Ibrox manager plans to hold crunch talks with Tavernier

STEVEN GERRARD will hold oneto-one talks with under-fire skipper James Tavernier to assess his physical and mental state ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Ross County. The Rangers manager yesterday stopped short of delivering an unequivocal public backing of Tavernier’s captaincy, but defended him over programme notes that have caused a backlash from irate fans. Gerrard argued the right-back should have been given better ‘protection’ by club staff to prevent the controversy arising. Tavernier limped out of the grim 1-0 home defeat to Hamilton on Wednesday with a knock that has made him a doubt for Dingwall. The televised clash will see Rangers try to emerge from a dismal run of just one win in their last five domestic matches — a slump that has heightened fans’ criticism of the 28-year-old’s leadership. Quizzed about his faith in Tavernier for the Highland assignment, Gerrard said: ‘In this situation I will speak to James. I have that daily contact and dialogue with him anyway, and I will see where he is at. Obviously, the injury might make the decision for me if he is not available. But then we will go from there. ‘If I feel that anyone is not in the right place, whether it be to do with performances or a mental point of view, I’ll do what I think is best.’ Gerrard was also asked if Tavernier was ‘everything he wanted’ from a captain. ‘Well, look, I think that should remain private between myself and James,’ replied the former Liverpool and England skipper. ‘He knows what I demand from him on and off the pitch. So that’s all I want to say on that, really.’ Tavernier (below) was quoted in the programme for the Hamilton match as saying that Rangers were ‘not good enough’ when teams were ‘smelling blood’ and getting in their faces during domestic matches. Gerrard clearly feels that those comments should not have appeared in a club publication. ‘Sometimes when you say certain things, it’s got to be checked before it goes out,’ he said. ‘I think James has maybe said something there that, in hindsight, he probably doesn’t mean, or it has been taken out of context and he is getting a lot of criticism for it. Maybe it could have been avoided.’ Supporters have reacted furiously, with some seeking the removal of the armband that Tavernier has worn since Gerrard took over in the summer of 2018. ‘When we came in, from the outside, James was someone who was very robust. He was always available, his form was good from what I’d seen,’ the Rangers manager reflected. ‘We didn’t know anyone in the dressing room personally. James got the shout from there. ‘He has done a lot of things right. Last year, he posted numbers that were unique for a fullback. He would be first to admit that, since Christmas, his form could be better. He has said that himself. ‘He is doing a lot of things right. But when you are the captain of this club, when results don’t go as well as they should, you are always going to be in the firing line. James accepts that is the way it is.’