Months after copping flak for refusing to celebrate his goal against Rangers, Andy Halliday captained Motherwell to victory at Ibrox.
The former Gers midfielder has been a key figure for the Steelmen in recent weeks and was handed the armband by new boss Michael Wimmer for the game against his former employers at the weekend.
When the two sides met in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final, he put Well ahead in the tie and Halliday was caned for then refusing to celebrate.
But anyone doubting his commitment to the cause was put back in their place on Saturday.
Halliday has already spoken on the game and criticised Cyriel Dessers, Robin Propper, Jack Butland and Jefte for their roles in Gers’ goals conceded.
Halliday shocked by poor Rangers display
Motherwell, led out by Halliday, were brilliant and played the game perfectly – pressing Rangers high and aggressively and playing some good football of their own.
But Gers contributed to it by not getting into their own rhythm or responding to how their visitors took the game to them.
The 33-year-old was surprised by how off it they were.
He said on Open Goal: “Aye I was, to be honest with you. You knew Ibrox was going to be rocking. Barry Ferguson is a hero, he’s coming back and they’ve come back from 2-0 down (at Kilmarnock).
“Under Clement I don’t think they come back from two down at Rugby Park, so you’re thinking ‘he’s got a tune of out them already’.
“But you’re expecting them to start fast and then we started fast, we were the ones in the ascendancy. We got a corner after 15 seconds and I don’t think they reacted.
“And then end up making three subs at half-time which kind of tells it’s own story.”
Rangers failed to cope with Motherwell
Something else that surprised Halliday was his own manager’s approach but he insists the German and their players deserve huge credit for executing it.
He added: “I think everybody would’ve been surprised at how we played, honestly I thought we were excellent. It was arguably our best 45 minute performance of the season.
“You know I see the game a certain way but when the manager is saying on Friday ‘we’re going after them, high press, play out from the back’, I’m even thinking ‘this could go one way or the other’.
“Ibrox is going to be bouncing, Barry Ferguson’s first game at Ibrox, they’ve just come back from 2-0 down at Rugby Park. So you just always feel you need to start well.
“I think they were a bit shocked with how we approached it because they kept taking touches when we pressed them and we just kept taking the ball off them.
“They wouldn’t have been expecting us to play out from the back so they’ve not really got a press on. They’re just building up in a 4-4-2, we’ve got an overload in the middle of the pitch and kept playing through the lines.”
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