Rangers backed to beat Motherwell ‘convincingly’ after big European win to ease pressure on Michael Beale
Rangers have been backed to beat Motherwell “quite convincingly” as the players will feel they’ve nearly “turned a corner” after winning in Europe, according to Alan Rough.
The former Scotland keeper said on PLZ Soccer’s The Football Show (22 September) that with the Ibrox fans behind them on Sunday (24 September) he believes the Gers will secure a 3-0 win on their return to SPFL action after beating Real Betis in the Europa League.
BBC pundit Lee McCulloch wasn’t quite as confident for what he expects to be a “very tough test” against the side currently sitting third in the table, predicting a 1-0 scoreline instead.
McCulloch said (23m 30s): “Motherwell will be a very tough test. Apart from last week, real in-form team, including the tail end of last season as well.
“It’s a great opportunity for Rangers to get a little bit of momentum going, last night helped with the buy-in from the fans… but if they drop points it’s another story.”
Rough said: “I think Michael Beale believes that this Rangers team aren’t far away from getting a big result. The difference between this game and last week’s at St Johnstone is they were going into that with a lot of pressure, people talking about the manager being sacked, and I don’t think the players performed particularly well.
“But then they’ve had a big European result. I think they’ll go out with the fans behind them, the players believing that they’ve just about turned a corner, and I think they’re going to beat Motherwell quite convincingly – 3-0.”
McCulloch added: “I think it’ll be tighter. Motherwell will be well organised. Rangers pose a threat from set plays believe it not… I think tight, the fans will help, I’m going for a convincing 1-0.”
Must-win, again
After losing to Celtic Beale spent the whole international break under the microscope, but with two wins from two since then against St Johnstone and Betis he has done what he had to do to keep the pressure from becoming overwhelming.
One slip up will see it shoot back up again though so he will have to prove the two pundits right and get another three points next time out.
Motherwell are currently a place and a point ahead of Rangers in the table after a decent start to the campaign, and with injuries mounting at Ibrox the Light Blues can’t take them lightly.
The morale-boosting Europa League victory will mean nothing if it isn’t backed up domestically, and McCulloch is right that it is both a test and an opportunity.
The last time Rangers were getting the fans behind them on Thursday nights, on the way to the final two seasons ago under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, they all too often then let them down again at the weekend.
Beale can’t afford to do that having used up all of his leeway with a trophy-less season last term and an increasingly poor record in Old Firm derbies.
But if this side has indeed turned a corner the win in midweek might end up being seen as the key point from where fortunes changed.
In other Rangers news, the manager has been accused of “playing with” the mind of a first-team player with his recent decisions.