys having absolute shockers.

 

Time to learn and move on.

 

For fuck sake Stuart, learn from yet another naive display against Rangers.

[Lobey_Dosser]

It would appear that regardless of who lines up in a Rangers shirt, we will continue to roll over. Proper pissed off with the lack of belief and desire when it comes to playing the Old Firm, particularly when you hear a poor St Johnstone have won at Parkhead.

 

I like McCall a lot but today highlighted how tactically naive he can be. Why was Forbes not playing in a tight midfield 3? Why were the full-backs bombing forward against a team that scored 20+ goals against us last season? Craigan and Hutchinson were left hopelessly exposed every time Rangers broke on the counter attack.

 

We played well for 20 mins or so after the opener but we lacked any genuine threat. In truth we played into Rangers hands and the game was over by HT.

 

In terms of individual performances, Murphy has barely kicked a ball since the ICT game, his touch appears to have deserted him. Jennings still looks off the pace.The main concern though is Higdon. While I think he will come good and chip in with a fair few goals we desperately need an alternative centre forward that will lead from the front, link up the play and offer a wee bit of intelligence off the ball. Today we had no focal point to our attack and allowed two rookie defenders to stroll through the match.

[Orinoco]

Not suprised by todays scoreline. The bottom line like every other season, is although the old firms standards have dropped they still can afford to purchase strikers who can put the ball in the net. Workrate and tactics help of course to beat them, but LUCK is the key. Had Murphy's goal stood, then like many games before it's a different game. One of these days when we least expect it we will get the luck needed.

 

It's obvious that McCall does not think that outwith Forbes anyone else on the bench is ready for the first team. Players need to be brought in, and pronto. We need a striker, sod this wide player malarky, get a central striker or two in.

 

Next few games will tell us alot about our teams character.

[underboyleheating]

For fuck sake Stuart, learn from yet another naive display against Rangers.

He wont learn and neither will the players. Future managers will just need to accept that we always get beat by Glasgow Rangers. It appears to be all part of being manager of Motherwell Football Club.

 

 

 

[Yir Elder]

Very disappointing once again facing that mob. They seem to have the measure of us every time we face them. It is laudible that we tred to impose our passing game on them, but I'm sure we'd all have settled for a more pragmatic approach if it brought a better result. Horses for courses and all that.

 

We gave them too much room at times, but in fairness guys like Davis and Jelavic are absolute class, and they did counter attack with pass and precision. However as others have said, perhaps we did leave ourslves exposed by pushing our full backs too high up the field.

 

The stick for Higdon is, in my view, over the top. He was isolated for large sections today, although he did battle well and won plenty ball. In his four games he's hardly been given a decent chance to score. As soon as that changes he'll score a few and set up even more, I feel sure of it. Regarding Hump, yes he didn't do too much going forward, but he does at least work for the team defensively, always tracking back with his man.

 

Perhaps the main problem is the lack of experienced options on the bench, which is something we sorely need to address. Mind you, would it have hurt to throw on Lawless and McHugh with fifteen minutes to go? These lads must be wondering if McCall rates them. I expect to see a few of them feature at Clyde on Wednesday though.

 

All in all, we're sitting joint top after five games having lost only once. The big picture aint too bad I suppose.

[Bop]

The "anti sectarian unit" of the police truly are embarrassing. I'm not even exaggerating when I say that the one person they lifted today was a 9 year old boy. Literally arresting a wee boy for holding up a tiny flag that said "We'v got the Law and he hates h**s".

[john_M_F_C]

The "anti sectarian unit" of the police truly are embarrassing. I'm not even exaggerating when I say that the one person they lifted today was a 9 year old boy. Literally arresting a wee boy for holding up a tiny flag that said "We'v got the Law and he hates h**s".

 

aye that was a fucking joke. Absolute terrible policing too. Four polis to lift a wee boy then march him past the away support. Shouldn't have been getting lifted for that anyway.

[gordy]

Once again we lose to this shite, with no fight.

 

We played the same way in THAT CUP FINAL against the other ugly sister.

 

When is the manager going to learn that we need some fight and belief in our team when we play the gruesome twosome?

 

We had width today with no penetration, they picked us off at will on the break.

 

Surely the boss could have seen that Humphrey was innefectual, Murphy was not doing it and there was no confidence at all in the team.

 

I don't know whether the players were told not to take a man on or not to shoot but that's what it looked like.

 

I am totally pissed off at our performances against the bigot brothers and am seriously considering whether to boycott these games unless we start to get fucked into this shite.

 

We need to play these bastards 4 times a year and the sisters another 4 times, that is 24 points a season that we sinply roll over and allow the scum to take from us.

 

For fucks sake McCall grow a set of balls and get fucked into the Old Firm, the referees are not, ever, going to give us anything so we might as well go down fighting.

 

Not lying down and getting humped like the pussies we were today.

 

I was embarrassed to be a Motherwell fan today.

[Lobey_Dosser]

Once again we lose to this shite, with no fight.

 

We played the same way in THAT CUP FINAL against the other ugly sister.

 

When is the manager going to learn that we need some fight and belief in our team when we play the gruesome twosome?

 

We had width today with no penetration, they picked us off at will on the break.

 

Surely the boss could have seen that Humphrey was innefectual, Murphy was not doing it and there was no confidence at all in the team.

 

I don't know whether the players were told not to take a man on or not to shoot but that's what it looked like.

 

I am totally pissed off at our performances against the bigot brothers and am seriously considering whether to boycott these games unless we start to get fucked into this shite.

 

We need to play these bastards 4 times a year and the sisters another 4 times, that is 24 points a season that we sinply roll over and allow the scum to take from us.

 

For fucks sake McCall grow a set of balls and get fucked into the Old Firm, the referees are not, ever, going to give us anything so we might as well go down fighting.

 

Not lying down and getting humped like the pussies we were today.

 

I was embarrassed to be a Motherwell fan today.

 

Don't worry about it too much, according to McCall we won't be judged on performances against the Old Firm.

[gordy]

Don't worry about it too much, according to McCall we won't be judged on performances against the Old Firm.

 

 

Great, I'll just ask for my money back for the Old Firm games from my season ticket then.

[Finlay]

Second top of the table after five games. Aye, I'd take it. We lost to a better team today. Much as I hate to say it but it's true. Time to forget it and get on with things.

 

.....and that is pretty much correct. If we had been offered this position when the fixtures were released in June we would, to a man, have snapped it up in a second.

 

Another heavy(ish) defeat to the blue half today right enough and that is becoming waaaaaaaay to familiar. I came out of the ground with a bit of a sense of relief that it was only 3-0 and to be honest THAT is totally unacceptable. Even if we were getting regularly beaten 1-0 and 2-0 there comes a point when you expect to win one back. 35 games over a nine year period in all domestic competitions is a rank rotten run. If, the biggest word in the Oxford English dictionary, JOB had converted that penalty nearly two years ago then these conversations wouldn't even be happening. It will take quite a bit of time until we get as good a chance as a shot from the penalty spot, with five minutes to go, against 10 men, to win a game against Rangers.

 

Sadly, we look to take a right battering in the goal difference column every time we come up against them. When you see what St Johnstone did today it makes our record against Rangers even more annoying.

 

I heard shouts from the Cooper (and I'm in the POD) for McCall to make channges. Fair point. To me McCall won't make a change to the starting 11 unless it is forced upon him i.e. injury, suspension, or sending off, during the match. Even exhaustion doesn't warrant a substituion and that worries me quite a bit and sadly speaks volumes about how he views the fringe players.

 

I'm DELIGHTED with where we are at the moment. However, I think we carried more than our fair share of luck against ICT, Hearts, and, St Mirren and been a bit fortunate. Not a popular opinion I'd imagine but there you go. What worries me is our strength in depth. We have lost a LOT of players and signed in the least amount of ANY team in the SPL. Quality over quantity and all that......I'm all for it. However, if we do end of losing Murphy I think we need to bring in a minimum three players before 1st September as the way I see it at times we only have a playable squad of 12 (starting eleven plus Forbes). That can't and won't be sustained over the long haul.

[maxywell]

Our main problem today was our wide backs were playing far too high and giving them easy chances to get balls in behind.Not McCall's best decision and ever more pissed off that he didn't do anything about it in the 2nd half.We passed the ball well but with Higdon up front we were never going to score.Hoped i'd be pleasantly surprised by Higdon but as i thought when we signed him he's shite and Humphrey wasn't far behind.He's 1 of the quickest players around but he's just so ineffective against anyone.Hately and Law were the only positives today.

[mfc]

Don't worry about it too much, according to McCall we won't be judged on performances against the Old Firm.

 

 

poor show fae mccall saying that it hardly sends out the right message to the players

[StipeIsGod]

I'm not saying we lie down to them, clearly, but I can see where ra Shellic's paranoia comes from in terms of Well v Rangers. Why do we never combat them properly, yet we always run the green scum into the ground for 90 mins?

[star sail]

It's another blow to Scottish Football in general. On a European level Rangers are poor and yet they are miles ahead of a team that topped the table at the start of today. The second half was a training routine for Rangers in letting the opposition play about (very slowly) 25yards out then catching them on the break. The result was never in any danger.

 

Also statements from the manager like 'you have to score first against the Old Firm' suggests to me that McCall has no belief in his own players. What happens when we go down 1-0 at Ibrox in the next game? May as well throw in the towel and get an early bath. If the manager has no belief the players will have no belief.

 

As I said earlier in the thread this team will finish a good 20+ points ahead of us this season and yet could be out of Europe before we even get out of August.

[Dee]

The "anti sectarian unit" of the police truly are embarrassing. I'm not even exaggerating when I say that the one person they lifted today was a 9 year old boy. Literally arresting a wee boy for holding up a tiny flag that said "We'v got the Law and he hates h**s".

 

 

http://snspix.com/detail/print/5408594.html

 

Think this pic highlights your point.

[underboyleheating]

Great, I'll just ask for my money back for the Old Firm games from my season ticket then.

He’s just being honest, personally after today I don’t think I will ever witness us beat Rangers ever again. If it was going to happen, today was as good a time as any.

 

It would be a good idea to state it in the terms and conditions of the ticket. Ticket price includes a minimum of four defeats against Glasgow Rangers.