Have Motherwell crossed a line?

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Have Motherwell crossed a line?


Rangers won last night with another pretty turgid display, an omen of the dross we are likely to be watching for the foreseeable future. In truth, we have been used to it ever since Warburton’s flashy tiki-tika was found out by Dumbarton in 2015 (yes, Dumbarton – three days later we got gubbed by St Johnstone), and this team has struggled to play good football or indeed win consistently ever since then.

But we would like to focus on something else, and you are all free to call us whiners if you like, but there does seem to be one rule for Rangers and one for everyone else.

Ryan Jack was halved, Eduardo Herrera got his nose smashed and naturally we remember Fabio Cardoso’s cracked honker at Hampden the last time these two sides met.

In short, have Motherwell gone a little too far in being ‘physical’?

We know this league is tough, but in two fixtures in a row against them we have seen one elbow take out Cardoso with lashings of the red stuff pouring down him, while last night Herrera was not far behind when he too found his nostrils leaking viscerally.

Then we had Ryan Jack carted off to medical facilities after another heavy ‘challenge’ which saw a 6-minute time out.

There is a line, guys, and while we are all for strong, physical play, it seems to us that Motherwell’s aggression has crossed it once too many times.

When they are making our players injured or bleeding this regularly, you have to take some kind of notice.

The protection Rangers get seems infinitely less than other teams – it is certainly true our players just are not as strong as other teams. The transfer policy of recent years has brought in lightweight players, guys just not robust enough for this league.

But there is no excuse for an elbow across the face which breaks your nose, or a clear attempt at literally ‘kicking your head in’ as we saw last night.

On the streets the police would arrest for this stuff – it is an old cliché to make such a point – ‘that would get you in jail on the streets’. Well clichés are there because they are accurate.

Kick someone in the face like that in front of the police and you will be up for assault. But on the pitch it is ok?

Steve Robinson’s policy leaves a lot to be desired – Rangers do not want preferential treatment, but we do expect a fair playing field.

And right now some players and some teams are crossing the line into violence.

And that is not the way the game should be played.

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21 COMMENTS

    • The bbc never even mentioned the game on last nights website bbc sport,yet aberdeens game and hibs and hearts game were talked about,they are just like the rest they hate our fucking guts,but you know what we just sit back and take it.

    • I have mentioned this before, slightly off the main Motherwell physicality, but about the impartial BBC. Since Rangers removed Chris McLaughlans press badge thus banning him from entry as a pressman, but not an out-and-out ban from entering Ibrox, he can pay to enter, the BBC has withdrawn any of their employees from reporting from within Ibrox.
      In case any have forgotten, this stemmed from McLaughlans coverage of the 6-2 victory Rangers had at Easter Road, where all he managed in his report was to condemn Rangers fans for singing sectarian songs and a flare being set off, absolutely nothing in his report about the game itself. He also mentioned in his report, and I could almost quote him here in that he said he spoke to his close friend, the SFA official observer, that the behaviour of the Rangers fans would be included in his report. The SFA observer broke SFA rules in doing so, meaning McLaughlan probably got the observer the sack or a severe reprimand.
      Getting back to the BBC, is it not time Rangers football club and their supporters got together and announced that there is a bias against our club and support, who contribute by law to Payne a tv licence fee so should be treated fairly and that, BBC should send proper representation to all Rangers home fixtures and accept the justification on the withdrawal of McLaughlans press card?

  1. I’d like to raise a couple of points with your article.

    Firstly, Motherwell have left their ‘mark’ on most teams in the league, even Rogers was up in arms about a tackle on one of their players. To that end you are not whining, something must be done before a player receives an injury which cuts his career and income.

    Secondly is Warburton.

    I agree his tenure was very poor in the top division, however, you mentioned St Johnstone finding us out. Can I just remind you that they were the first Premiership side we faced. In the Scottish cup run we played, Kilmarnock and drew at Ibrox, best them away, beat Dundee before we beat Celtic at Hampden. With regards to the type of football we played then, I’d do anything to see that type of football that passed Celtic of the park that day. Warburton May have been rubbish in the big league, but, in the last five years he gave us our greatest day when we beat Celtic.

    The team lack confidence and direction just now, but, I feel your site is a ‘glass half empty’ site

  2. Something needs to be done. For instance herrera gets assaulted on the field of play with a boot to the face.with a facial injury in which blood flows from his nose.the perpetrator is shown a yellow card for what I deemed serious foul play causing harm. Meanwhile our player has to go off and receive treatment to stem the blood flow, change the shirt for any traces of blood. Meanwhile the perpetrator is still on the field of play and the game is resumed while we are down to 10 men for 4/5 min in which gives advantage to the opposite team. It's all wrong.

    • Scott, I totally agree with your point about the team with the player off the park through injury. They are penalised whilst the offenders gain an immediate advantage. It happens in all leagues and it’s crazy. There needs to be a temporary replacement while that player is treated. The status quo is illogical.
      On other matters, one thing I’ve learned over the last 50 odd years it is pointless mumping and moaning about discontent with team, manager or board at Rangers there are always highs and lows and right now is obviously a low. This recovery will be a marathon NOT a sprint. Throughout our history we have had amazing successes and miserable mind numbing drudgery. We, as Rangers, always recover. As big Marvin famously said, Believe! C’mon the ‘Gers!

  3. We are crying out for a Hurlock or a Roberts! Motherwell would be too afraid to dish out rough stuff if they knew that we would get revenge on the park! There's no point in moaning that we're getting bullied by teams, because as long as we have a soft centre this will always happen. The only way to stop being on the receiving end of over physical tactics is to sign payers who are up for a fight! This is the legacy of Warburton signing tippy tappy lightweights! We could do a lot worse than bringing Andy Murdoch back to Rangers and signing Ryan Bowman while we are at it!

    • Are you on glue? Sign a guy who can't get a start for Motherwell and a lower league standard player? Let's just have a team of hammer throwers, we won't win many games but feck it, eh? Ffs

    • Totally agree with article and am struggling to remember any hard but fair players we've had in the last few years but Would also like to say that the minute we sign players who won't put up with bullying/ over the top tactics from other teams,you can bet your bottom dollar our player won't get away with it and that's because it's Glasgow Rangers!!! watp helicopter 2005 ��

    • I agree that Jack is being victimised by the referees, but I still feel that we should stand up to bullying, with some hard players. I would prefer to see us have a player who sorts out dirty opponents and gets sent off sometimes, to lying down to over physical tactics. I feel we would improve with a Hurlock type in the squad, even if he was picked on by referees, which I agree he probably would be. The opposition would cut out the rough stuff, if they thought they would get a bit of their own medicine back! We will always be picked on by the other teams, with wee men like Holt in the side.

  4. I have Been reading the articles on this page for a long time now and I appreciate the no nonsense approach, not fearing the backlash from what people think. At times I would constantly read people's replays, and some of them would consistently slate the board. I did not agree with their comments and would bite my tongue. However I find it so bad at our club now, and so pathetically aimless that there seems to be no hope at this time. And I've been swayed now 100% in believing the board top to bottom are the wrong people. It's been shambolic from top to bottom, we seem to be going no where now and there is no hope. They lie to us regurally and the court cases are drugging us further into the mire. I don't fully understand all that's going on but I'm no mug and I can now see these guys are taking us no where!

    Rant over. Everything else nowadays is just papering over massive cracks.

  5. The club's in a cunt of a state the now.
    Board made a total arse giving Pedro the job then giving him money also.
    We need 2 clear outs in the next 2 windows and some very clever business by Mark Allan.
    If we can get rid of the pish currently pulling on the Rangers top and get some decent money and the wage bill down.
    As for last nite get fuking stuck in to them were far to soft all over the park.
    Jack can't win no matter what, if he went straight through he's off.
    BTW we were pish poor again last nite, Murty s tactics are so pedestrian,board have hung the poor man out to dry the clowns.
    We need a real manager before anything will change completely.

  6. Terry Hurlock , souness, Roberts ? Love Ibrox noise but are you Dave King in disguise , trying to deflect the fact we just aren't good anymore ? Its a weak post in my view .

    • This is probably the most amusing comment we've seen in ages Stuart! If you enjoy our site and read frequently you'd know we regularly criticise King, the board and the team. Discussing the fact our players are being assaulted as well is hardly us trying to deflect anything (!)

      Merry Xmas!

  7. in Scotland there is no line the refs let it go then people start to get hurt bad its the refs to blame they need to do there job right by sending them off over and over again so they doing this get the message.

  8. It is very blatant, the referees are most bias against our players. The opposition will assault our players with no punishment, but will book our players when the opposition fall over their boot laces. The SFA are run by the beggars.
    We do have powder puff players though. They are so easily pushed off the ball and do not have the strength to challenge for the ball back.
    We need strong, athletic, committed and tough players to cope with our game!

  9. Just seen that Murty says he didnt think there was any intent to injure Ryan Jack by the Motherwell player he should have said what all the other managers say when it is one of our players who has made a debatable tackle and that is the tackle was dangerous and there was intent, this is why we get the short straw every time when it comes to the authorities in Scottish football incidentally nothing said about Herrera getting a boot in the face by the same player

  10. Rangers need a leader off the park and a leader on the park. For too long now we have been going from bad situation to bad situation. We are now a fragile team who can be bullied all over the park – we need stability. We need a leader on the board, we need a coach who is also a leader and we need a leader on the pitch. The new manager or the current one needs to build a spine for the team – from goalkeeper through to main striker and build around that spine. We need to stop panic buying and buy only secure and stable players.

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