Well’s home form can help them through

IREMEMBER interviewing Gordon Strachan when he was Celtic manager and we spoke about the impact a big crowd can have on an important match.

He said he believed such talk was overblown and that a fan can’t run on the park and score a goal. But it does appear what is meant to be a help can become a hindrance when the going gets tough, and it certainly looked that way at Ibrox on Thursday as 49,000 Rangers supporters were unable to stop their team losing 3-1 to Motherwell in the Premiership play-off first leg.

The groans, gasps and frustrations were easy to detect on a night when the big home crowd didn’t have the effect of a twelfth man.

Aside from any tension on the sidelines, the most crucial factor in the game was that Motherwell produced a fine counterattacking performance. After a good first 20 minutes for Rangers, Lee Erwin’s opener had a demoralising effect on the hosts and Ian Baraclough’s team took strength from it.

Motherwell were very good value for their win and Stuart McCall now has a massive decision to make in how he approaches tomorrow’s second leg.

There are two ways to go. One is to go hell for leather in search of an early goal, which was the challenge faced by Hibs last week. They pressed and probed but ultimately didn’t get it and Rangers grew into the match. The other option is to try and frustrate Motherwell and mount a late strike.

I remember during his time at Well on the last game of the season a year ago, McCall took his team to Pittodrie needing a win to finish second ahead of Aberdeen.

A lot of people said then that an early goal would put fear into the Dons, but the tactics from Stuart that day saw Motherwell soak up the pressure, stay in the game then strike in the dying seconds.

It wouldn’t surprise me if he did that again. With the away goal rule out of play, if they can wipe out the deficit in 90 minutes and take it to extra-time then they would take that.

It’s not impossible, but it will take a lot. I believe that it is not enough for Rangers to perform, no matter how well they play. They are relying on Motherwell having an off day as well.

Much was made of the Lanarkshire side’s wretched away record prior to Thursday, when they put in their best showing on the road for some time. But Motherwell’s home record is actually very good.

I’ve seen them comfortably dispose of St Mirren, Hamilton and Kilmarnock in recent months, and I think they will probably do enough to get through.