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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Ben Banks

Rangers fixture move delay 'frustrates' Motherwell boss as he admits decision 'geared for other people'

Motherwell manager Graham Alexander says the 'delay' in their Premiership match with Rangers being moved isn't right.

The Steelmen announced on Tuesday afternoon that the fixture had been moved back 24 hours from Sunday at 12pm to help the Ibrox club ease fixture congestion amid their Europa League run.

'Well are pushing for European football after clinching a top six spot, knowing a fifth place finish at least would guarantee Europa Conference League placement this summer.

The former Scotland international reckons it was the correct decision but why it took so long after Rangers' initial request leaves him puzzled.

It's meant alterations have had to be made to Fir Park training and Alexander says he should have known well before he eventually did.

Asked if it was a sensible decision, the former Scunthorpe United manager said: "I think so. But the delay is the thing that frustrates me and Motherwell, because our first communication was last Friday morning.

(SNS Group)

"We understood the opinions of Rangers and others. If there was a benefit for everyone, we would roll with it. We wanted a decision so we could organise our training week.

"It was all geared for a Sunday game and didn't find out it would be Saturday until Tuesday afternoon, which is not good. I know there are different factors, but I don't think it should take four or five days.

"But apart from that, I think it was the right thing to do."

Alexander says his side have to prepare for the potential of playing on both days, leaving him feeling like the club were a side character.

He added: "We sort of had to prepare to play Saturday and Sunday, which is difficult. There is a build-up protocol to a game, which we stick by.

"If it had been done over the weekend, it could have been adjusted accordingly. But we didn't know until after we had already trained. There are bigger problems to overcome.

"But I thought we were left to the side of the decision. It seemed as if it was all geared for other people, apart from us."

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