The performances of the Rangers players against Motherwell really were quite different in each half. The sheer paucity of quality in the first half was replaced by some good football and energy in the second. With that in mind, here’s my opinion on how each player rated overall.
WES FODERINGHAM – 6
Foderingham, in truth, didn’t have many saves to make. He had no chance with the second Motherwell goal, and can’t be blamed for not saving the penalty either. One moment in the first half saw him come out to claim a long cross and almost lose the ball, but he recovered well. As Motherwell didn’t press too high, his distribution was easy enough.
JAMES TAVERNIER – 6
In the first half, Tavernier really seemed to struggle. He was beaten in the challenge too often, one of which led to the second goal. His play going forward was poor, often losing the ball. It was to his credit that he completely turned that around in the second half. He won and scored the penalty which dragged Rangers back into the game. He was beating players and defending well, and created good chances with some crosses. The threat led to Motherwell bringing on a more defensive player on their left at 2-2 to try and deal with it. Due to his attitude and ability to raise his game second half, Tavernier done fine overall.
RUSSELL MARTIN – 5
Everyone knew exactly how Motherwell were going to approach this match. With their physicality up front, the central defenders were going to be in a battle. In the first half, both really struggled. Russell Martin conceded the penalty, and was often caught out by longer balls. He stuck closely to Bowman, but that meant he was dragged out of position many times. He was unable to get a grip of the game or influence it in any way. Despite that, he did really well to block a shot from Campbell which could have led to a third goal. He defended better in the second half, as did the entire team.
BRUNO ALVES – 5
Alves had a similar struggle in defence. Main was playing well against both defenders, and causing issues with his style. Alves won many headers, but looked isolated in defence quite often. He also struggled to find players with longer passes which kept the pressure on Rangers in the first half. At both goals, the lack of understanding between him and Martin was pretty apparent. In the second half, when able to play a bit higher, he done much better. Throughout the game, he was in the face of the Motherwell forwards when they tried to wind him up.
DECLAN JOHN – 6
In the first half, John barely got a chance to get forward. There was nothing of note from him as the game was played in a way which clearly doesn’t suit him. Second half, he saw plenty of the ball, and helped create a few chances. It was his cross which led to the Rangers penalty, and his runs made plenty of space for Murphy to play in.
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GREG DOCHERTY – 6
This was possibly the least effective Docherty has been for Rangers so far. Playing next to a new partner in midfield, he looked very unsure on how to approach the game in the first half. He would check out of runs forward for fear of being caught defensively. As the ball spent a lot of time in the air, he was struggling to make an impact. In the second half, though, he really stepped up his level. He was able to win the ball more, and helped Rangers increase the tempo of their attacks.
GRAHAM DORRANS – 6
Dorrans was somewhat thrown into the starting lineup for this match. He hadn’t played a competitive game in 5 months. As such, the frenetic nature of the first half didn’t help him at all. He lost Campbell on the run for Motherwell’s second goal. Later in the half, he got caught in a similar way. It looked like his lack of match sharpness was going to be a major issue. Like Docherty though, his second half showing was much better. He controlled the midfield for large spells, and created good chances. One moment of quality in particular, where he nutmegged Tait, almost led to a great chance from a cutback. With a lot of defensive responsibility, his overall performance was hampered, but there was plenty to be lauded after so long out.
DANIEL CANDEIAS – 6
Candeias, like all of the attacking players, struggled in the first half. A lot of passes were aimless, and his crossing easily dealt with. He worked hard to help out defensively, but couldn’t get into the game in any other way. In the second half, he was able to get some reward from the way Rangers won the ball better. He created a couple of good opportunities, and had one himself which he struck straight at Carson. His passing improved as he seemed better able to spot good runs.
JOSH WINDASS – 5
The nature of the game really didn’t suit a player like Windass in the first half. His role is one, as Murty has described numerous times, which relies upon getting on the end of chances more than anything else. As such, the way Motherwell dominated the midfield led to him being completely nullified. He did have far more influence second half, as he got closer to Morelos and linked up well. Created a good chance for Candeias, and could have scored himself with a couple of headers. His injury looked like a sore one, though, and overall it wasn’t a game he can claim to have done well in.
JAMIE MURPHY – 7
Murphy was the only player in the first half who looked like he wasn’t panicking. He showed for the ball constantly, and had our only real chance of the first 45 minutes. In the second half, he was excellent. His goal was a great finish, something he’s threatened numerous times already at Rangers. He stretched the Motherwell defence, found good space, and linked up excellently with his teammates. In his short time at the club, he’s shown that his level is a bit above most of the squad.
ALFREDO MORELOS – 7
Morelos let himself get a bit wound up in the first half. In truth, he was justified in being so given how poor the decisions were from the referee regarding him. He was booked for dissent, and looked like he was going to be sent off. The second half, however, showed that he has that maturity and ability which most Rangers fans are excited by. He absolutely won every battle against the Motherwell defence, and didn’t allow the yellow card to change his style of play. It was his strength and pass which led to the Murphy goal. Many were frustrated by his shot towards the end, but looking at the replay, a cross wasn’t on and it was simply a poor hit rather than terrible decision.
JASON CUMMINGS – 3
Cummings replaced Windass, but didn’t have much time to make an impact.
Any ratings you disagree with? Tweet us @rangersnewsuk with your thoughts!