Motherwell v Rangers: Stuart McCall faces tactics dilemma

Rangers are right to go back to the future against Motherwell this afternoon.

With 167 goals to his credit, Kris Boyd is the Scottish Premier League’s all-time record goalscorer.

Ahead of some fantastic strikers, not least the Celtic legend, Henrik Larsson.

In attempting to beat the odds and overturn Motherwell’s 3-1 lead to claim a place in the Premiership, it surely makes sense that he will be given the chance to show just why he was the best.

Kris isn’t the force he was when he was breaking through at Kilmarnock, or racking up the numbers in his first spell with Rangers.

But as we saw in the first leg of the Play-off Final at Ibrox on Thursday night, he is still a huge threat.

He had one goal chopped off for offside, and was denied another by an excellent stop from goalkeeper George Long.

Had he scored, we would be talking about a whole different scenario today.

As things stand, Motherwell must be considered favourites to be playing in the top flight next season.

But if they only led 3-2, I would argue Rangers would be the team we would fancy to come out on top.

It is a tricky situation for Stuart McCall.

Two goals behind, he has to send out his team to be positive and make the most of any opportunity that comes their way.

At the same time, he will know that allowing Motherwell with their counter-attacking flair the sort of space they offered up at Ibrox could be fatal.

So what is needed at Fir Park, I believe, is a balanced approach.

Give yourself the best chance to cash in on the sort of chances created at Ibrox by playing Boyd and Kenny Miller up front.

But shore up a defence which will be missing the banned Darren McGregor by recalling skipper Lee McCulloch and moving Lee Wallace inside from the left and have Marius Zaliukas complete a back three.

I would have Stevie Smith who as we saw in the first of Rangers’ play-off games in Dumfries, offers a real threat at set-pieces pushing forward in Wallace’s place, and Ricky Foster doing likewise on the right.

In the centre of midfield the trio of Andy Murdoch, Nicky Law and Haris Vuckic would be asked to supply the sort of possession we saw Rangers enjoy at either end of the first leg.

But while that 3-5-2 line-up would, I believe, offer the Ibrox side the best chance of success, it might not be enough.

Motherwell were impressive in running up their 3-1 lead. Ian Baraclough had a clear gameplan, and it worked a treat.

His wide players broke at great pace and took the opportunities that came their way.

Scott McDonald gave great support to his midfield by dropping deep, and when he went off, Lee Erwin led the line really well.

He was strong, committed and linked the play up well.

I also liked another former Celtic regular, Steven Pearson, who did a nice job of ensuring Rangers creative players were denied the time and space they would have liked.

Even so, I am still not sure whether they were as Stuart McCall has stated very good indeed, or whether they were flattered by the mistakes of the opposition.

In learning the identity of the final Premiership member for season 2015-16, we should also get a decent indication how much they deserve their prize.