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Thread: Motherwell one game away from a final

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
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    18,496

    Motherwell one game away from a final

    Since winning the Scottish Cup in 1991 Motherwell's success in national cup semi-finals has been limited to two wins in five attempts. Let's hope that the ratio improves on Sunday. - External Link

  2. #2
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    Oct 2004
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    When the draw was made just minutes after we thumped Aberdeen in the QF I was actually confident we could win this, possibly the adrenaline running high, but as the game draws nearer I'm starting to get that same old feeling of dread that it'll be same old, same old against Rangers, experience perhaps is leading me down this path.

    Rangers aren't great but they have decent players and on the big pitch at Hampden they could exploit us. We on the other hand also have some decent players capable of hurting them and we need all of them to be firing on all cylinders and give them no respect whatsoever. We need to take them as the average side they are, not play the name 'Rangers' as we've been guilty of all too often in the past.

    I have never seen us knock Rangers (old or new) out of a Cup in my lifetime and our exits and defeats have been sickening. The Stevie Woods game in 98, the 4-3 Hampden SCSF when Clarkson missed a sitter when we were 2-1 up, the 2005 LCF no show, the 2011 LCSF, McCall's pathetic capitulation against them when they were in the third division, last season's Scottish cup...and there have been many more.

    I would give my left testicle to see us win on Sunday and reach the final but we will need a monumental performance and something that we never get against Rangers - luck, in order to progress.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
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    2,704
    One thing we can be sure of is Robinson Won't approach this game the way McCall or McGhee might have. He will have the players believe we can win this before a ball is kicked rather than the other way round. It is going to be difficult, Rangers aren't a great side but player for player they are better than us. We will approach the match in the right manner and that alone gives us half a chance. I like the look of the guy Hartley at the back. I think he could be a key man for us on Sunday. Organises well and takes no prisoners. Just the type of character you need in games like this.

  4. #4
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    Oct 2004
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    That's one of the biggest reasons we have to be more confident in the past facing this team, in that our current manager won't allow us to fall into the trap of believing that Rangers are this almighty force that we should consider ourselves fortunate to share a park with. Butcher, McCall and McGhee all did well for us in their stints as Motherwell FC manager, but their attitude and approach to games like these was disgraceful. We were subservient, meek and beaten before a ball was kicked all because it was "the mighty Glesga Rainjurz" we were up against. From what I've seen and heard from Stephen Robinson so far, he will not allow us to fall into that psychological trap and that is reason for encouragement if nothing else is.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
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    Think if we can keep or nerves and temperament in tact and play a high pressing game from the off. Then there is no doubt in my mind that we have every chance of a victory. My one and only real concern is that the players let the occasion get to them, and this is where the likes of the backroom staff like McManus,Lasley and Craggs could be invaluable in helping our younger players.

  6. #6
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    Sep 2009
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    A quick, and to the point summing up here - it's 50/50 IMO.

  7. #7
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    Nov 2009
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    It'll be a tough game but we can do it. I've never seen us beat Rangers in a cup game, although we've come very very close and been unfairly denied. The referee will be crucial and if its a tough physical battle he won't favour us.

  8. #8
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    Oct 2004
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    The referee won't matter a jot and we need to get any thoughts that the officials will be out to do us over right out of our heads as that's just nonsense and a ready made excuse incase we lose. Folk were coming out with that sort of guff before the playoffs, that "there was no way we would be allowed to win and the officials would do everything to ensure Rangers were promoted" and as it happened the officials were very fair, indeed we benefitted from being let off with a penalty award at 0-0 in the 2nd leg.

    We need to concentrate on us, our gameplan and approach and forget Rangers and non existent conspiracies with referees.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
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    1,350
    I think Texaco Cup makes a telling point. Keeping our nerve will be crucial. On the plus side many of our guys are new to the game in Scotland so do not have the same fear of the Rangers name as those who have played here long term. But the flip side is that few have experienced playing in front of such a large crowd, most of which will be opposition fans, in such a crucial game. This will be a new experience for a lot of them, whereas the Rangers players play in front of large crowds in most games. It’s easy to counter this view by saying “ah, but our guys are pros, this is their job” but it does make me worry that guys like Dunne (low confidence) or Kipre and Campbell (both young and inexperienced) could be caught out by the occasion. Even Hartley, who is experienced and has played at Wembley, showed naievity in his comments about “fighting Moreles” (how to make yourself a target for the ref by a stupid comment).
    If they can overcome the occasion and keep their nerve our guys have a good chance of winning. I certainly hope so and I’ll be there with my pals on the day.

  10. #10
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    Oct 2004
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    Yeah I wasn't impressed by that comment from Hartley, he'd be as well keeping his mouth shut and doing his talking on the pitch. Sunday will be a hard enough game as it is without our players running their mouths off and firing up their's.

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