WE’RE GUILTY AS CHARGED
Skipper Tavernier admits there is no case for defence as he laments ‘criminal’ goals being shipped
JAMES TAVERNIER cannot mount a case for the defence. To the Ibrox captain, the manner in which Rangers have conceded ‘criminal’ goals to corrode their title hopes is an open and shut case. Guilty as charged.
Wednesday night’s 2-1 defeat at Rugby Park was the most recent slice of condemnatory evidence. Just as against Hearts last month, holding a second-half lead against a bottom-six opponent wasn’t enough to prevent further ground being lost on Celtic. Once again, they displayed an alarming vulnerability.
Steven Gerrard’s side now sit ten points behind Celtic with a game in hand. For the second successive season, a slump in form after the winter break has destroyed hard-won momentum and removed control of their own destiny.
Even if Rangers win their additional match — a yet-to-be arranged fixture against St Johnstone — an inferior goal difference means they need Celtic to drop eight points in their remaining 12 games. That’s as many as the champions have leaked in 26 matches to date.
Two Old Firm fixtures give the Ibrox men a modicum of hope. But a run of six successive league wins since losing the last derby on December 29 suggests their rivals now have the blinkers on as they confidently stride closer to a ninth successive title.
Rangers, in contrast, look nervous, leaderless and staid. The high-octane form witnessed towards the end of 2019 is becoming a distant memory.
Title-winners manage to scrape through the bad times with ugly victories, but the Ibrox outfit have been unable to hang on to even a single point at either Tynecastle or Rugby Park.
There was controversy about the leveller Stephen O’Donnell netted for Kilmarnock with 13 minutes remaining, given an apparent handball in the build-up, yet it counted as reward for the improvements Alex Dyer’s men had applied since the break.
Their winner was a disaster for Rangers. When a long, straight kick from Kilmarnock goalkeeper Jan Koprivec was flicked on by Nicke Kabamba, Eamonn Brophy got in front of Connor Goldson to lash home a terrific finish that dealt a grievous blow to the visitors.
‘We’ve been in this situation a few times where we go to a ground and the crowd sniffs out opportunities,’ admitted Tavernier. ‘And we simply don’t deal with it.
‘We were in a great position after the first half. We were controlling the game, they didn’t have many chances. We were creating some without being clinical.
‘Second half, we go out and we’re still in the driving seat at 1-0 up.
‘It was said at half-time. A clean sheet will win the game.
‘But, since we’ve been back after the mid-season break, we’ve been conceding terrible goals.
‘We never get opportunities to score goals like that ever in a season — and it’s criminal we are conceding them as a team.
‘If you want to be competing for a title, you can’t be conceding those type of goals.’
The Rangers right-back is right on that score. What started as a ‘blink’ at Tynecastle — in the words of Gerrard — has since become a full-blown nervous twitch.
Drawing at home with Aberdeen further depleted the margin of error available. Rangers needed to reel off a string of wins to keep some heat on Celtic before welcoming them to Ibrox on March 15.
Instead, and just as happened last time around, the third derby of the season could give Neil Lennon’s team a chance to bludgeon any last vestiges of doubt about the destination of the biggest prize in the Scottish game.
‘We’ve made it harder for ourselves, definitely,’ continued Tavernier. ‘We had it in our hands and knew what we had to do. It was as clear as day.
‘Go all the way until the end of the season unbeaten and we’d be in a very good position. But now we’ve made it very hard for ourselves with a shocking display in the second half at Kilmarnock.’
The winter break appears to act as kryptonite where Rangers are concerned. Last term, they entered it on the back of a derby triumph that lifted them level on points with Celtic — albeit having played a game more.
Losing their first match back, again at Rugby Park, signalled a decline that featured further dropped points against St Johnstone, Hibernian and Kilmarnock for a second time.
Lessons were supposed to have been learned. Tenerife was traded for Dubai to provide a new warm-weather training base. But Rangers have returned looking just as listless as at the start of 2019. If anything, the drop in form has been even sharper. Excellent work in the first half of the season means Gerrard’s men are nine points better off after 25 games this time around. Celtic, though, have added ten points to their own tally.
In a league not blessed with strength this year, Rangers had to demonstrate that they could match the proven durability of their rivals. The optimism that existed after winning at Parkhead has quickly been scotched.
‘I honestly can’t answer for the last two Januarys,’ said Tavernier.
‘We’ve gone from ending the year on a high both times and putting ourselves into good positions and then coming back and I can’t put my finger on what’s happening.
‘We’re not getting out of the blocks at the start of the year and it’s costing us.’
Numerous factors could have carried an influence. Gerrard’s reluctance to change strategy during games is now coming under the microscope from fans left bitterly disappointed at such an unwelcome repeat of recent history.
The three-game suspension Alfredo Morelos incurred after diving at Celtic Park has also exacted a price. Dealing with plentiful off-field issues, the talismanic striker has returned looking short of the fearsome player who broke records en route to becoming the Europa League’s top scorer.
Steven Davis has dipped in form, no centre-back partnership has convinced with Filip Helander still injured and the squad looks far short of the depth of quality — particularly in terms of creative players — that is available to Lennon. At £7million, Ryan Kent has yet to convince he is value for money.
Then there is ‘bottle’. While accepting he carries the main responsibility, Gerrard has repeatedly questioned the capability of his untested squad to handle the pressure of the title race.
Tavernier feels they have shown the necessary steel in Europe and is hugely frustrated at so much domestic frailty.
‘You have seen us this season and last season in the Europa League games with the mentality of the team and how unified we are — seeing out games,’ he argued.
‘But it’s places like Kilmarnock and Aberdeen when they are tough and they are going to be challenging.
‘They might get an upside in the match when they are on top, but you have to see it out.
‘You have to be more ruthless at the back as a team and we need to finish chances when we make them.
‘We are certainly not making the chances we were before we started this year. But, having been in a position where we have gone 1-0 up, you have to see it out.’