Ally McCoist shares what he’s said for a while live on air ahead of Motherwell vs Rangers
Rangers are back in Scottish Premiership action when they face Motherwell at Fir Park on Wednesday.
Rangers thrashed Kilmarnock 5-1 on 4 February to strengthen their title hopes and put pressure on league leaders Hearts.
However, Hearts’ 1-0 win over Hibernian on Tuesday has opened up a six-point gap at the top of the table, and Danny Rohl’s side can’t afford to slip up against Motherwell.
Rangers’ 8-0 Scottish Cup fifth-round demolition of Queen’s Park at Ibrox on Sunday boosted the confidence of certain players as they breezed through.
However, the trip to Fir Park will certainly be a tough test, and Ally McCoist isn’t convinced that they will secure all three points.
Ally McCoist raves about how impressive Motherwell have been
Jens Berthel Askou is doing a fantastic job at Motherwell, who have the best defensive record in the Scottish Premiership.
At the other end of the pitch, striker Tawanda Maswanhise, who has been linked with a move to Rangers, has scored 13 league goals this campaign.
They are a force to be reckoned with in both boxes, and they’ll be looking to inflict Rangers with their first league defeat of 2026.
| Stat | Motherwell |
| Wins | 11 |
| Draws | 10 |
| Losses | 3 |
| Points | 43 |
| League position | 4th |
Speaking live on talkSPORT on 10 February, McCoist was full of praise for Motherwell’s style of play under Askou.
He said: “I’ve said it for a while, Motherwell are playing the best football in Scotland right now.
“They absolutely dismantled Celtic at Fir Park a couple of weeks ago. This is a really tough game for Rangers tonight.
“Last night’s derby win was huge for Hearts, and Rangers and Celtic aren’t of the quality that they were a few years ago.
“They’re more than capable of dropping points against the other teams in the Scottish Premiership.”
A win for the home side would see them move to within five points of Rangers with a game in hand, and it seems clear that they will have a definitive say on the title race.
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Danny Rohl has to start Ryan Naderi vs Motherwell
Motherwell don’t have the tallest defence, and it wouldn’t be a shock if the Light Blues can’t capitalise on that at Fir Park.
Ryan Naderi scored two headers against Queen’s Park, and it probably won’t be his last brace in a Rangers shirt, with Emmanuel Fernandez also returning.
Youssef Chermiti has returned to the squad after missing the last two games, while Bojan Miovski has scored twice in his absence.
However, Rohl can’t afford to rotate for the sake of handing players game time, given how dangerous Motherwell can be.
It’s also safe to say that if Naderi were to score the winner at Fir Park, then he would instantly become a fan favourite with the supporters.
A win on Wednesday would mean Rangers go top should they also get past Hearts at Ibrox on Sunday, depending on goal difference, so it’s another critical step in the title race.