GERS COPPED REAL ROCKET
too passive in key areas of the pitch.
“I was going to make a change at half-time but I thought I’d give people a little bit more time.
“We have ourselves to blame for the outcome because we never came to this game until half-time.
“We had to get into them at half-time and demand more from them in and out of possession.
“We got a reaction from them. We were really good in the second half and we were unlucky not to get another goal or two.
“As a group we all know where we are at and where we are trying to get to.
“Last week the players were outstanding for 60 minutes but we left the game too early. Today it was a bit the opposite.
“We had an email from Motherwell, to be fair, a few days ago talking about the standard of the pitch but we knew that at this stage of the season you’re not going to get perfect pitches. Ibrox isn’t perfect at the moment.
“It was just to give us an early indication about the pitch and that if the weather turned we could have an issue, and also to say Motherwell had needed to use it and it was not in the usual condition.
“It’s normally a fantastic pitch here. It was heads-up that if we had a period of weather that was bad the game could be 50-50.
“Thankfully the game went ahead but we appreciated the heads up but it’s nothing for Motherwell to be ashamed of.
“You see all the pitches, you saw Hibs’ pitch on Sportscene, Celtic Park, Ibrox, a lot of people are having issues with pitches because of the weather we’ve had and this stage of the season.
“We have to be ready for these environments and these pitches and we have to get on with it and do what we can.
“I don’t think the pitch was to blame for our first 45 minutes because you can’t blame a pitch for being passive and having no quality. In an ideal world we want to play on a perfect pitch but at this stage it’s not going to be the case.
“There’s no fingers pointed at Motherwell because given the weather and the conditions and the country we play in, it is what it is.”
Rangers are still 21 points clear at the top of the Premiership table while the draw saw Well leapfrog Lanarkshire rivals Hamilton Accies to move out of bottom spot.
Motherwell gaffer Graham Alexander was delighted with his side’s battling performance.
But for the second successive game of his Fir Park tenure he was left cursing the officials after a dodgy penalty award for St Mirren in his dugout debut cost him victory.
He said: “When you’re 1-0 up there is a tendency to try and protect.
“Although I didn’t see it at the time, it looks like an offside goal has got them a point.
“It’s frustrating because you can only control your game and your positions so if someone is offside then you’re controlling it by holding a good line.
“It was only after the game when someone showed me the still and a bit of footage and that hurts us a little bit.
“Having said that it’s good that the players are frustrated at taking a point from a side who are unbeaten this season.
“The boys deserved a little bit more because of what they’ve put in not just today, but during the whole week.
“But it’s a step forward for us and another point on our tally.”