The club have said it hopes the game will go ahead as emergency work is being carried out but while the income from such a fixture would definitely be welcome, from a playing side it has to be asked if a postponement wouldn’t suit us better. We are still without a permanent manager and while Gordon Young may be an excellent head of youth development, as he himself admitted he is not a suitable boss at this level. It is hard to imagine him outfoxing Walter Smith.
Motherwell have had various managers lead us against Rangers in the last eight years and while we have taken a number of credible draws, victory has eluded us. James McFadden’s toe poke on Boxing Day 2002 was the last winning goal we have netted against them so perhaps there is a lot to be said for simply hoping for a fighting performance and a large slice of luck.
With the exception of the suspended Steve Jennings we have everyone available but radical changes would seem unlikely. Saunders coming in at full back and Hateley joining the midfield would seem the natural switch although Forbes and Fitzpatrick are further, if unlikely, alternatives.
Rangers are without Jelavic, Broadfoot and Webster due to injury but could be strengthened by Lafferty and Edu returning. They are full of confidence as they are at the top of the table but haven’t won in their last three games. It will take something special but if everything goes well we may be able to extend that streak by claiming a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw.