Motherwell vs Rangers

Date: 30th July 2006
Time: 14:00
Location: Fir Park, Motherwell.



Finally there! It's Motherwell first up and should hopefully tee us off for the start of the new season with a win. It's a tricky one, but we should win, even with a new team going out. They gave Celtic a shock last year, lets hope we don't have the same fate.


The Opposition - Motherwell

They finished a poor 8th last year in the SPL, despite pushing for a top 6 finish for a long time. They have lost Terry Butcher, who has done a great job on serious financial constraints and have brought in Maurice Malpas. Should soften the blow of losing Terry as he has been through everything with that club and has a load of experience, although not as a manager.

Danger Men

Brian Kerr
Ritchie Foran
Scott Macdonald

Ross McCormack has joined them from Rangers and we have to make sure he doesn't break any hearts on his return to Ibrox. They also have a Graeme Smith and Brian Maclean, also ex Gers who were deemed not good enough, but have prospered under first team football at a smaller club.


Last Season's Head-to-Heads

22/10/05
Rangers 2-0 Motherwell
Burke (1)
Lovenkrands (72)

15/1/06
Motherwell 0-1 Rangers
Lovenkrands (55)

8/4/06
Rangers 1-0 Motherwell
Boyd (22)

We didn't hammer them last year, but we got the results and didnt concede any goals. They haven't added apart from wee Ross up front and we have strengthened our central pairing so shouldn't struggle once again. Goals have been hard to come by, but hopefully a bit of fresh enthusiasm will see us come out all guns blazing.


Rangers Line-Up

All in all a good preseason. Plenty of wins, good defence and only one wee blip with our reserve team out. Should stand us in good stead. Barry says he will be fit and wants to play, but with no pre-season games under his belt, it's a bit of a risk. Hard to say whether or not he will start. Burke and Klos are our only other fitness or injury worries, both of whom are out and Krissy boyd is suspended.

Predicted Line up



Barry is the only possible changes to that I can see.


Prediciton

I'm feeling confident about the game. We look sharper than last year, we have more fluidity and I see little from 'Well to really scare me. On their day they are one of the most attractive teams in the SPL, but those days seem to be few and far between these days.

I'm gonna go for Motherwell 0-2 Rangers.

Not going to predict a score sicne its a new team, but I reckon we'll win. Also Scott Mcdonald might not be their if Brewster has a say in it.

Also I forgot they start this week. Delighted!

Ah it'll be great with the SPL back. Fancy you to get off to a great start this campaign.

I miss those Setanta Sundays down the pub, love waking up and heading down to watch the SPL game and talk about what we all got up to the night before over a pint or twelve.

Can't wait.

Mon The Well!

Ross McCormack hat-trick

Looking forward to it now, got my tickets in this morning...

Row HH though, nice view from the Gods

I love the trip to Motherwell, it's only 20minutes away from me so it's nice and simple

Barry has been ruled out and I forgot that Boyd was suspended. Team completely picks itself now then.

It does indeed, to be honest, im quite happy with that team, as long as they stand and fight when motherwell start niggling away

Why's he suspended, did he pick up too many yellow's or something?

Yeah, in his short 6 months with Rangers he picked up enough bookings to be suspended for the first game

Doesn't beat Zander Diamond though, who's suspended for the opener of every competition in Scotland this year

So far its 1-0, Sionko scored in 8mins.

MOTHERWELL: Smith; Kerr, Craigan, O'Donnell, Paterson, McGarry, Hamilton, Quinn, Donnelly, Foran, McCormack

SUBS: Meldrum, McDonald, Clarkson, McBride, Fizpatrick, Connelly, Soutar

RANGERS: Letizi; Hutton, Rodriguez, Svensson, Smith; Sionko, Clement, Hemdani, Adam, Buffel, Prso

SUBS: McGregor, Pierre-Fanfan, N'Daiye, Namouchi, Rae, Novo, Ashikodi

REFEREE: John Underhill

Strong squad, Adam is in the squad until Burke comes back, I guess, so then Sionko can go on the left.

its now 1-1, O'Donnell scored.

Prso has now scored in the 65th minute. Get in.

judging from what ive heard, charlie adam has been heavily involved which is good to see

well games just finished and motherwell would have been extremely lucky to get something out of that... 2 crossbars, 2 shots dinked over the keeper, and a couple more clear cut chances missed for us but in the end got the win we deserved

same old problem tho; not taking our chances

from what they were saying on the rangers match console if boyd had been on he would have buried about 4 so it can only get better in my books when he comes back and the big slovak signs we should get a shit load of goals

i wouldnt bother about the not taking the chances today, best thing is we got the 3 points and in matches to come the players will be more confident and will take those chances

i suppose

gives le guen an idea of what to work on in training; plenty work in front of goal

adam got man of the match, he was involved in the first and got the assist for the second tho he did give the ball away for motherwell to score

He redeemed himself though. I'm happy that he got a start, and I said before in this topic that he is only their until burke is back, but maybe if he performs like this every week I may well see him starting quite a few more times that i thought he would.

i totally agree

none of the forwards will be allowed to get too comfortable

Mmm...

After being at Fir Park yesterday, im impressed with what i saw

This is a team thats ruthless, and when the going got tough, dug in and you knew we would score again...

We should have been 6 up at half time, but at the end of the day, only the most clinical is going to be on top form on Day 1. Buffel had a fantastic Maradona-esque rampage in the first half and really should have scored

New PLG song is classic though

"Paul Le Guen, Paul Le Guen, Paul Le Guen, Paul Le Guen nana, Paul Le Guen, Paul Le Guen, Paul Le Guen nana, Paul Le Guen, Paul Le Guen and we all love Paul Le Guen.....We're gonna score one more than you, PAUL LE GUEN"

To the tune of Vindaloo, classic.....