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Captain Tavernier provides insight into how Rangers are gearing up for an absorbing Premiership title run-in
Scottish football supporters are witnessing a Premiership title race for the ages with table-topping Hearts in the driving seat as they attempt to become the first team out with the Old Firm to lift the trophy since Aberdeen back in 1985.
With only five games left heading into the crucial post-split fixtures, the tension is sky-high, and every match feels like a cup final. That is certainly how Rangers have been going about the three-way race for the title under Danny Rohl’s stewardship.
When the German took charge last October, the Light Blues trailed Hearts by 13 points. Since then, the Govan outfit have staged an incredible resurgence to sit just one point behind ahead of what is sure to be a dramatic end-of-season finale.
Since Danny Rohl was appointed last October, Rangers have staged a remarkable resurgence to sit just one point behind Hearts in the title race | Getty ImagesIf the former Sheffield Wednesday boss is feeling the pressure with so much at stake after hauling the Ibrox club back into title contention, he is certainly not showing it. According to captain James Tavernier, the German is exuding calm in the dressing room as Rangers desperately bid to avoid a second successive campaign without silverware.
“He's been consistent with that,” Tavernier admitted. “I think there’s obviously been moments since his arrival where he's given us a telling off, which is needed sometimes, But there's a level of calmness there. He knows what the team can deliver, so it was a sense of calmness at half-time (on Sunday), and just getting back to what we need to do to get back into the game. I felt the boys really responded really well.
“We've just got to get five wins and that's what we can only focus on ourselves. We can't really focus on anyone else, we've just got to get five wins and hopefully that takes us where we want to be at the end of the season. That's obviously the main goal and going forward we’d like clean sheets as well and not try and make the games harder for ourselves.”
Tavernier: Subs must continue to make impact during title run-in
Read MoreRangers have the opportunity to work on those smaller details with a free weekend on the horizon following last month’s Scottish Cup quarter-final exit at the hands of bitter rivals Celtic. And Tavernier insists it’s crucial that every member of Rohl’s squad is ready to be called on between now and the end of the campaign.
“Yeah, we need everyone in form at any given time,” Tavernier said. “It was good to see Max (Aarons) come on and get a chance. He did a job for the team as did Dio, Baz and Bojan when they came on.
“They have to make an impact in the team because they obviously are fresh and have to change the game. I felt they did that. We need the whole squad for these games until the end of the season, five cup finals, so, yeah, everyone's going to be needed when called on.
“I think performance-wise from the first half to the second half was night and day. We caused our own problems in the first half, but I thought the mentality, the resilience from the boys and the reaction, especially to get that first goal before half-time and then produce what we did in the second half was a really strong performance.
John Souttar, James Tavernier and Bojan Miovski of Rangers | Getty Images“The impact from Bojan, getting two goals and Nico getting a goal and an assist, then Youssef... I think we utilised our strengths a lot more and the subs obviously made a great impact as well.”
Tavernier wants Rangers squad to ‘grow together’ in Spain
Rohl’s squad have spent the past couple of days training in the Spanish sunshine as they gear up for the title run-in. With more time to recover ahead of resuming domestic action a week on Sunday, Tavernier admits it is the perfect time to bring everyone together as they prepare for the post-split fixtures.
“It's just bonding time with the boys, getting close together,” he declared. “We know we’re going into the last stretch now, so this warm weather training camp is a chance for us get a few sessions in the legs.
“But I think it's more about getting the boys together really, because the only time we had this was probably pre-season. This is a time where we can spend five days with each other to grow together and make sure that we finish the season off strong.”