Cup finals do not come along very often and to get destroyed in the way we did will hurt for a long time. This was as close as we got! 
Reaching the final was an achievement in itself but that should not detract from the fact that the players – collectively and individually – were terrible. There was no one who really emerged with credit although a couple of them may be slightly more exempt than others. There are reasons for the debacle, some more valid than others, and Terry Butcher will no doubt be analysing the video to see what we can learn from the defeat. But, as much as it hurts, ultimately this is just one defeat. We were proud to support Motherwell before the game and we should be just as proud now.
The players have done well this season and if we are all being honest, winning the cup was always going be hard. The large pitch was not going to help us and we all knew that if Rangers played well, they would win. They did play well and it was just disappointing that we couldn’t test them.
The league campaign can still give us some fond memories of the season though and the players and fans must bounce back quickly. The great thing about football is there is always another game and regardless of whether it takes months or years, we will get another chance sooner or later. In the meantime there is the opportunity to cement our place in the top six for this season, something that would be a great achievement.
Terry Butcher has committed himself to the club and the money from the cup run and our league position can be used to keep us moving forward. Some players will not make the cut but there are tough decisions to be made if we are to move on.
The League Cup final 2005 will act as a spur for us to get back there again. Would you rather have had the League Cup this year or the Scottish Cup next season? You still need to believe!