BANISH THE BAD MEMORY OF 2017
EUROPA LEAGUE Tavernier vows there will be no repeat of humiliation to Progres
PROGRES Niederkorn will always be Rangers’ ground zero moment. It was the night that the club’s financial crash of 2012 reached its nadir. The point in history by which all future success would be measured.
Speaking to Sportsmail in a hotel in Luxembourg City the night before the fateful return leg, Pedro Caixinha spent more time explaining why he had banned green boots from the training ground than detailing the kind of challenge he expected from a part-time outfit that were without a win in their past 13 European games.
With the benefit of hindsight, it was a slipshod attitude which left the door ajar to disaster.
‘Losing is unthinkable, of course it is,’ the Portuguese eventually shrugged. ‘We are not thinking that way.
‘Our goal is to be present in the group stage. We know we’ll need to play eight matches to get there, week by week, but that’s our goal.’
What unfolded over the course of 90 minutes in the Stade Josy Barthel the following day scarcely needs repeating, yet even two years on it remains utterly surreal.
An inability to dictate the tempo and score the early goal, which would probably have killed the tie, planted a seed of uncertainty in the minds of the visitors when the half-time whistle sounded.
Sensing they had an outside chance of recording by far the most famous result in their history, the minnows, who had finished fourth in their own league the previous season, then played above themselves.
When Emmanuel Francoise turned in a cross from close range on 66 minutes, Rangers visibly retreated into their shells. Sebastien Thill’s conversion of a free-kick nine minutes later to complete the turnaround did not come against the run of play.
In the minutes immediately following the final whistle, those who had travelled from Scotland to support their side could only look on in stunned silence.
The belated arrival of a sense of perspective came hand-in-hand with anger. In a moment that was always going to illustrate his career obituary three months later, Caixinha paused to remonstrate with an irate supporter while waist deep in shrubbery before boarding the team bus.
One of only three survivors from that fateful night, James Tavernier’s recollections are of a perfect storm gathering.
‘Ryan Jack and I were just talking about this the other day,’ said the skipper. ‘It was Jacko’s first game for Rangers and there are obviously some bad memories there.
‘We didn’t take our chances at home in the first leg. I felt then that our play should have brought more goals. We go over there, a goal goes in, the lads went under a little bit and then we concede again.
‘We shot ourselves in the foot at Ibrox. And then did the same a week later.
‘It was a bad night. That was my first time in Europe with Rangers and to get knocked out was awful
as was to see the reaction of Pedro back then and the supporters as well. That’s when the defeat sunk in. ‘There were a lot of mixed emotions right after the match. Rangers should not be knocked out of a European cup competition by Progres, with all due respect to them. Our fans want better than that, so did the players, and we need to put that in the past. I fully believe this team can do the job.’ There is absolutely nothing to suggest that the rematch won’t see Steven Gerrard’s men ticking off the task with something to spare.
Europe was the one area where the former Liverpool skipper truly excelled last year. A run of qualifying victories encompassing Shkupi, Osijek, Maribor and Ufa secured a place in the group stage of the Europa League that few truthfully were bargaining on.
The rate of improvement in a new-look squad could be seen in the bitter disappointment that came after failing to emerge from a section including Rapid Vienna, Spartak Moscow and Villarreal.
Much too savvy to be muttering the kind of dismissive comments which came from his predecessor, Gerrard will give Progres every last respect ahead of tomorrow’s first leg at Ibrox.
But it’s not just the soundbites around the club which are different these days. The calibre of player has improved to the point where such a calamity genuinely is unthinkable.
‘The squad is completely different,’ added Tavernier (left). ‘The gaffer is in now and I’m sure we can find something (to get through).
‘We’re not going to underestimate them. We’ll take them very seriously and see if we can get the job done.’
The result two years ago was wounding on so many levels. Not only did it deprive the club of finance and kudos and its support of the chance to dream, it denied the players scope for self-improvement by pitting their wits against all manner of continental opponents.
‘Look, we had a good European campaign last season and we want to do the same again,’ said Tavernier. ‘I have the experience from last season. Obviously, the home tie is about taking your chances and being able to shut up shop which we did last season — against Maribor for example.’
The concession of just three goals over the course of six home European matches was the cornerstone of last season’s commendable run.
Gerrard evidently believed that still left much room for improvement, though. The arrivals of George Edmundson and Filip Helander are designed to offer both cover and competition for Nikola Katic and Connor Goldson. The fact Blackburn’s 65th-minute equaliser on Sunday was the first concession of the summer suggests the strategy is already bearing fruit.
‘We’ve had a good pre-season with the defending,’ said Tavernier.
‘We conceded against Blackburn on Sunday but that’s three clean
sheets before that. We do that, and then the lads up front can go on and score the goals.
‘We halved the goals against from this time in the previous season. It can come down to losing silly, little goals. But I believe the defence is stronger than ever.
‘We have got some new players in and we want to improve on last season, which means more clean sheets.’
It’s not just at the back that rangers are now unrecognisable from two years back. There is strength, depth and quality in midfield in the likes of Scott Arfield and Joe Aribo and enviable striking options in Alfredo Morelos and Jermain Defoe.
For all only the capture of a trophy will hammer home the point, progress is no longer a word synonymous with unmitigated disaster. It’s there before their supporters’ eyes.
‘The gaffer and Mark (Allen) have obviously taken the club forward massively,’ added Tavernier.
‘The training ground has been refurbished, that’s happened at Ibrox as well. We have come a long way.
‘The players who have come in have brought up the levels even higher. All the coaching staff are doing a tremendous job, the boys enjoy working with them and the demands are even higher.
‘We are all fighting for a shirt. We all have to perform on the training ground every day.’