In his first league game in charge, the Rangers manager didn’t mince words during his post-match interview following their 1-1 draw with Motherwell.
He labeled the display as “extremely disappointing” and called on certain players to “check their egos,” admitting they were fortunate to leave Fir Park with a point in the Premiership opener.
His blunt criticism of the squad post-match left Chris Sutton stunned, as he remarked that such an outburst this early in the season was unprecedented.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Sutton said: “He knows the pressure to win is on, but this feels premature—almost desperate. It’s the first game of the season, and instead of easing in, he’s tearing into the dressing room like that. If he’s this harsh now, he must think they’re truly awful in training—where’s the balance?”
Rangers initially took the lead through James Tavernier, but Motherwell’s strong performance earned them a deserved equalizer via Emmanuel Longelo’s late strike.
Sutton added: “When have you ever seen a manager publicly dismantle his team on day one? Usually, they talk up pre-season progress, but he’s under immediate pressure to deliver—that was over the top.”
Ex-Rangers striker and SunSport columnist Kris Boyd, also analyzing the game for Sky, shared his reaction, calling it “alarming” to hear the manager criticize his squad so soon.
Boyd said: “The opening day has to be better—plain and simple. That frontline lacks pace, and they barely threatened until Motherwell scored. Rangers must improve drastically—no excuses. This makes it three straight seasons without an opening-day win. They need signings because that second-half display, in particular, was miles below standard.”
