Butcher’s butchers to finish the hatchet job?

Kim Kallstrom? Very ineresting - gives me another excuse to watch Eurosport’s highlights of the World Cup qualifiers (See him playing for Sweden) and another excuse to watch Setanta’s highlights of Le Championnat (See him playing on the left of midfield for Rennes) but we won’t be signing him til the summer, if at all. Let’s get down to the matters at hand. Let’s discuss how we can make sure Kallstrom signing for Rangers will mean Kallstrom playing for the Scottish champions.

Motherwell, let’s be honest, are one brutal bunch of boys.

Can’t say I have any problem with the morality of their attitude. Financial troubles forced Big Terry Butcher to field a team of kids and the one thing you worry about with youth is their proclivity for physical inferiority. The Fir Park weans have tended to compensate for their lack of years and the muscles which go with it with an over-abundance of vicious malice.

McFadden and Pearson have left but the man in the dug-out - one of my all-time Rangers heroes - has ensured the collective stamp (on the ankle) of aggression is retained. Terry Butcher has made Motherwell one of the most combustible teams in the SPL and this seems to have got to even the likes of veteran Phil O’Donnell. He left Motherwell as a Scottish Cup final hero and returned to Fir Park more than a decade on to find a bunch of wee laddies ready to inflict the kind of injuries which plagued his own career.

Yet, when The Gers went 4-1 up in the CIS Cup final of a fortnight ago, O’Donnell’s years of experience went out the window. Perhaps it was one humiliating League Cup final loss too many - remember Raith Rovers at Ibrox in 94! Anyway, he was there with the rest of the huffy wee gets last Sunday, putting the boot in wherever he could. As soon as they realised the game was lost, Motherwell started kicking. Just as they have done on similair occassions over the last few years. Nothing wrong with this - it’s up to Rangers to deal with it - but deal with it we must.

Ye see, Motherwell may not even wait to find out if they can beat The Gers by footballing methods this Sunday - the rawness of the memory of their destruction at Hampden might see them go for the petulant assaults from kick-off. Big Marvin’s playing in reserve games injured - then getting himself injured afresh in those reserve games but STILL playing on. Even the power of the Lord (David Murray?) may not be enough to get him back on his feet if some red-faced brat in a claret and amber shirt decides to leave the studs in.

Bazza’s back from what became a fantastic display at the San Siro for his country. If Rino Gatusso isn’t going to out-batlte him then he’d better make sure Craigan, Fagan, Corrigan, Partridge et al don’t do it either. Moreover, Bazza has to be at the forefront of ensuring there’s no dodgy treatment dished out to his team-mates: We need all the fit bodies we can get for the title run in. AND we need the three points.

Big Dado’s been doing us proud, scoring twice at the weekend and again on Wednesday for Croatia. But two World Cup qualifiers in the space of four days and all the travelling inbetween does NOT augur well for his all-action, stamina-based style. He excelled on our previous visit to Fir Park, winning us the game. But he’ll be lucky to last the hour on Sunday. Stephen Thompson - the only Scotland player to score in this current World Cup qualifying campaign, had better be ready to step in and partner wee Nach. Thank gawd, El Matador doesnae play for Spain … yet.

Then Big Sotirios Kyrgiakos (once again, I ask do we have any update on the big fellah’s nickname? Any suggestions out there?) played the full 90 for Greece last night too. He helped the European Champions keep a clean sheet but what kind of nick’s he gnnae be in when partnering the injured Marv (incidentally, see Trinidad and Tobago lost 5-1 to Guatemala in Marv’s absence at the weekend. Glad there’s nae Guatemalans playing in the SPL … just some right ugly cun*s)?

Buffel wont play at all. Again, he scored his country on Saturday and won a penalty for Belgium last night - but pulled a hamstring in the process. Just as he was coming onto a game - remember that hrough-ball for Maurice Ross’ opener in the cup final and his game-turning sub’s appearance at Dens - he comes a cropper. It’s so desperate we’re looking at Peter Lovinpants coming back into the side. His face and plaintive quotes are all over the paper and, to be honest, this is probably the best time to get him onto the pitch - after a lay-off and with something to prove. At least he’ll give Well a different headache from our Cup Final line-up.

But we can only hope Gordon Marshall is giving his own team exactly the same kind of headache he provided at Hampden. Ultimately, the veteran goalie was harshly criticised for his performance in the CIS final - none of the goals he conceded were completely his fault. Most of them were bugger-all to do with him. However, if the Butcher man’s as good as his word, then the ever-generous Gordon, a career hero for Rangers fans, will be back inbetween the sticks in front of the Setanta cameras. A volley of long-rage shots - particularly from Nando Rickers - should be the order of the day. If a soft one goes in then the floodgates may open once more, just as they did in front of the BBC cameras.

We could lose points here. We could lose players. Motherwell wil be fired up. If ye want the title, Gers then ye have to win this one - and win it comfortably. And then leave the field, comfortably.