THIS IS NO GAME FOR COWARDS!
Tavernier is expecting a tough battle but vows to rise above it
THE language used by Pedro Caixinha in the wake of the first meeting of the season between Rangers and Motherwell was typically dramatic. The words chosen by James Tavernier ahead of their latest crossing of swords simply feed into the growing suspicion that today’s Betfred Cup semi-final is unlikely to be one for the faint-hearted. By the sounds of things, a tin hat and a flak jacket might be a better bet for Hampden than the regulation tammy and scarf.
‘We can’t have any cowards in the team and we certainly don’t,’ stated the Ibrox right-back. ‘We need to go out there with a good mentality, strong heads and take the game to them.
‘You can’t go into a game and not expect to be kicked, no matter who you’re playing. We know we are going to get kicked.
‘Teams are aggressive against us, so we have to match it in the right way and be sensible in how we do that. We’ll bring the fight to them.’
Caixinha’s comments following Rangers’ 2-1 win at Fir Park during the first weekend of the league season centred primarily on two strikers, the home side’s Louis Moult and his own Eduardo Herrera.
He accused Moult of using his elbow three times during the game, the final occasion being the only time referee Bobby Madden took action by issuing a yellow card and awarding the penalty which allowed Rangers to secure the three points.
He also stated that Herrera was subject to ‘aggressive marking’ and ‘too many punishments’.
‘He showed me the medals from the war,’ said Caixinha after the dust had settled. ‘It was like a welcome card for him to understand what is going to happen.’
Whilst Herrera has found it difficult to acclimatise in the intervening period, the Rangers team, in general, is showing signs that it may be coming to terms with the challenges it faces to win silverware this season. Their 3-0 win at St Johnstone last time out was described by Caixinha as the best collective display of his tenure. The Perth club are notoriously difficult to play against and, so, that performance may augur well as Rangers prepare to face a Motherwell side that has been rebuilt and re-energised by boss Stephen Robinson. Robinson makes no bones about the fact his team is built around height, strength, hard running and hard tackling. His approach has been paying off, too, with six wins and a draw from their last eight games.
Caixinha made mention of the fact they have scored six goals from wide free-kicks, with Tavernier eager to remind his team-mates that cool heads around the penalty area this afternoon will be key.
‘They’re an aggressive side, a big side, so we know what we have to look out for,’ he said. ‘But we’ve played good football this year, especially against Saints last time out, and we need to be careful not to give away any stupid free-kicks.
‘We need to keep our heads and we know we’ll score goals if we do.
‘There could be an aerial fight in the game, but we like to keep the ball on the ground and move it. Sometimes, no matter what height the opposition is, quality will overcome a lot of aspects of the game.
‘We did it in the first game of the season. Josh Windass showed signs of breaking them down with his pace, so there are a lot of ways we can break down teams and I’m sure their height will only be an issue if we give silly set-pieces away.’
Tavernier has been on something of a roller coaster since arriving from Wigan in a double deal with Martyn Waghorn in July 2015.
Despite securing a Championship title in their debut season, Waghorn has since been punted to Ipswich Town and former manager Mark Warburton is history.
One thing has remained unchanged, though — the desire to get Rangers competing for major honours and Tavernier is clear when asked when that first elusive piece of silverware can be expected.
‘As soon as possible,’ he replied. ‘This club is known for the trophy
They’re an aggressive side, a big side, so we know exactly what we’ll need to look out for
cabinet we have and this team is built around winning trophies every year.
‘It was so disappointing not even touching a trophy last year, but we know we have got to win one this year no matter what. That is what the fans expect — and you expect that as a Rangers player.’
Tavernier stated after last month’s Old Firm loss at Ibrox that Rangers were still capable of challenging for the league title. He insists lifting the Betfred Cup would strengthen belief in being able to achieve that.
‘It will help our cause,’ he said. ‘If you win a trophy, it lifts morale. Even though the morale might not be down, it always gives you that extra percentage — knowing that you’ve won a trophy.’
Tavernier’s own confidence has been surging of late, too, and he puts that down to the influence of summer signing Daniel Candeias ahead of him on the right flank.
‘Before this season, I never really had a winger to play beside week in, week out and Daniel and I have a great understanding,’ he said. ‘He knows I’ll provide him with cover if he goes forward.
‘There’s a partnership forming. It is probably more about my consistency level now because I am playing with Daniel every game.’
Asked if Candeias has done as well as Alfredo Morelos, Tavernier is clear, saying: ‘Definitely. He has provided some good goals and scored a few goals himself now. He puts a hard shift in for the team and he has done really well.’
Tavernier has experienced a degree of success at Hampden. He scored in a 4-0 win over Peterhead to lift the Petrofac Cup in April of last year and believes the fact Rangers have the lion’s share of the tickets for today’s semi-final could provide a telling advantage.
‘When we won the Petrofac there, we had almost the whole stadium and it almost felt like a home game, so the more we have there this time, the better,’ he said.
The talking is over. Let battle commence.