Tavernier won’t change style to counter the threat of Celtic
THE best form of defence has been attack for Rangers this season as Mark Warburton’s side have won plaudits for their forward philosophy yet been criticised for their capabilities at the back. On Sunday, they will need to strike the perfect balance.
On most of the occasions where Rangers have found themselves in trouble in recent months, they have relied on their prowess in the final third to see them over the line. It is a strategy that supporters have had to become accustomed to but one that has not always paid dividends for Warburton.
Given the relative lack of striking options he now has for the Scottish Cup semi-final with Celtic this weekend, the focus on his defensive unit will be more intense than at any stage of the campaign. The partnership of Danny Wilson and Rob Kiernan has often been debated, as has the effectiveness of Lee Wallace and James Tavernier in their own half of the pitch when given the licence to roam by Warburton.
A series of clean sheets were crucial to Rangers winning the Championship title, while Kilmarnock and Dundee were shut-out on route to the last four. Celticwillposeafarbiggerthreat at Hampden, but Tavernier is not fazed at the prospect or the allegations put to the Rangers rearguard.
“We’ve had that thrown at us throughout the season,” he said. “Our back four have been praised and then not been praised. At the start of the season, we scored a lot of goals but conceded a little bit more than we should have. Then we went through a long stage of the season when we weren’t conceding many and keeping clean sheets.
“We’ve kept clean sheets in our last two games now, but obviously conceded a few goals in the games before that. Over the piece, though, we haven’t really conceded a lot of goals this season. So people can say what they want about our weak back line but we believe we have got a good, strong defence which is good going forward as well.”
The form of Tavernier and Wallace has been key to the way Rangers have played this season and the success they have had, the right-back scoring his 14th goal of the campaign in the 4-0 Petrofac Training Cup final victory over Peterhead on Sunday. On the other flank, Wallace has chipped in with nine strikes and countless assists as his rampaging runs have become a trademark aspect of his game once again.
With the likes of 37-goal Leigh Griffiths and Patrick Roberts, the on-loan Manchester City winger, set to start at Hampden, the theory is that Rangers may have to temper their attacking intentions to stifle the Celtic forward line. It is not one Tavernier subscribes to, though.
“I’m just going to play my game. I’m at Rangers now because that’s how I’ve played through my career as a right-back,” he said.
“I know there is a lot at stake in this game, so it will be a disciplined game. You don’t want to be making any stupid runs forward if you don’t have to. So you have to be disciplined in that sense.
“But I’m going to stick to what I’ve been doing all season and I’m sure the skipper will be sticking to what he has been doing all season.”
Victory over Celtic on Sunday would put Rangers just 90 minutes from Scottish Cup glory and give them a chance to turn a good season into a great one.
Warburton will have to pitch in several derby debutants as he takes his own first steps on to the touchline on Old Firm day. For Tavernier, it will be a moment to savour as he strives for another Hampden triumph.
“I saw Old Firm games on TV but I’ve never been to one,” he said. “One of the main reasons for coming up here was to experience what is one of the biggest and best derbies in the world.
“I can’t wait for it. As a player, you try and shut out the atmosphere which is what I did during the Petrofac final last Sunday.
“You have to be in and around it to know how big it is. Before I came to Rangers, I knew it was a massive club but it’s not until you are a part of it that you fully realise just how massive it is.
“Down in England, a lot of people know about Rangers and Celtic. They know it’s massive. I’ve had a lot of texts from friends down south for tickets since the draw was made.”