Motherwell V Rangers

[Andy_P]

Before I go on to the game - in terms of the Cooper Stand - is it not the case that the laddies and lassies that attend the Saturday (and possibly Sunday) morning coaching schools ran by the club usually get entry to all the 'Well games free of charge - with the exception of visits from Rangers and Celtic. The section closest to the Main Stand is usually 3/4 full and could possibly account partially for the apparent lack of take up of Cooper seats.

 

As for the game though while there's a tinge of regret about not taking the full 3 points there were a few significant markers laid down.

 

Albeit it was only a small fear I did have a concern at the back of my mind that some of the youngsters may be overawed by the occasion, we lost heavily and a lot of the confidence and exuberance built up recently would have been lost.

 

I'm glad to say it was entirely the opposite and I'm sure Jim Gannon will be drumming it into them that they have proved their ability and they should have no fear no matter who they are playing against.

 

If there were any remaining doubts at all by anyone outside Fir Park that these guys are in that team on merit and not simply through necessity then that has surely been blown away yesterday.

 

It was evident in the past under McGhee and again yesterday but the difference in style between Motherwell and Rangers was stark at times. Rangers may arguably be a better team than us, they may be more powerful, effective, clinical, they may be more successful but a better footballing side they most certainly are not.

 

The way the ball was sprayed about the park at times was fantastic in contrast to their tactic of getting into the box quickly and hope it falls to Boyd. I'm sure they won't be, but their fans really should be irked that a team built using a fraction of the resources was able to outpass so readily so often.

 

A bold selection or two from Gannon that paid dividends so a good point from a right good game. Can't be unhappy with that at all.

[Richie]

In Jim we trust

I said at the game when I heard the line up that Gannon was known for his meticulous study of the opposition and trusted his judgement.

Clean sheet reinforces that.

[gav212]

Im struggling to believe i had my doubts about Jim Gannon after the first few games when he seemed to be alienating Stephen Craigan. What a team the guy has built on a shoestring, not one signing in there for the sake of a signing *Cough* Lewis Grabban *Cough*. A really exciting team to watch, can defend well, composed in midfield and explosive down the wings with O'Brien. If theres one place we're lacking its perhaps up front although i still think Sutton is a good player i fear we may be relying on him too much although Jutkiewicz does look capable.

 

In JG we trust!

[MJC_MKI]

It goes something like "Remember our Fathers brave and bold, who fought for Ulster's cause" yada yada yada. I find it very, very boring still hearing them sing this gash (whatever your political viewpoint) and find it sad and embarrassing they still feel they need to bring it to the football. There was not a peep from their fans in the 2nd half until the Pen was given.

 

 

Aye it's the one that they shout 'Fuck Bobby Sands, he's deed" in. Quality lyrics for a football match.

 

I didn't hear their support atall until after the penalty was missed then they found their voices again for the last few minutes. Saying that I don't think our support were much better to be honest. The atmosphere at a Motherwell v Rangers game isn't a patch on games against Celtic IMO, because their away support tend to sing a lot more and our's in turn respond and sing aswell.

 

As for the game itself, well there's no doubt it was a very good team performance and we gave them absolutely nothing in the second half especially. Hateley's passing was absolutely sublime at times and he looks like a real find, as does Giles Coke who had another fine match and young Saunders did well against Boyd at the back aswell.

 

At full time yesterday I was gutted that we hadn't won, simply because we missed a penalty with only a few minutes to go, it was hard to take, but the reality is had that not been given, we would all have walked out of FP chuffed to bits at taking a point against Rangers and more than matching them for the majority of the 90 mins. We looked like a team who is hard to beat for the first time in a long time yesterday and that is a big positive to take from it. Two clean sheets in a row and still unbeaten in mid September, that sounds good to me.

[milo]

Like many, I would've bit yer hand off for a point before hand but when you play as well as that, not to mention are handed a penalty in the dying minutes, of course you're naturally going to feel a wee bit hard done by.

 

I thought we were maginficant from start to finish and every player really played their aprt. Special mention to Jennings as, on performances thus far I felt the kindest thing I could say would be "the jury is still out". he didn't put a foot wrong and every pass or toouch he made was the right one. Like many, an eyebrow was raised in concern at no appearance in the starting line up of either Hutchinson or Craigan, but the defense was extremely solid and on that evidence the afore mentioned might have some problems getting their place back. Yassin looked great, as did Coke and Hateley was out of this world.

 

I think the penalty was a penalty was was astounded it was given a) McDonald was the ref, b) It was against Rangers and probably more significantly c) It was given in the last few minutes whilst the scores were still tied!!! It was piss poor penalty in my opinion though and that makes the missed opportunity to get a long overdue winn against them even more galling. Nowhere near enough to the post and a perfect height for the keeper to save. That's not to take anything away from O'Brien though who once again was brilliant.

 

I thought it was a particularly poor home support in terms of numbers, but this 'Well team really is exciting and hopefully a few more "stay aways" be now be tempted out of retirement.

[Bill Bones]

Excellent performance all round and worthy of the 3 points, and on any other day we'd have got them. Some lovely passing moves and at times we had them chasing shadows, but my only concern is a slight lack of a cutting edge. Everything else is in place.

 

In midfield we have a tremendous composure and wilingness to get on the ball, although there were a couple of casual moments when we almost conceded possession ear our own goal.

 

Defensively excellent for the most part, although pre-match I was worried about how we'd cope with Boyd physically, but even without Crags and Hutch we did very well.

 

Impressive stuff all round yet happily still room for improvement when players return, which is a great sign.

 

My thoughts exactly. Fantastic to see us keeping the ball in tight spots and passing Rangers off the park. The return of Slane should add some pace and trickery to the frontline. For all their faults rangers are still probably the best defensive unit in the SPL and we create 2 excellent chances(the ball hitting off Sutton and Coke's header) after fine possesion football.

 

The back four restricted Rangers to half chances and speculative balls into the box. Meat and drink to Ruddy on yesterday's form.

 

Always painful to pass up the chance of 3 points against that shower but more convinced than ever about the direction we're headed in.

[Shaka]

funny how I never seen ANYTHING in the Sunday Mail about the Rangers choruses of billy boys and the old "up to our knees in f****n blood", hmm surprise surprise.

 

Was in the main stand yesterday, £25 for a shitey wee wooden board to sit on? fucking disgrace! also pissed off at O`Brian fluffing that pen and losing me £100 quid,lol, however the pitch looked amazing, and the football played on it was as good as Ive seen any Well team play in many a year, remember, we were playing a team who play champions league football just about every year and win trophies every year (and you could buy our whole club for the money they spent buying Bougherra) and for long periods we had them chasing shadows, great seeing guys from defence to attack all looking for the ball and content to keep ball and probe for openings, really loving Gannons stewardship, Love the fact he always seems to have a plan b+c when things dont work, like Murphy being out of his depth and subbing hm for Jennings to change formation a bit

[Modernist]

First Half

 

Second Half

[studos]

Another case of OF bias going by the BBC highlights. It makes it look like they were the better team and dominated the game. Typical

Here's the link.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/8253592.stm

[Robyn]

The game did finish 0-0, didn't it?

 

Motherwell boss Jim Gannon was pleased with his side in the wake of the 1-1 draw with Rangers but felt it perhaps could have been more.

 

Lazy journalism by the official site.

[sailor_h]

was gutted at result, thought the boys played fantastic. i would have maybe started with mchugh up front in place of sutton with murphy alongside him. Just someone with a bit of pace specifically to tire Weir out even more, and if we bagged a goal, great if not then bring sutton on.

 

i think for dundee utd next week, we need to rethink the situation up front. we cant play sutton and murphy together when sutton is up front him self. murphy is posted missing unless he is upfront with a.n other. nothing against the boy as i think he has great potential.

[Shaka]

starting Murphy next week against Utd will be like starting with 10 men, Dods,Wilkie,Kenneth will bully him and dominate him, even him v Papac on sat was like Papac swatting away a 10 year old who`d wandered onto the pitch by mistake, horses for courses, against Utd, Sutton/Jutkiewicz with Coke backing up for me

[Fal_Dosser]

Another case of OF bias going by the BBC highlights. It makes it look like they were the better team and dominated the game. Typical

Here's the link.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/8253592.stm

I watched the highlights a wee while ago and realised that I obviously had gone to another game for almost 80 mins - could've sworn that we got out of our half at least once in that period

 

Bigot 2some lives on, strong as ever, and I'm proud that I contribute to this via my TV licence - in fact if BBC Scotland want to give me even a small rebate in the fee, I'll go on to park and rugby tackle any of our players who have the audacity to think of showing up the glorious twosome - God only knows how they'd have managed to edit out the penalty if JOB had scored

 

 

 

MON RA DOSSERS

[sinky]

was gutted at result, thought the boys played fantastic. i would have maybe started with mchugh up front in place of sutton with murphy alongside him. Just someone with a bit of pace specifically to tire Weir out even more, and if we bagged a goal, great if not then bring sutton on.

 

i think for dundee utd next week, we need to rethink the situation up front. we cant play sutton and murphy together when sutton is up front him self. murphy is posted missing unless he is upfront with a.n other. nothing against the boy as i think he has great potential.

 

Thats what I would have done mate, think it would have been a more effective partnership.

[wellmanandy]

Great sport of baiting the currant buns at my work today. They were coming out with the usual excuses - Rangers were pish, Smith's tactics were all wrong, we were missing key players! (I didn't get that one). Even my boss (a big bluenose) was dumbstruck when I asked him if he enjoyed Motherwell's 'total football' on Saturday. And before anyone accuses me of getting carried away I'm realistic enough to know that the season is a marathon not a sprint.

 

Can't until this Saturday and Tannadice.

 

Mon the 'Well!!!!

[another number]

Don't you know no team in Scotland ever plays well against the old firm. If you take anything from the game you're lucky/the ref supported the other half/they played so bad we looked good.

[numpty]

Just noticed the mildly-amusing player ratings in the Herald.

 

http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/ra...atings-1.919759

 

MOTHERWELL

 

John Ruddy Are you Friedel in disguise? Big, bald and burly, he began to look invincible as Rangers’ efforts became increasingly erratic 7

 

Yassin Moutaouakil Bad Scrabble hand but a more than decent right-back. Had the audacity to nip out for a quick fag and the messages before returning to catch Jerome 
Rothen 7

 

Steve Saunders Should be renamed Steve Saunters after 
this effortless stroll 8

 

Mark Reynolds Motherwell could have played the Reynolds Girls and not have been caused any more problems 7

 

Steven Hammell Sturdy 
full-back is as reliable as he 
was first time around 6

 

TOM Hateley Does not have a ridiculous Apache hairdo or the dress sense of a colour-blind acid dropper but the other Hateley hallmarks were there to see 8

 

Jamie Murphy Kept in at 
half-time and nobody really noticed 4

 

Giles Coke Known as Charlie 
to his mates, or at least he 
should be. Turned his nose 
up at his supposed superiors, 
held his line well and had a 
rip-snorter of a game. Got too high when chance presented itself 7

 

Ross Forbes Young player 
of the month award can be a poisoned chalice. Neat touches but unable to impose himself despite his team-mates providing a platform 5

 

Jim O’Brien Dazzling winger 
by day, Paulo Nutini tribute act 
by night. Should have put some 
new shoes on for the penalty 6

 

John Sutton Can look as monotonously wooden as a 
hobby horse but was more like 
a pack pony as lone striker 5

 

SUBSTITUTES

 

Steve Jennings 
(for Murphy 45) Did more 
than Murphy 5

 

Lukas Jutkiewicz 
(for Sutton 80) Sparked a 
late panic 4

 

Keith Lasley 
(for Forbes 74) Prematurely 
grey, belatedly introduced 3

 

RANGERS

 

Allan McGregor Spent international week in the (platonic) company of a Busty Big Brother Blonde. Good practice for groping a hefty orb at the right time 7

 

Steven Whittaker Looked more comfortable at left-back against Robin van Persie on Wednesday than he did at 
right-back against Jim O’Brien. 
Go figure. 6

 

Madjid Bougherra Typically understated display. Cleared his lines, never crossed the halfway line, kept it simple and never complained. Aye, and Kenny Miller suffers from shyness 6

 

David Weir On his hands and knees in the fateful final minutes against the Netherlands but the old warhorse hauled himself off the floor defiantly. Needed some WD40 and a Sanatogen after an ankle knock 7

 

Sasa Papac Did the work of 
two men, largely because 
Rothen took so long to get 
back that Motherwell’s kids 
are now grown men 6

 

Steven Davis Rangers most effective central midfielder suffered out wide in the name 
of balance 6

 

Pedro Mendes “Over here, guys! No, this way. Yoo-hoo! Can I get a touch . . . please
. . . just this one time. Oh, suit yourselves then” 5

 

Lee McCulloch Big Jig 
jumpy and jittery betwixt Motherwell’s japing gems 6

 

Jerome Rothen A sublime 
left foot and a ridiculous gait. Has the hirpling running style of Ronald de Boer, Dado Prso’s knock knees and Charlie Adam’s backside 5

 

Kenny Miller The SPL’s Chris Iwelumo did what he does best: ran all day and failed to score 6

 

Kris Boyd No longer the 
most laboured-looking player 
in the team but unable to 
express his gratitude to Rothen 
by threatening a goal 5

 

SUBSTITUTES

 

Nacho Novo (for Kenny Miller 66) Raw enthusiasm is better 
than nothing at all 4

 

Steven Naismith (for 
Jerome Rothen 66) Rearrange 
into a well-known phrase: to 
a back with earth bump 4

[Rickoza]

This is interesting. Read the headline, then find where in the story it actually is said. Fron the Rancid, of course.........

 

I would have scored penalty against Rangers, insists Motherwell's young player of the month Ross Forbes

Sep 15 2009 Anthony Haggerty

 

MOTHERWELL'S Ross Forbes says he'd love to have been put on the spot and given the chance to be a match-winner against Rangers.

 

The midfielder, the club's regular penalty taker, was subbed after 74 minutes of last Saturday's 0-0 Fir Park draw, leaving their late spot-kick award to be taken by Jim O'Brien - and saved by Ibrox keeper Allan McGregor.

 

Forbes, speaking after being named as Clydesdale Bank Young Player of the Month for August, said: "I would have loved to have been on the park to take the penalty.

 

Measure "I would just have taken the ball off Jim and hit it but I must admit I'd have placed it the same as Jim did, rather than go for power, so the same thing could have happened to me."

 

Forbes feels it is a measure of how far Motherwell have come that they were disappointed with the stalemate against Walter Smith's men.

 

The Steelmen remain undefeated after four games in the SPL and having sampled the delights of the qualifying rounds of the Europa League, Forbes is hungry for more.

 

He said: "We had the chances to win the game and I think we gave a great account of ourselves.

 

"I'm sure the competitive games we played in the Europa League have stood us in good stead.

 

"The competitive nature of those games as opposed to taking part in pre-season friendlies helped us get a settled team.

 

"It was a great experience to play in the Europa League and we would love to get there again."

[Larry David]

Ah yes - "insists" that most beloved word of the tabloid sportswriter. Look out for it - every player or manager "insists" - as if anyone is actually arguing with them. I remember picking up on it one day a few years ago when just about every article I read in one paper began "Player Player insists that he is fit for this week's game", "Boss Boss insists that three points from the next two games"....yadda, yadda, yadda.

 

Absolute rubbish - but what do you expect from the tabloids?

[CoF]

I noticed that today. Funny how the line ".....I must admit I'd have placed it the same as Jim did... so the same thing could have happened to me." is conveniently ignored. If we stick to the facts the headline should read I might have missed penalty against Rangers anaw.

 

I also thought the match report on Monday was a pile of shite. The entire article was pretty much a blaring anouncement that Davie Weir can still run. Out of the whole 90 minutes, was that really the most remarkable thing about the game on Saturday?

[Bill Bones]

Daryl Broadfoot in the Herald was scathing of Rangers' performance. Gave us a fair bit of praise too.

 

Out of interest,does anybody know what mark teh Rancid gave Weir for his display on Saturday?

[numpty]

Out of interest,does anybody know what mark teh Rancid gave Weir for his display on Saturday?

"8. A walking miracle. Hurt an ankle early on in third game in eight days but still standing at the end. Heroic."

 

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/football/spl/...86908-21672127/

[Bill Bones]

Hahahaha. Thanks -I thought you'd made that up,it's a belter. Against my better judgement I clicked on their website and it's there in black and white. The old guy that sits in front of me in the Main predicted he'd get a nine so he was only slightly out,still he got MoTM.

 

5 out of 10 for McDonald? He had a fine game I thought. Only shocker that I can recall was free-kick against Coke in the 1st half. He was occasionly let down by his linesmen.

[another number]

I concur. The ref wasn't too bad but the linesman on the East side had an absolute shocker

[Larry David]

This may be controversial but do you think there is a chance that Dougie McDonald might just be emerging as our best referee ? I've seen him officiate at a number of Old Firm matches and he has handled them very well and already this season he has got two major decisions (against the Old Firm, no less) absolutely spot on despite just about every person thinking the decision was wrong at first look. Just wondering.......