Rangers

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• Motherwell have lost eight of their last nine meetings with Rangers in all competitions, winning the other in March of last season (2-1). The Steelmen have already lost twice to the Gers in 2024-25 (August and November).

• Rangers are unbeaten in 29 league visits to Motherwell (W20 D9) since going down 1-0 on Boxing Day 2002 under Alex McLeish.

• Motherwell won their final league match of 2023 3-1 against Livingston; not since 2015 have they won their last such game in successive calendar years (3 in a row).

• Each of the last four occasions that Rangers have lost their final top-flight league game of a calendar year have been against Celtic; when facing a side other than their Old Firm rivals in their last such match (excluding 2012 when they were expelled from the top division at the end of the season), the Gers are unbeaten in 26 games (W23 D3) since 0-2 defeat to Hearts in 1985.

• Rangers' James Tavernier has been directly involved in nine goals in his last 10 league appearances against Motherwell (four goals, five assists). Indeed, he has five goals and four assists in his last seven league matches at Fir Park.

Trabzonspor hope to pursue the signing of Rangers left-back Ridvan Yilmaz next month, according to Turkish transfer specialist Ersan Serdal. (The Herald, external - subscription required)

If Leon Balogun fails to recover from injury in time for the Old Firm derby at Ibrox on 2 January, Rangers need to find defensive cover as soon as the transfer window opens, says former Ibrox captain Barry Ferguson. (Daily Record), external

Philippe Clement "does not completely trust all of his players and vice versa", reckons former Rangers striker Kris Boyd, who says the manager would not survive another loss to Celtic if the club "is still operating to the standards I grew up with". (Scottish Sun), external

Read the rest of Saturday's Scottish gossip.

Sportscene pundits Scott Allan and Steven Naismith dissect Rangers' 2-1 defeat by St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership.

We asked for your views on Rangers' 2-1 Boxing Day defeat by St Mirren.

Here's what some of you said:

Steven: Don't even know where to start with this team. It's one step forward and two steps back. Opportunity to close the gap at the top and open up some daylight between ourselves and third and they can't take it. We simply can't break teams down that set up to defend - hence better performances in Europe. Something has to change - starting with strikers!

Gerry: The inconsistency shown in this Rangers squad beggars belief. Each game brings a different level of performance leaving you wondering what next. That was the best Christmas present Celtic and their fans could have hoped for. We never seem to capitalise on any opportunity we get to make up the points deficit. How long can Philippe Clement keep making excuses?

Brian: Well where do I start, bad passes, couldn't control a ball properly, discipline was poor, poor leadership, no structure, l could keep going, bad, l think that's enough. Now the league has gone only the Scottish Cup left, could it be three seconds this year? Sorry Rangers, not acceptable.

Mark: Some of those players definitely need to take a long, hard look at themselves and actually think what playing in the blue shirt means.

Dave: I was naively beginning to think that things were on the turn and that stability was something I could look forward to and perhaps further building in the January window. I'm now not sure if we should be giving Clement any cash in January? Write this season off and let Patrick Stewart do his job by securing investment and a manager to get us where we belong.

Ronnie: Massive let down but predictable. Just when Rangers fans are speculating closing the gap to six points after the next Old Firm, bang, Rangers once again bring those hopes crashing down. The manner of the defeat typifies our season and leaves our season in tatters. Our present Rangers does not resemble the team I have supported all my life.

Gaz: Wow, I'm dumbfounded, I genuinely thought we had turned a corner in the last couple of weeks but the manager has to take the blame for selection. Take nothing away from St Mirren but we are a complete enigma at the minute. The players have some ability as the results in Europe suggest, so it has to be a mentality issue.

Gordon: It's not good enough to say we had a bad 45 minutes in the first half, Clement must play his best team at the start. Once his team had the game wrapped up, he can afford to give players a rest, not before! The same lack of killer instinct in front of goal will ultimately prove our undoing again this season.

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Danilo says "I know 100%" Rangers will bounce back from their Boxing Day defeat by St Mirren, but the striker admits "we just have to be strong" to recover in Sunday's visit to Motherwell.

The 25-year-old Brazilian came off the bench to score his side's equaliser only for Caolan Boyd-Munce to fire the hosts' late winner as Rangers slipped 12 points behind Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic.

Danilo and midfielder Nico Raskin had been rotated out of the starting line-up during the festive period but energised their side on being introduced at the break.

"We are used to so many games, especially with this busy period," the striker said. "That's what we want, as many games as possible, and everybody available in the squad. So we just have to be strong and then I think we can bounce back.

"That's the situation. We're going to bounce back - I know 100%. It's a good thing that on Sunday we have another opportunity."

Like manager Philippe Clement, Danilo admitted the first-half performance was "not to our standard" as another title slips away to their city rivals.

"To come into the dressing room 1-0 behind, it's not what we want," he added. "But we know our quality and we knew that we could bounce back.

"We were dominant after scoring and we were pushing them back - and then we had some chances - so I thought we would get the three points. But we were just unlucky that we conceded the goal in the last minute."

Watch highlights from St Mirren's dramatic 2-1 win against Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.

Rangers boss Philippe Clement is unsure over the extent of Leon Balogun's injury after the 36-year-old defender came off during the first half of the 2-1 Boxing Day loss at St Mirren. (Herald - subscription), external

Read Friday's Scottish gossip

Were you at the game or following the match elsewhere?

Either way, we want your views - have your say here, external.

Rangers manager Philippe Clement: "We lose very important points because we didn't perform how we should've in the first half It was below, below the level we need to play.

"That's why I was angry at half time. The reaction was good and the team played how they should have in the second half. We threw away 45 minutes and because of that we threw away three points.

"In the first half we didn't control the midfield. Playing like this you can't win games. It's cruel to get that goal against us, but we didn't lose the game in that situation, we lost it in the first half."

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Nick McPheat
BBC Sport Scotland

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After appearing to take forward strides in recent weeks, this defeat sends Rangers backwards.

The faintest of hopes of a title challenge after reducing Celtic's lead to nine points last weekend will disappear quickly.

The fact their first shot on target did not come until the 42nd minute, an effort on the spin from Hamza Igamane, tells the story of their woeful first half.

Philippe Clement's team selection will come under scrutiny, given Nicolas Raskin's urgency in midfield and Danilo's danger in the box upped the ante following the interval.

The Brazilian striker's equaliser came after James Tavernier curled a free-kick just wide before Vaclav Cerny smashed the frame of the goal.

But Rangers failed to take advantage when they smelled blood from their opponents, something their city rivals seem to have no issue with.

And the Ibrox side always seem to give you a chance when games are in the balance.

That was apparent again in Paisley as Dujon Sterling was dispossessed cheaply in a dangerous area in the build-up to St Mirren's dramatic winner.

Standard Liege boss Ivan Leko has "no doubts" about Northern Ireland international Isaac Price's potential, the 21-year-old midfielder having been linked with Rangers. (Record), external

Read latest Scottish gossip

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St Mirren left-back Scott Tanser is suspended but Toyosi Olusanya returns from a ban. Conor McMenamin is again a doubt while skipper Mark O'Hara remains out with a thigh problem.

Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland returns after being called to the birth of his daughter just before kick-off against Dundee.

John Souttar (groin) and Neraysho Kasanwirjo (knee) remain sidelined while Tom Lawrence is working his way back to fitness.

• St Mirren have lost 23 of their last 25 league meetings with Rangers (D2) since a 2-1 victory in December 2011.

• This will be the fifth league meeting between St Mirren and Rangers on Boxing Day. The Ibrox side have won all four to date (1908, 1938, 1970, 2021) by an aggregate score of 9-1.

• Rangers have won their last two away league games, as many as their previous 10 on the road beforehand (W2 D3 L5).

• Rangers have only lost one of their last 26 Boxing Day league games (W22 D3), going down 1-0 to Motherwell in 2002.

• St Mirren have lost three of their last four Scottish Premiership games on Boxing Day, winning the other 2-0 against Ross County in 2020.

Jamie Currie
Fan writer

The game against Dundee marked 125 years of our magnificent stadium and it was all about how the team responded to last week's cup final debacle.

I was pleased to hear Nedim Bajrami and Philippe Clement address the non-penalty in their post-match press conferences. This is an issue that shouldn't be overlooked or dismissed as 'white noise.'

Despite Vaclav Cerny's winner against a stubborn Dundee team - in a game where the VAR protocols were correctly followed - we were quite wasteful in front of goal.

That said, we are starting to play some decent football and create chances. In the earlier part of the season, it felt like we struggled to make many opportunities throughout a match.

It could have been five or six, especially when we hit the bar four times. It's positive signs and you have to hope the reprehensible cup final decision will light a fire in these players and possibly help the manager to cultivate a siege mentality going forward.

Things are looking far better when you consider how we looked domestically prior to that Kilmarnock game at the start of the month.

It's great to have Hamza Igamane and Danilo along with Cerny, Bajrami and Ianis Hagi and now we will have Oscar Cortes and Rabbi Matondo back on the wings. It makes a marked difference to our attacking play.

We will need all those players to be firing over the next four games as we enter a challenging period of the season. However, we have moved into second and clawed back two points on Celtic too.

So all in all, it was a decent week for us. Let's hope it continues over the coming games.

Rangers are open to offers for academy graduates Alex Lowry, 21, and Adam Devine, 21, in the January transfer window. (Rangers Review), external

A goal from former Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos, 28, helped Atletico Nacional to the Colombian league title. (Scottish Sun), external

And Morelos credited former Colombia goalkeeper Rene Higuita - who is now a coach at Atletico - for changing his "whole mentality". (Herald), external

Former Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha has been appointed as the new manager of Brazilian club Santos. (Santos FC on X), external

Former Rangers player Ian Murray, 43, is a candidate to replace James McPake as Dunfermline Athletic boss. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription), external

Read Tuesday's Scottish gossip

Jonathan Sutherland
Sportscene presenter

Rangers managed to eke out a 1-0 victory over Dundee which, after Aberdeen's defeat to Hibs, moved Philippe Clement's side up to second in the Premiership and they have one player in my Team of the Week.

Once again Vaclav Cerny was the difference maker for Rangers. Has a level of real quality when required.

Sportscene pundit Neil McCann dissects Ianis Hagi's contribution and Rangers' performance in the 1-0 win against Dundee.

(Available to UK users only)

Rangers will look to sell a couple of players in the January transfer window as they aim to cut costs. (Football Insider), external

Rangers want to continue to strengthening their board following the appointments of chairman Fraser Thornton and chief executive Patrick Stewart. (Football Insider), external

Read Monday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Watch the best of the action from Ibrox as Rangers win 1-0 against Dundee in the Scottish Premiership.

(Available to UK users only)

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Liam Kelly fulfilled a lifetime's ambition by making his Rangers debut - and crowned it with a clean sheet in the win over Dundee.

The 28-year-old goalkeeper, who came through the youth ranks at Ibrox before leaving for Livingston in 2018 then returning this year, was given his chance when Jack Butland was ruled out for personal reasons just before kick-off on Saturday.

"It felt unbelievable," said Kelly.

"I've been at Rangers a long, long time. Twenty years ago I first walked through the gates of the training centre. So that's what I've waited for, for the majority of my life.

"Over the moon, I got a clean sheet and a victory. I am so happy.

"That's why I signed, in case I was ever called upon. We do a lot of work with Colin Stewart, the goalie coach, to be ready.

"So in the warm-up, after I got the news that I was going to be playing, he just said, 'Let's go, that's what we're training for'. So big thanks to him. Big thanks to my mum and dad and my grandad.

"They've obviously put a lot of effort into getting me here. They took me to a lot of Rangers games over the years.

"I was really nervous. I just didn't want to let anybody down. I've still got full belief in my own ability. The boys played well, helped me a lot and we move on."