Skipper James Tavernier has called on Rangers to produce an awesome April as they look to make amends for February’s Old Firm flop.
The Ibrox side face a make or break month with two derby clashes that will determine whether or not they finish the season empty handed. Only a win on April 8 as Michael Beale’s side head to Celtic Park will kick-start a stalled Premiership title bid.
Their Scottish Cup ambitions will also be on the line in the Hampden semi-final three weeks later as they again take on Ange Postecoglou’s relentless Hoops. But Tavernier admits a repeat of last month’s limp Viaplay Cup Final loss will spell the end of this season’s trophy chase. Asked if Celtic will see a different Rangers next month, the Gers skipper said: “We have to (improve) because we knew the performance in the final wasn’t good enough from our point of view. There is way more to give from us. So, yeah, definitely.”
Rangers gave another glimpse of the battling qualities they’re going to need next month as they fought back from Kevin van Veen’s early opener to seal victory over Motherwell on Saturday. It was the eighth time this season that Michael Beale’s team have found themselves behind before managing to rescue a result. That Hampden defeat to Celtic is the only game so far where the Londoner’s side have been unable to overturn a deficit but Tavernier was reassured that his team’s fighting spirit shone through against the Steelemen.
The Rangers captain - who notched the seventh Fir Park strike of his Ibrox career to put the Light Blues level at the break - said: “We definitely owed our resilience. I feel that when we go down that’s it’s still always possible to get the result we want. There’s been a few times when we’ve gone to Fir Park and gone a goal down and I’ve got the first goal to equalise it.
“But it’s good to show that resilience. We’re just happy that we finished the second half better than we started the first. You need that resilience as a foundation. Not just this season, but in seasons going forward we’ll need that resilience and character in the team when we play for a massive club like this if we’re to move forward.
“You can go a goal down but there is loads of belief in the team that if we continue to play the right way we will create our chances.
“We have created a lot of chances this year. We have missed a lot of chances. We know we can score more but we are creating the chances so that is a positive. It’s important that we have a good break, come back where we left off and keep pushing hard.”
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