WHOEVER Rangers appoint as their interim manager will have an arduous task leading the Ibrox club to second place in the Ladbrokes Premiership this season.
This extraordinary Aberdeen victory over Motherwell in a rearranged league game at Pittodrie last night means the north-east club are now three points ahead in the table.
Yet, it is not just the gap that Mark Warburton’s temporary replacement will have to overhaul that should concern him when he takes over, it is the scintillating form of the team his side will have to edge ahead of.
Aberdeen made it eight wins in their last nine outings with this 7-2 rout. They showed once again they are well-organised at the back, full of confidence, pace and invention in midfield and utterly clinical up front.
Derek McInnes made the first change to his starting line-up in nine games last night – and that was only because Graeme Shinnie was suspended. Ryan Christie, who had scored in the 2-0 win over Partick Thistle late on a fortnight earlier, made his first start.
Scott McDonald and Carl McHugh were both suspended for Motherwell as a result of the red cards they had picked up against Rangers and Hearts in the last few weeks. Zak Jules found himself relegated to the bench.
Elliott Frear and Lee Lucas came into the team in their place. Stephen Pearson, who had come on against Hearts at the weekend, made his first start since returning from a stint at Atletico de Kolkata in India.
Aberdeen took the lead in just the second minute after Shay Logan headed a diagonal cross into the Motherwell box from Andrew Considine down to Adam Rooney whose shot was deflected and broke to the advancing Jonny Hayes. The winger made no mistake.
It was no surprise when they built on their lead in the 32nd minute. The Motherwell defence was posted missing when Niall McGinn floated a corner kick in to Ash Taylr. The centre half was unmarked as he rose unopposed and nodded a downward header beyond Craig Samson.
The next goal, which came just two minutes later, was even worse from the visitors’ perspective. Keith Lasley attempted to play the ball out of his box only to be dispossessed by Hayes who squared the ball to Rooney. The striker had the simplest of tasks to side foot the ball into the net.
Christie got in on the act just four minutes before half-time with the pick of the bunch. Taylor laid the ball back to him and he flicked it into the top right corner with the outside of his left foot..
This fixture was abandoned back in December due to floodlight failure. As a thick fog rolled in off the North Sea the small pocket of away supporters in the South Stand must have been hoping this fixture suffered the same fate.
But their night got even worse – and the home supporters’ evening even better.
Rooney buried a penalty after Stevie Hammell had brought down Logan and he then bagged his hat-trick after another McGinn corner.
Substitute Ryan Bowman and Pearson both scored consolation goals for Motherwell and Peter Pawlett burst through to score with seven minutes remaining.
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