McCormack Questions Rangers’ Convincing Power Despite Semi-Final Win

Rangers secured a victory in their crucial League Cup semi-final against Motherwell on Sunday. However, the performance did not significantly bolster their image as serious contenders for trophies, a sentiment echoed by former Ibrox forward Ross McCormack. The team initially trailed 1-0 following a goal from Andy Halliday, leading to loud disapproval from the crowd at half-time. Philippe Clement’s squad subsequently reversed their fortunes in the second half. Speaking on the Scottish Football Podcast, Ross McCormack, who played for both Rangers and Motherwell, stated: “I think the fans will need a lot more than that to be convinced.” He further criticized their initial performance, adding: “I thought they were, first half especially, miles off it. “They just weren’t at the races. Motherwell deservedly lead through Andy Halliday, who attacked it well at the back-post and scored. Jefte, I don’t know where he was going for it. He was running the other way. It’s just totally bizarre, but that summed up their full first half performance.”” McCormack continued his assessment, saying: “I thought they were pretty poor. They looked quite nervous, even the sort of players that you can rely on really weren’t at the levels that you thought they would be.” Following the interval, Rangers swiftly equalized with a goal from Cyriel Dessers, and Nedim Bajrami secured the winning goal in the 81st minute. McCormack commented on the team’s second-half turnaround: “Obviously they got the rocket up the backside at half-time and they came out straight away and got one back. After that, it only looked as if it was going to be a matter of time, there was only going to be one winner. “In the end, second half, they’re probably deserving of it but in terms of convincing the Rangers fans, I don’t think today’s anywhere near going to do that. They’ll need to be a lot better.”” A significant tactical decision by Clement during the game involved substituting captain James Tavernier for Dujon Sterling after 67 minutes. McCormack further noted: “Over the last five or six years, any time Rangers needed a moment to get back into a game or get a winner, that was your go-to guy,” He elaborated on the substitution: “It says a lot, getting taken off with 25 minutes to go at 1-1 in a semi-final which they had to win. I don’t think Tavernier will have any complaints. He’ll probably know he wasn’t at the levels that he’s been at. “He’ll dust himself down and go again, but what’s that going to mean for their next game? Does he stay in the team? It’s a big, big decision that Clement has made.”” Ross McCormack’s comments were made during an appearance on the Scottish Football Podcast, available for listening and subscription on BBC Sounds.