‘That’s horrible’ – Sky pundit staggered at what he saw in Motherwell v Rangers
Rangers took an early lead in their season opener against Motherwell after a strong start.
Russell Martin took his side to Fir Park for his first domestic game in charge, and was handed a gift by the home side.
Rangers headed into the game with five new signings in the starting XI, but it was a familiar face in James Tavernier who gave them the lead.
Tavernier headed home from a corner early on, and Rangers have Motherwell defender Paul McGinn to thank.
Neil McCann slams McGinn as Rangers score v Motherwell
New signing Joe Rothwell put in a superb delivery from a corner for Tavernier to head home his first goal of the season, but the Gers were handed the opportunity on a platter.
The corner came after Motherwell centre-back McGinn endured a disastrous moment, as his attempted clearance somehow hooked to the right and went behind for a corner.
| James Tavernier Rangers statistics | |
| Signed | July 2015 |
| Appearances | 517 |
| Goals | 131 |
Sky Sports commentator Neil McCann could not believe what the 34-year-old did to give the corner away, and in the build-up to the goal, he admitted that it was a moment the defender would want to forget.
“Wow. That’s not the type of quality McGinn is known for. That’s horrible,” he stated of the veteran centre-back, almost in disbelief.
- The early strike was Tavernier’s eighth headed goal of his career.
Rangers will nevertheless be delighted that they took the lead so early on in what could have been a tricky fixture, and they will hope for more output from set-pieces.
Rothwell makes instant impact from set-pieces
Tavernier’s header was also helped by the Motherwell goalkeeper failing to keep the ball out with a weak hand, but this could be a sign of things to come for Rangers.
The right-back is a set-piece specialist himself, but Rothwell’s arrival means that there is another elite corner taker, which will allow Tavernier to attack the box instead.
Rothwell’s Scottish Premiership debut started superbly, with the 30-year-old looking instantly settled and his set-piece delivery was pinpoint, as he found Tavernier in space perfectly.
The former Leeds and Bournemouth star could be a shrewd addition, and his set-pieces alone already offer Rangers a new dimension in attack.
Sign up for the Ibrox News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Rangers news sent straight to your phone.