TAVERNIER SPOT ON
Captain shines when returned to usual berth and nets penalty winner
THE grand experiment of converting James Tavernier from right-back to centre-half lasted no more than about five minutes. The Rangers captain’s strengths, of course, lie in marauding up the flank, slinging balls into the box and standing up to slam home the odd penalty-kick when needed.
That is clearer than ever now. If yesterday’s visit of a Covid-ravaged Dundee United started with the 30-year-old left a little exposed and looking bad, it ended with him showing much of the good he brings to the champions on a difficult afternoon in which they needed someone to take the initiative.
The sight of Tavernier lining up in a central position before kick-off, with Nathan Patterson at right-back and Calvin Bassey out left, surprised everyone. There were certainly more alarm bells ringing pretty quickly when the action got underway — with the visitors starting on the front foot and asking some pretty serious questions of a hesitant-looking home defence.
To his credit, Ibrox manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst, presiding over the most unimpressive display of his reign so far, didn’t stand on ceremony.
Tavernier went back to right-back, Patterson switched to the left and Bassey returned to the middle.
In truth, Tavernier’s positional change was one of many things that failed to work for Rangers yesterday. Their midfield struggled to control the game, they created nowhere near enough and there was a real lack of meaningful tempo.
Joe Aribo had been left on the bench in the knowledge one more booking would rule him out of the Old Firm derby at Parkhead on January 2, but the sheer necessity to spark something in the team — make something, anything, happen — saw him thrown on for Scott Arfield with 26 minutes left to play and the game goalless.
That’s when Tavernier picked up the gauntlet. With just under 20 minutes to go, he raced up the right and fired a decent cross into the area. It struck the outstretched hand of defender Scott McMann and referee Alan Muir immediately pointed to the spot.
From there, Tavernier did the rest. A staggered run up ended with him burying the ball to the right of United goalkeeper Trevor Carson in emphatic style and his dramatic knee slide to the ultras in the corner of the stadium spoke to a sense of almost as much relief as exultation.
Tavernier also delivered a great free-kick with ten minutes to play that Alfredo Morelos flicked into the net at the near post, only for linesman Ralph Gordon to raise his flag for offside, but this was an affair that was to remain uncomfortable for Rangers right until the very end.
With the game in time added-on, Darren Watson, one of the kids drafted in as a result of the five positive coronavirus tests that left the visitors decimated, saw a looping header bounce off the top of the crossbar after Connor Goldson had misjudged a long throw.
United manager Thomas Courts certainly felt it would have been no injustice had that effort earned his side a point.
Asked if they deserved an equaliser, Courts said: ‘I think we probably did. In the first half, there wasn’t much in it. Rangers had the bulk of the possession, but we probably had the best of the half-chances. In the second, when we hit the bar at the bitter end, I thought a draw wouldn’t have been anything other than our just reward.
‘We got a bit of live feedback during the game (about the penalty) and it was a flailing arm. It looked like it probably was a penalty. It is something you have to accept and it is frustrating that has been what separated the two teams.
‘Our organisation was excellent — as was our bravery on the ball — and it is just a bitter pill to swallow.’
The size of task Courts faced was summed up by the fact established faces in Benjamin Siegrist, Jeando Fuchs, Kieran Freeman, Peter Pawlett, Ian Harkes and Ilmari Niskanen were all unavailable. Coming into the side were four teenagers in the form of 16-year-old Craig Moore, Chris Mochrie, Watson and Archie Meekison.
Yet, on four minutes, this most unfamiliar selection fashioned an opening. Following a spot of interplay with Adrian Sporle, Nicky Clark regained the ball on the edge of the area and released a low shot that home goalkeeper Allan McGregor dived to save.
Tavernier looked rather stuck in the headlights as he prepared to deal with Sporle running towards him. Van Bronckhorst, at least, didn’t — moving his skipper back to his normal position soon after.
As the half developed, Rangers began to force United back. Yet, their play lacked spark and invention. Ianis Hagi is certainly no right winger. Certainly not in the way Van Bronckhorst wants his team to play. His move inside to a midfield role when Scott Wright came on at half-time was most merciful after a first half to forget.
Rangers struggled to get a solid grip on midfield in those initial exchanges too — thanks, in no small part, to the work rate of many of Courts’ younger players in that area. Moore, Meekison, Watson and Mochrie were sharp, alert, not shy of sticking a foot in. More than capable technically, as well.
Glen Kamara just couldn’t get on the ball and influence things. Same for John Lundstram, who made way for Wright at the break. Yes, Tavernier had a swerving shot from distance saved by Carson on 16 minutes, with Morelos screwing an effort wide of the far post moments later, but there was little fluidity in the play.
Indeed, it took until time added-on at the end of the first half for Rangers to really threaten. Morelos climbed high to get on the end of a Patterson cross and Carson did well to tip his header over the crossbar.
The second half, in fairness, was dominated by Rangers. Yet, chances were few and far between.
Morelos blazed over shortly after the restart and it took until the 66th minute before Carson was called into action again.
Wright moved forward at pace, played a one-two with Morelos inside the area and saw the ball sit up perfectly for him right in front of goal. Carson, however, got his body in the way of the ex-Aberdeen man’s poked effort to save.
Perhaps rattled by young Moore being taken off on a stretcher with a calf injury shortly after Wright’s chance, that lack of concentration from McMann proved costly.
From a flailing arm to the top of a crossbar, the margins were fine for Rangers yesterday. Too fine for comfort. Six league wins out of six or not, Van Bronckhorst still has work to do.