The dismal record continues. It now extends to 26 visits to Ibrox without a win. Since Alex McLeish postponed the nine-in-a-row party, eight managers have come and gone without giving the small band wedged in the corner between the Broomloan and Govan stands the thrill of a win.
We held the lead for all of three minutes of game time, though we should be grateful that the intervening interval allowed a further fifteen for us to dream. Any Motherwell fan who felt that a shock was possible had their hopes shattered ninety seconds after the restart and when the fourth went in twenty minutes later the result was beyond doubt.
Afterwards, Craig Brown said, “You need a winning mentality at Ibrox or Celtic Park. Unfortunately we seemed, for a spell, not to have that.” That lack of belief has been a characteristic of Motherwell teams since that last win in 1997.
We return to Fir Park next week for the first of three home games in eight days. Dundee United will visit for league and cup business and then Hamilton come for the first derby of the season. By then the collapse at Ibrox will be forgotten. While the SPL games are important, the thought of a trip to Hampden for a semi-final would be anticipated through the dark winter months.