Rangers had a disappointing start to the Scottish Premiership season. All they could manage was a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Motherwell on Saturday, at Ibrox Stadium. The home team controlled the majority of the game but could not turn their opportunities into a win. As the team walked off the pitch that day, their angry supporters reacted by booing the team.
In the first half, Rangers looked comfortable and really flashed their attacking potential. James Tavernier scored with a smart header to give Rangers the lead. Motherwell’s resilience became evident as they began to threaten Rangers’ defense, prompting warning signs that they could cause problems.
After making it 2-0, Danilo almost added a 3rd as the match went on but rattled the bar with an incredible shot. Just before half-time, Jack Butland was forced into a fingertip save during first half stoppage time with a fine effort from distance. He asserted Tom Sparrow and a growing threat from Motherwell.
A Game of Missed Opportunities
Incredibly, Rangers created a number of chances to make the victory more convincing and comfortable. A particular highlight came on a corner kick that went directly to Lyall Cameron. Instead, he let fly with a shot that landed directly in the lap of Calum Ward. John Souttar sprinted in to reach a loose ball in the box before Stamatelopoulos. Yet he failed to seize the moment.
Rangers’ D was shaky as well at times. Nasser Djiga denied a key glimpse for Stamatelopoulos, and a perfect Callum Slattery cross placed Stamatelopoulos at the rear post. Rangers were aggressive across the ball and especially in their visits forward. Yet before too long, it became clear that their defense simply didn’t hold up.
Rangers manager Russell Martin cut a frustrated figure after the match. He admitted that his side had gotten away fortunate to get a point. So, the mentality is something that you have to change and focus on.
“We were lucky to get a point. Motherwell played great. We were nowhere near where we need to be. I’m extremely disappointed and hurt by that. They were braver than us, they were more aggressive than us.” – Russell Martin
Manager’s Reflections on Team Performance
Martin’s post-match comments reflected his dissatisfaction with the team’s attitude and approach. He challenged players to take on a different mindset, one of a frontal assault. To succeed, they have to avoid self-preservation routines when faced with challenges.
“When it’s going really well, everyone is all-in, it’s really good. When it’s not going well you protect yourself a little bit, self-preservation stuff. You have to be all-in all the time.” – Russell Martin
The manager’s ire was directed at more than just tactics. He publicly shamed individual players, appealing to them to drop their egos and buy in completely to the organization’s focus on team. He later added that their shocking performance was not so much a tactical thing as it was a mentality problem.
“When you want to just jog around and do what you want to do there’s a big problem. Some of them have to drop their ego. Today isn’t tactical, it’s a mentality problem. We got more than we deserved.” – Russell Martin
Looking Ahead
Through a couple of disappointments, Rangers are looking ahead to their next games and reanalyzing their approach. They need to figure these things out yesterday if they plan to compete seriously this year. The deafening boos from the fans that rang out across Ibrox after the 2nd leg were a clear indicator of the ever-growing demands on the club.
The other teams in the league get to go about their business getting ready for the season. Celtic will look to make it six domestic wins in a row when they take on St Mirren this Sunday. So make sure to catch the live stream on Sky Sports!
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