WE TAV LIFT OFF
Me, Bob and six Kelty guys celebrated like mad as Gers and super skipper James gave us more proof they’re becoming Rangers again THURSDAY, CENTRAL PARK, BATH STREET, KELTY, 9.02PM
FANS might not be allowed back inside grounds but anyone walking past Central Park in Kelty on Thursday night could have been forgiven for thinking there was a crowd inside shortly after 9pm.
Training finished, myself, Bob Malcolm and about six other players were glued to an iPad on the terracing as James Tavernier scored one of the best-worked goals I have seen in a long time to secure Rangers’ Europa League group spot. Celebrate? You bet!
What a goal. What a captain. And what a record for Steven Gerrard. Nineteen qualifiers unbeaten? That’s phenomenal.
Now it’s the mouthwatering prospect of a group containing Benfica, Standard Liege and Lech Poznan to look forward to and I’ll tell you what – I fancy this team to do the business again.
Rangers must be quietly confident. They may be underdogs but when has that mattered under Gerrard in recent seasons when the likes of Porto, Feyenoord and Braga have been cast aside?
Show these teams respect of course. They are quality sides. But the confidence I see in Rangers right now will be enough to take them through to the latter stages and more big European nights.
Galatasaray might not be the giant they once were but they still have real quality and they can now be added to the growing list of big names dumped at Ibrox by Ger ra rd’s ev e r - improving side.
It was another incredible occasion and further proof Rangers are starting to become Rangers again.
Seeing Walter Smith, Graeme Souness and Ally McCoist in the gantry for RangersTV, for me, just summed up the pride and stature that’s coursing through the club right now.
It was great to see the old guard back but I was particularly pleased for Tavernier.
His goal was sensational. He started the move almost on his own goalline. When I saw him jump for the header moments later in the Galatasaray six-yard box I wondered ‘what the hell are you doing there?’
It was magnificent and typical of his huge engine and will to get forward.
He’s had his criticism. Some of it has been well over the top. Some he will have taken on constructively.
But he is a guy that has always led from the front even when the flak has flown. He has never shied away and used a wee niggling injury as an excuse not to play. You have to respect that. He has been truly inspirational.
There’s a huge weight on his shoulders being captain of a massive club. There’s so much responsibility comes with that.
It’s easy to go in the corner and hide when you get criticism. I had it myself when I was captain at Ibrox.
But you have to react in a positive way – go and show these people that you are willing to stand at the front and take the bull by the horns and show you want to be a Rangers captain.
Tavernier has done that. And he has been exceptional for the team this season. Seven goals in the last seven games is superb for a right-back.
Some compare him to Alan Hutton and I can see why because both are so good going forward and have huge engines.
The only thing Tavernier has to do is get a trophy and get that monkey off his back.
I’m just glad he is getting the plaudits now. It’s fantastic for Gerrard too. Yet again he’s achieved what Rangers set out to do – get to the groups – and they have done it playing good football and keeping a good level of performance domestically.
It’s a combination of preparation, getting his squad integrated and competition for places all over the park. Winning breeds confidence and it seems to be flowing through the Rangers team.
Hopefully reaching the group stage now allows the manager to go and add one or two new players before Monday’s deadline.
He’s made no secret he wants another midfielder and it looked as if that was dependent on qualifying so let’s see what happens now.
Keeping his star men is crucial too of course. And it’ll be interesting to see what happens with Alfredo
Morelos in the coming days. It’s gone a bit quiet on that front. He’s not playing at the top of his game but he’s a player who will always cause problems for defenders.
There’s more to come from him, that’s for sure.
Gerrard played a blinder leaving him out against Hamilton back in August. He has come back in and looked more like himself.
Do I see him being there a f te r Monday? I do unless a huge offer comes in.
You see the money Championship strikers down south go for which is eye boggling. Look at Ollie Watkins leaving Brentford for Aston Villa for £33million.
So why wouldn’t Rangers be looking for £20million? I think they would consider that. But I hope Morelos stays and plays his part in a massive season at home and in Europe.
Which brings me back to Thursday and I have to say it was a great night for Scottish football with Celtic qualifying too. It’s fantastic for the co-efficient.
Of course we have Celtic fans in our team at Kelty too. They might have been packing their boots in their cars by the time Bob and I were jumping up and down on the terracing after Tavernier’s great goal.
But we all went home happy. And wha t a result that is for Scottish football.