Make or break for Rangers - what next in Scottish title race?
Not even a week ago, many had stuck the favourites' tag on Rangers for the Scottish Premiership title as the top three headed into their first round of post-split fixtures. Then Jens Berthel Askou's Motherwell rocked up at Ibrox. The Fir Park side lived up to their billing as kingmakers in this gripping three-way fight for Scotland's top-flight crown by stunning Danny Rohl's men in an epic five-goal thriller .
Celtic had done their job 24 hours earlier, dispatching Falkirk 3-1 , before Hearts fought back to overcome nine-man Hibernian in a fraught Edinburgh derby . That means Rangers, now in third, travel to the capital for a Tynecastle showdown on Monday (17:30 BST) with a four-point deficit to make up on the leaders. If Martin O'Neill's Celtic take care of business at Hibernian on Sunday (12:00), Rohl's side will also have a four-point gap to close on their city rivals.
The Ibrox club are now in make-or-break territory as another blockbuster weekend in an unprecedented Premiership finale approaches. McInnes wants Tynecastle 'in full glory' for Rangers game Lucky to be only two goals down at the break, Rohl watched Motherwell boss Askou mastermind a stunning first-half display that highlighted and exploited the deficiencies in his side. After fighting back from a two-goal deficit at Falkirk to win 6-3 in their previous outing, the German head coach stuck with the 4-2-2-2 system that has served him well.
But Motherwell were able to outnumber Rohl's midfield completely, slicing through them at will time and again, while his full-backs were pinned back by Askou's wide forwards. It was a sobering first half for the Rangers boss, but his half-time switch to a 4-3-3 formation, along with the introductions of midfielder Mohamed Diomande and winger Mikey Moore, revitalised his team. Although they were ultimately undone late on by a fearless Motherwell side after dragging themselves back to 2-2, the second-half display will have given Rohl some crumbs of comfort - but plenty to ponder before Monday's encounter with Hearts.
Does he stick with the 4-2-2-2 shape, which was instrumental in Rangers' 4-2 victory over the leaders back in February, or is a rethink required? His decision-making may hinge on the availability of striker Ryan Naderi and left-back Tuur Rommens, who are key cogs in Rohl's preferred system. Rohl's decision to use his favoured 4-2-2-2 shape in Sunday's defeat to Motherwell meant they were outnumbered in midfield and picked apart by the Fir Park side in the first half However, the same system worked well against Hearts in Rangers' 4-2 victory back in February - but that was with Mikey Moore starting and both Ryan Naderi and Tuur Rommens available Whatever the approach, Rohl and his squad head to Gorgie knowing they will need to become the first side to win a Premiership match at Tynecastle this season if they are to haul themselves back into serious contention.