Season 2020’21: Game 16: Rangers (A)

[Andy_P]

Better outcome than I expected. Better performance than I expected. But way more frustrated than I expected to feel too.

Perfect start with the early goal and for what, the first hour, it was pretty routine stuff for Archer to deal with. 

Tiredness was beginning to show but the temptation to simply hold on proved to be too tempting.  We were already struggling to get up the park by that stage to take yet another option out of the equation just made the one way traffic incessant.  The choice of replacement for Watt was definitely wrong.  Cole, who has already scored at Ibrox or even Seedorf to take advantage of his pace seemed much more obvious choices.

Two opportunities to make proper clearances with Grimshaw initially and then Archer's weak clearance (some of his distribution incidentally was miles out) and a break of the ball later that was it.  I suspect many would have felt at that point the game was up.  Disappointing to concede the second from a corner when we had so many bodies in there defending and the third had that feeling of being academic.

I take some encouragement from the way they went about their business today.  Effort couldn't be faulted.  Bodies were put on the line to block shots and crosses  but we ran out of steam, made poor choices I think with the changes, ran out of luck and here we are regretful at having fluffed an opportunity at Ibrox where you're a goal up with twenty minutes left.

 

[Shaka]

1 hour ago, mfc said:

He's absolutely terrible,we really are suffering from not going out in the summer and signing a decent centre half to partner gallacher.

We DID sign one, but Robbo keeps playing him at Cm. Best weve looked all season defensively was back 4 wi O'Hara & Gallagher

[mfc]

1 minute ago, Shaka said:

We DID sign one, but Robbo keeps playing him at Cm. Best weve looked all season defensively was back 4 wi O'Hara & Gallagher

Agreed if we're playing o'hara it should be at centre back but he obviously wasn't brought in to play there.going into this season with mugabi and lamie as our options was absolutely farcical.

[milo]

9 minutes ago, mfc said:

Agreed if we're playing o'hara it should be at centre back but he obviously wasn't brought in to play there.going into this season with mugabi and lamie as our options was absolutely farcical.

Bringing them in was one thing, sticking with them is another!

[fizoxy]

Has Polworth spat the dummy yet for not starting the last 2 games? I thought Crawford did OK, but would rather we used Maguire since he’s one of ours and could surely have done the same job. O’Hara should be at the back. 

We managed to hang on for 70 mins, but they had some very good chances in that period, and it was just a matter of time. I assumed it would be the inevitable penalty, but instead it was a stupid decision from Crawford (I think) on halfway which led to them scoring the first. We were done the second that hit the net.

Watt and Lang put in great shifts, but we needed to have some sort of outlet.

[Kmac]

On 12/17/2020 at 10:29 AM, Kmac said:

Rangers (Insert number between 3 and 8 ) - Motherwell 0

Post Match - We go again, how can we expect to compete with their budget?

Monday - Some inane social media shite about the boys working hard in training 

Wednesday -  Aberdeen are coming here full of confidence, look at their budget and their players, how can we expect to compete? All we can ask is that the boys give everything 

Boxing Day - Tannadice is a difficult place to come. The boys gave everything after playing 3 matches in 7 days but we have a small squad and boys not on a lot of money so how can we really expect to compete when you look at the resources?

30th Of December - It has been a really difficult period for us. Playing so many matches in such a short space of time. Look at our injuries. We're making lots of chances but it's just not happening for us. 

Will Motherwell win another game in 2020?  Will Rickie Lamie throw away another goal? Will we ever score an equaliser?  

Tune in next time on a dodgy Motherwell Tv stream to find out. 

Apart from us registering a goal, I’m starting to view the above as a moment of clairvoyance; after seeing Robbo’s interview.

[underboyleheating]

Just checked and a few players did wear a long sleeved version of the home shirt in todays match. The way hooped sleeves were meant to be worn!

 

[Ya Bezzer!]

1 hour ago, fizoxy said:

Has Polworth spat the dummy yet for not starting the last 2 games? I thought Crawford did OK, but would rather we used Maguire since he’s one of ours and could surely have done the same job. O’Hara should be at the back. 

Last time Maguire started a game he had the most key passes in the match.

Get him in there, give him game times, let him make mistakes, stick by him.  I see a player in him, always have done.

[Al B]

3 hours ago, milo said:

2nd bottom is we are in reality, if we hadn’t got those free 6 points. That’s the true reflection of where we are this season

I'm not sure you know what the word reality means.

[nsj]

Does anyone else worry about our substitutions?  Every game someone comes on at 60-65 mins and it never works. Today was another example. We were leading, everyone was doing a job when we didn’t have the ball (a lot, I know) dropping off into 2 banks of 5 and it seemed to be working. When the substitution was made we were left with less of an outlet and lost goals not long after. 
My main gripe is why change it? If it’s because of tiredness then I don’t understand how a pro sportsman can’t last 90 mins. Watt didn’t look to be breathing heavily on leaving the pitch and actually looked a bit annoyed at being hooked. 

[milo]

14 minutes ago, Al B said:

I'm not sure you know what the word reality means.

Ha ha! Fair point, poor choice of words. 

[gaz7]

Bringing mcginley on was a bad decision as was white. If lang and watt were tired which I didn't think then bring on cole and seedorf who have pace and can run with ball. Poor decisions from robbo. Its easy with hindsight to say this or that but I felt that when hagi came on we should have gave them more to think about defensively rather than continue to sit in. They flooded the box in the knowledge that we had no one to go forward quickly but they had no defenders and a half decent breakaway could have sealed it for us but we didn't have players on park to do that other than last 5 when we were losing and we brought on cole.seedorf and polworth.  Was a hard watch but if wed held on nobody would be bothered. I feel now we are lacking a couple of players that have been top internationals for instance but getting old now ala McManus Macdonald Pearson etc . Someone like a charlie adam  to help our youngsters and drive up standards. 

[Welldaft Mk1]

Just watched the highlights or lowlights.

1st and 3rd goals were avoidable. 2nd was more unlucky imho. 

Polworth could have tried to clear for the third...BUT

Mugabi was quite literally horrendous for the 1st. A very basic defensive header which he totally mistimed. They probably would have won anyway or got a draw at least but to lose the 1st goal  from what should have been a routine header is unforgivable. 

Mugabi was also mainly responsible for the 3rd. 

I suspect he was played today as we needed to load central defence. But for me get O Hara back to central defence and Mugabi on the bench going forwards. 

[Kmcalpin]

4 minutes ago, Welldaft Mk1 said:

Just watched the highlights or lowlights.

1st and 3rd goals were avoidable. 2nd was more unlucky imho. 

Polworth could have tried to clear for the third...BUT

Mugabi was quite literally horrendous for the 1st. A very basic defensive header which he totally mistimed. They probably would have won anyway or got a draw at least but to lose the 1st goal  from what should have been a routine header is unforgivable. 

Mugabi was also mainly responsible for the 3rd. 

I suspect he was played today as we needed to load central defence. But for me get O Hara back to central defence and Mugabi on the bench going forwards. 

I've not seen any of the game yet Iain, but was one of our midfielders not caught on the ball and dispossessed in the lead up to a goal?

[Richie]

1 hour ago, nsj said:

Does anyone else worry about our substitutions? 
My main gripe is why change it?

Frequently.

Lost count of the number of times sub(s) have been made when we're relatively comfortable, only for the game to change/to subsequently lose goals.

Same thing happened with Scotland with SC making needless subs with 5 to go, then conceding - Albeit we managed to turn it around on Pens.

[ropy]

I was happy with everything up to the substitution that brought White on.  It was great discipline and after giving away so much possession 1-1 wasn’t a bad result.  But putting White on reduced our midfield barrier and created no positives.  Flicking a ball on was pointless.  That was the point that we conceded the match.

[Welldaft Mk1]

7 minutes ago, Kmcalpin said:

I've not seen any of the game yet Iain, but was one of our midfielders not caught on the ball and dispossessed in the lead up to a goal?

For the 1st Crawford was dispossessed. Then Archer hit a daisy cutter to the half way line in what was a poor clearance.
But even after all of that it was a routine cross into the box that was literally laser guided onto Mugabi but he inexplicably misses the header. He even moves his head to attempt the clearance but does not manage what was a basic header. Even after that he fails to block the pass form Kent to Roofe who scores. 

So yes there were others who contributed but there was still a lot to do before Rangers scored. 

Sounds like a witch-hunt and I tend to agree with many that our substitutes weakened us but that was yet such another VERY basic defensive error.

I though he was bette than what he showed last season but he should be benched after that today I am afraid. 

[Yorkyred]

23 minutes ago, Welldaft Mk1 said:

For the 1st Crawford was dispossessed. Then Archer hit a daisy cutter to the half way line in what was a poor clearance.
But even after all of that it was a routine cross into the box that was literally laser guided onto Mugabi but he inexplicably misses the header. He even moves his head to attempt the clearance but does not manage what was a basic header. Even after that he fails to block the pass form Kent to Roofe who scores. 

So yes there were others who contributed but there was still a lot to do before Rangers scored. 

Sounds like a witch-hunt and I tend to agree with many that our substitutes weakened us but that was yet such another VERY basic defensive error.

I though he was bette than what he showed last season but he should be benched after that today I am afraid. 

The problem I have with Mugabi is he does a lot right in many games but he just makes too many basic errors and it’s costing us point after point.  If he’s not giving away daft penalties he’s making a mess where there should be no real danger. He’s strong and fairly quick but he’s all over the place with a lot of the basics and there is only so long you can carry on failing to learn from your mistakes. I’m just not convinced he’s ever going to change. I’m still pretty baffled as to why we failed to sign another solid centre half in the summer given Dunn’s injury. OHara is a deep midfielder, Donnally can do a half decent job if needed, and I still think Lamie was signed as more of a squad player. When Hartley went we should have moved quickly to replace him, it never happened.

[joewarkfanclub]

I was a little surprised by the line up and the tactics from the start, but the early goal and the disciplined and dogged defending to half time more than justified the mamagers decisions. It wasnt pretty to watch at times, but it was winning football and Rangers struggled to break us down.

2nd half we seemed to be getting deeper and deeper and it was clear a change needed to be made before the inevitable happened. However, the manager got it totally wrong with his first 2 subs. We were desperate for an out ball and should have brought Cole on for either Lang or Watt. The change for McGinley made it even more difficult to get out of our area by removing one of our willing runners and totally upset the shape at the back.

To then compound it by bringing White on instead of Cole was inexplicable.  The guy may have had limited chances to prove himself, but if the manager doesnt know who the better player is between the 2 then we have a problem.

All in all, a frustrating display as so much hard work was undone by some poor decisions.

 

[wellsince75]

11 hours ago, Welldaft Mk1 said:

But for me get O Hara back to central defence and Mugabi on the bench going forwards. 

this highlights how poor our signings are that O'Hara is the best partner for Gallagher .  

The only issue this creates is who plays in midfield as there's very little in the way of options. 

[grizzlyg]

Watched highlights last night and what Mugabi is doing for the first goal is a mystery.  And gane was over by then but Polworth for the 3rd was another farce.  Robbo needs to take blame for the substitutions but Individual errors are punishing us big time.

[Walker86]

It was a classic shithouse performance up until the subs were made. Rangers started to find space and get more time on the ball after that. If the gaffer is going to have the balls to play that system he can't shit the bed. Play Watt and Lang for 90 and if they need rested midweek then fair enough! If we hang on and win 1-0 everybody will think he is a genius but the blame lies with him on this one.

[Kmcalpin]

5 hours ago, joewarkfanclub said:

I was a little surprised by the line up and the tactics from the start, but the early goal and the disciplined and dogged defending to half time more than justified the mamagers decisions. It wasnt pretty to watch at times, but it was winning football and Rangers struggled to break us down.

2nd half we seemed to be getting deeper and deeper and it was clear a change needed to be made before the inevitable happened.

Its always a dilemma for our managers about how to set up at Ibrox or Parkhead and maybe its a fine dividing line dependent on what players you have availiable.  You can't commit to all out defence nor to open expansive football.  If you're going to park the bus in these games you have to have a fit competitive midfield defending no less than 40 yards from goal, with the aim of protecting the defence. You also need an outball.   In recent weeks we've seen St Mirren and St Johnstone do exactly this at Fir Park. When they were defending in depth we struggled to get anywhere their defence. Where we usually get it wrong, as we did yesterday, is that we defend far too deeply meaning that any mistake is likely to be punished.  In short we just don't have the midfield to make this tactic work, depending on what our objective is ie win a point/three or simply damage limitation. 

[Spiderpig]

15 minutes ago, Kmcalpin said:

Where we usually get it wrong, as we did yesterday, is that we defend far too deeply meaning that any mistake is likely to be punished.  In short we just don't have the midfield to make this tactic work, depending on what our objective is ie win a point/three or simply damage limitation. 

Spot on Dave, we have watched for a few years now our inability to see games out and hold on to a winning position, by defending too deep.

What worries me is that successive managers ie Barraclough and now SR have failed to either realise our midfield is not up to it or if they have do something  about it  to strengthen the team.

[Yorkyred]

I’m going to go against the general feeling that the substitutions cost us yesterday, I don’t actually think it made any difference. We were playing so deep it was only a matter of time regardless.