Keith Lasley has called on Motherwell to continue their blistering start to the SPL as they face Rangers at Fir Park on Sunday.
It’s a fixture which has not been kind to the Steelmen in recent years, having gone nine years – 34 games – without beating the Ibrox club.
But with ‘Well still unbeaten and still to concede a goal this season there is a feeling that the men in claret and amber may have the momentum and belief to put that nightmare sequence of results to bed.
[pullquote]Hopefully the start we have had will encourage a few more ‘Well fans along. The more hostile the atmosphere, the more it’s going to help us.[/pullquote]
And the 31-year old has called on the Motherwell fans to come out in their droves to create a raucous atmosphere at Fir Park.
“I didn’t know it was that many, to be honest,” the Motherwell stalwart reflected. “Stats are there to be broken and hopefully we can do that on Sunday. Last year this wasn’t a great fixture for us in the league but hopefully we can change that this year. We’ve started well, confidence is up, it`s a home game and we want to make sure any game at Fir Park is tough for the opposition.
“The more fans, the better. I think it will be a good atmosphere, it always is here against the Old Firm, but the more fans the better. Hopefully the start we have had will encourage a few more ‘Well fans along. The more hostile the atmosphere, the more it’s going to help us.”
Lasley is bound to be fresh for the encounter against the Champions having missed out on last week’s win over St Mirren due to suspension.
It’s a vitality the Rangers players may not have the benefit of, after a long trip back from Slovenia following a last-gasp defeat in th 30-degree heat of Maribor.
But, according to Lasley, the Gers should have the experience to deal with the demands of European football.
He conituned: “Rangers are well experienced at going away in Europe and coming back to play; they do it year in, year out.
“They are coming off a good result in the league and they are experienced enough to come back from that game and not have any ill effects.”
The trip to Slovenia certainly didn’t reap any great rewards for Motherwell’s opponents on Sunday. A late defeat was a major blow for McCoist’s men, and indicative of a rather sombre night for Scottish clubs in Europe which saw Hearts thrashed and Celtic draw.
But while many others engage in the somewhat premature autopsy of Scottish football, Lasley – a veteran of ten seasons in the Scottish top flight and various European sojourns with ‘Well – is more circumspect about the state of our game, especially given the expansive nature of some of the football being played in the SPL this season.
“I would have liked to have seen the wage bill,” said the former Plymouth man, referring to Spurs, who hammered Hearts 5-0. “That just shows you the level they are operating at and what they’re trying to achieve. Tottenham should be coming up here and winning.
“There are more and more teams playing an open, attractive game. You look at Kilmarnock blazing a trail last year, St. Mirren, there are plenty of teams out there trying to play the right way. There have been plenty of good games and good goals scored in the SPL and I just hope it doesn’t get put down as much as it probably unfortunately will be.”