A look at the player ratings (out of 10) for yesterday’s match against Motherwell.
WES FODERINGHAM – 8
Many were scathing of Foderingham for his involvement in the Motherwell equaliser. Personally, I felt the cross was just too good and there were too many players in front of him to come for that. He commanded the box well for the most part, and despite not having any other shots on target to face until very late in the game, he made a great save to win us the points. One mistake in his distribution could have led to a goal, but overall he played well.
LEE HODSON – 5
Possibly a little harsh on Hodson, but he was one of a few players responsible for the Motherwell goal and didn’t offer anything going forward. He hasn’t had as much game time in pre-season as he’d have liked, and it was clear he wasn’t sharp. Never went hiding or shirked a challenge, but not a good performance.
FABIO CARDOSO – 7
Stood up to the physical play of Moult very well. The doubts over whether or not he could handle that side of Scottish football were unfounded yesterday. His booking for the challenge on Moult, who had spent the game trying to bully our players, was almost welcomed as it let the Motherwell striker know we weren’t for just accepting it. Cardoso also had a great moment of defending very late in the game when he was exposed, where he stood up well and won the ball instead of diving in.
BRUNO ALVES – 8
Alves edges it over Cardoso mainly due to the amount of headers he won, his involvement in the opening goal and his clear leadership. Yesterday was a game where you needed players who refused to lose, and he was one of them. Composed on the ball despite the hectic nature of the match, barely lost a header, and looked every inch the top class defender.
LEE WALLACE – 6
Wallace, along with Windass, should have done more to prevent the cross for the Motherwell equaliser. He was exposed more often than Hodson due to Windass not tracking back as much, but he offered far more going forward. Like Alves, he was strong with his leadership and mentality, but it wasn’t his best performance. Had he crossed instead of shot when sent through, or had Miller not been so deep in the box from one of Wallace’s great crosses, he’d have had an assist and a better rating.
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DANIEL CANDEIAS – 7
Candeias must be pretty sore today because he never stopped running yesterday. His workrate and passion is clear, and he also crossed in some great balls which weren’t taken advantage of. Should have chalked up an assist with the lay-off for Miller, and he tracked back all the time to help out in defence.
RYAN JACK – 7
Jack played very well in the first half, but was a little looser in the second. A couple of tired-looking attempts to win the ball gave Motherwell some good chances, but overall he kept his position well and was clearly an important player during the spells we dominated possession.
GRAHAM DORRANS – 9
Dorrans gets the high rating not only for his two goals, but his overall play. Strong, composed, direct, determined – exactly what we hoped he’d provide. Offered a real threat going forward whilst helping out in defence when required. His booking for the cynical pull of the shirt late in the game was the epitome of his desire to win.
JOSH WINDASS – 7
If Windass could have played anywhere near as well in the second half as he had in the first, he’d have been a clear man of the match. However, it seemed like he’d burnt himself out in the first 45, and offered little in the second half as Motherwell changed their formation to deal with his threat. Had he scored the chance he created from one of his great runs, it would have been a goal of the season contender. Definitely some great signs of progress, but the second half let him down.
EDUARDO HERRERA – 6
I liked the workrate and link-up play Herrera offered, but he struggled to get into the game for the most part. When we needed the ball to stick up front in the second half to relieve the pressure, he wasn’t able to provide that. Some smart touches and passes, and one decent effort with a header, but not a lot overall.
KENNY MILLER – 6
Much like Herrera, Miller offered great workrate and was always available to take the ball. He missed a great chance to score early in the second half and was often too deep in the box when crosses came in. His leadership did make a huge difference though, and he’ll clearly be an important player for us this season.
SUBS:
JAMES TAVERNIER – 6
Came on for Hodson and helped make us more effective both in defence and going forward. Had a great shot at goal which went just over, and showed good link-up with Candeias.
DANNY WILSON – 5
Only rated so lowly as he wasn’t on the pitch that long, but he helped the defence deal with the pressure applied by Motherwell very well.
ALFREDO MORELOS – 4
Again, not on the pitch for very long. By this point in the game we were struggling to get out, but he did offer a good outlet and linked up play well more than once.
What were your match ratings? Tweet us @rangersnewsuk with your thoughts!