Matchday 6 Scottish Premiership
Rangers vs Motherwell
24/09/2023 1500hrs
Team news –
RANGERS: Butland, Tavernier, Goldson, Davies, Barisic, Lundstram, Cifuentes, Lammers, Wright, Matondo, Dessers.
Subs: McCrorie, Ridvan, Souttar, Jack, Sima, Sterling, Roofe, Rice, Lovelace.
Three changes for Rangers. Lammers, Dessers and a surprise start for Scott Wright. Dropping out is Lawrence altogether, Sima and Roofe move to the bench. Manager has confirmed Tom Lawrence will miss the next two-three matches.
Scott Wright in from the cold for his first start of the season, much to the surprise of many with the manager choosing width after apparently not deciding to go that way at season start.
Nothing other than victory will be acceptable for Rangers.
First half action –
5 mins – Slack pass from Cifuentes and Motherwell whip a shot wide, Butland races from his line to roar at his team.
Rangers have started poorly, use of the ball very slack
11 mins – Motherwell free kick, horrendous touch by Lammers and Goldson clears from under bar.
16 mins – Motherwell again with an effort, Slattery with time to turn and put wide.
Not a good start by Rangers.
19 mins – Rangers break as Cifuentes nicks the ball, Dessers down the left and Lammers is clear but his cross is blocked he then attempts to run at defender but is easily disposed.
Motherwell break and Butland saves low down.
24 mins – Gooaaaallll! Matondo in space and drives a shot in to Dessers who deflects it home. 1-0 Rangers
27 mins – Lundstram shoots wide after it breaks to him from Dessers. 1-0
32 mins – Caution Casey Motherwell 📒
36 mins – Matondo slips in Lammers who at an angle forces Kelly to block.
Matondo down again and is injured, he is replaced by John Souttar. Rangers move to three at the back.
45 mins – Dessers shoots a Lammers rebound wide.
Rangers 1 Motherwell 0 HT
Maybe harsh, but an extremely poor half of football from Rangers. The use of the ball and passing has been so poor, very frustrating to watch us give away the ball so easily.
It is so slow and ponderous
This needs to be so much better
Second half action –
47 mins – Lammers rolls a shot towards goal which Kelly easily gathers.
53 mins – Rangers break, Wright releases Cifuentes who feeds Tavernier and his cross is volleyed wide by Lammers. Rangers best bit of play today. 1-0
57 mins – VAR offside check as Dessers is brought down by Kelly. Confirmed offside.
64 mins – Crunching Lundstram challenge releases Lammers who plays in Dessers but he drives it straight at Kelly.
Rangers straight back on attack and Lammers forces Kelly into another stop.
67 mins Subs – Jack, Sima ON Wright, Dessers OFF
76 mins – Shaw in on goal and Butland saves well as we scramble to keep it out, Butland grabs the rebound. Remains 1-0
78 mins – Rice, Roofe OFF Cifuentes, Lammers ON
86 mins – OFF THE LINE! Motherwell in and Tav scrambles it away for Butland to grab.
Rangers hanging on.
89 mins – OFF THE LINE! Goldson blocks as Motherwell break again, the flag is up.
This is dreadful
90 mins – Davies cautioned for time wasting 📒
90 mins – Rice cautioned 📒
Full time – Rangers 1 Motherwell 0
Attendance – 48539
Stadium Motm – John Lundstram
Summary –
The booing at the end sums it up, dreadful performance and we were extremely lucky to come away with a victory. Two clearances off the line in the dying stages, sure one was offside given after the fact, was a clear indication of the level of performance. Butland again the main reason we kept a clean sheet with some assured moments and performance.
Ultra defensive turgid football, the exact opposite of what the manager promised, he used the phrase ‘Handbrake off’ and we haven’t seen it. Finishing the game with five defenders, three defensive midfielders at home to Motherwell isn’t anywhere near.
I can’t sugarcoat this, the football isn’t good enough, the style is missing and it’s so slow. We were extremely poor on the ball, so many misplaced and tired passes. The new signings aren’t offering enough of showing enough in moments during games.
The football simply not good enough. I’m struggling to see what we are trying to do.
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Four Lads Had A Dream 
I thought when Gerrard left we should have offered the position to Beale then. Well how wrong was I. I am sorry but we need to cut losses now and get him gone. Only an experienced time served and good man manager should be considered. Surely he could do something plus the January window, but it has to happen sooner rather than later.
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So essentially his answer to your question was that we had no option other than to play defensively at home against Motherwell?
But we had 3 attackers on the bench when he brought on Souttar for Matondo.
If Sima and Roofe weren’t fit, why were they even on the bench?
And what’s the point of having Lovelace on the bench if he’s not willing to use him?
I’d give Ross McAusland a chance. He’s as good if not better than anything else we’ve got. At least he takes players on.
I like Lammars. He’s big and strong.
Technically he’s our best football player. But there’s something missing and I’m not sure exactly what it is? Coaching perhaps?
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I could only listen on the radio and if it was as half as bad as it sounded then I missed nothing. Another appalling performance at home, I’m sorry but I am struggling to find anything positive to say about our new players. They’ve had enough time and games to at least start to show they have what it takes and are failing miserably. Results win titles and trophies but in all honesty I do not see a title challenge coming from this lot. Where do we go from here, a new manager will still only have this dross to pick from so nothing is going to change that much. Beale has to start showing faith in our younger players even if does mean no title etc because we don’t have any financial clout and the players we let go are for the most part proving what the can do. What is the alternative?
C’mon the Rangers. 🇬🇧
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Alexander think about this anyone in any line of work if working full time usually work at least 8 hour day, I know football players are not in training 8 hours but usually u hear the modern day manager works quite a long day, so you could assume our manager & his staff spent a fair amount of time looking at the players they wanted to sign so let’s look at those signings
Butland great signing, Sterling not seen enough to make up mind, Dowell 1 good goal nothing else of note, cifuentes not a great start but only playing recently because Raskin is out, lammers in & out of team there looks like there could be a player there but seems to like to run his fingers in his hair rather than get his finger out his arse, sima couple of decent goals & try’s at least, Danilo not seen enough couple good goals, Dessers well don’t really know what to say about him because quite frankly I am absolutely astounded that he has lead the line for us in as many games as he has & lastly remember Balogun not even on bench today, so out of 9 signings 1 has hit the ground running, we all know how hard a place Ibrox can be for new players to play in but for the love of god 1 good signing out of 9 & he is a goalkeeper thankfully,in any other line of work never mind the shocking tactics he implements your arse wouldn’t hit the door on the way out for such shoddy workmanship, for being a tactical genius it is up there with the worst football I have ever witnessed in all the years I have watched Rangers, when we were down the divisions we knew after a while it wasn’t going to be pretty, that was expected but this season after the way our manager went on about the players I have listed above to be where we are & watching that absolute clabber on the pitch is downright disgraceful
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I honestly don’t know where to start with that today, I said the other day I thought we are suited to 4-2-3-1 formation with players we have & Beale set us up with that today & I genuinely believe our manger hates that formation for some reason because as soon as matondo got injured with sima on bench & roofe on bench who both can play wide he changes us to a back 3 & we were all over the place, if it weren’t for lundstrum & Butland we would have got battered, I have said before & will say again we have a manager who thinks he is playing football manager with our team, I think this sums our manager up I watched him at one point after Borna cut in onto his right foot & hit a shot which went high & wide in second half, well Beale screamed over to Borna until he got his attention, well see the player that plays opposite side of park from Borna our captain he misplaced umpteen passes was all over the place defensively & his crossing was shocking & our manager never screamed at him once, we need a manager who doesn’t pick players on sentiment we need a manager who picks players on ability & form, 3 days ago we seen a decent performance for the first time in a long time & today our manager has us all scratching our heads again
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You’re spot on, this style or whatever it is, simply not good enough, to make a substitute by bringing on Souttar, instead of Sima or Roofe, when at home 🏠 s scandalous,there is no pattern to play or formation, worst of all, no width!
He needs to change, and pronto or it will be a short tenure
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Thanks for an excellent report.
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