Rangers 24h on

As soon as Amoruso opened the scoring in the early minutes at Ibrox, ‘Well fans feared a total drubbing. No Leitch or McFadden, an unfit Pearson and a youthful debutant up against Peter Lovenkrands were factors that combined to make our task even harder then usual. However, in holding Rangers for the next seventy minutes we displayed a resilience and determination that gives us hope for the future.

Kaiser Corrigan

The second goal was careless from our point of view; we were punished for sleeping at a free kick. The third was a cruel blow at the death and possibly painted an unfair reflection on the final score. The result was disappointing if not unexpected but we have more important things to worry about than a loss at the old firm. Dirk Lehmann has been inspirational for us this year and if he is out for any length of time we will be in severe trouble. McFadden is out for the Livingston game and that could leave us with a choice of two from Ferguson, Russell and Jack. Even when the Golden Child returns, none of his potential strike partners can make the same impact as Dirk. David Partridge has been solid if unspectacular in the middle of our defence and he will be out for several games. Along with the automatic suspension for his sending off, he will have exceeded the penalty point limit and can probably expect to miss three matches. We have a ready-made replacement on the bench in Daniel Sengewald but he has not made a convincing start to his Motherwell career. He will need to settle in quickly if we are to stop the rot.

Thankfully, we have a mid-week game that gives us the chance to get back to winning ways. McFadden and Partridge are both available for selection and the League Cup may prove a pleasant distraction from the battle for points. Hopefully Terry Butcher will rest Leitch, Lehmann and Pearson to ensure they are fully fit for the relegation battles in the coming weeks. Butcher also gets to experiment with our forward selection and Ian Russell will look forward to getting an extended run when service might be provided on a more regular basis.

Regardless of whether we win or lose the cup-tie, our next two league games could make or break our season. Even if we lose at home to Livingston we cannot go bottom but the danger sirens will be ringing loud and clear. Livingston were fortunate to beat us on the opening day and have only recorded one league win since. They are below us in the league, which is conclusive proof that we are more than capable of beating them.

Our opening match in November is at Firhill in what promises to be another dire relegation fight. Thistle are one of the worst sides we have faced this season and if we play to anything near our potential we should win. Of course, if it was that simple no one would turn up to games. If we fail to beat Livingston, the pressure will be well and truly on and our youthful side will need to cope with that.

In a fortnight’s time, we might be mid-table and in a cup quarter final. It’s not panic time yet!