James Tavernier watched a re-run of a classic Arsenal match against Manchester United on television the other day and was shocked when he saw the meaty challenges that midfielder enforcers Patrick Vieira and Nicky Butt were making in the centre of the park.
The Rangers captain knows, with VAR now in operation in at the highest level and referees able to look back at key incidents on a pitchside monitor, there is no way that footballers in the modern game would be allowed to get away with such robust play.
However, the right back, who will take to the field for his 30th game against Celtic at Parkhead this afternoon, is not sure the world-famous Old Firm fixture has lost any of its intensity with the introduction of new technology.
Jackie McNamara, the former Celtic and Scotland player, this week suggested the fact there have been no red cards in meetings between the two Glasgow giants in eight games showed the ancient rivalry had had become “nicer” and “friendlier”.
But Tavernier still thinks, despite the presence of VAR at all cinch Premiership fixtures, there is the potential for trouble to flare.
“I watched an Arsenal and Manchester United highlight the other day and Vieira and Butt were kicking lumps out of each other,” he said. “You just can’t do that today. There are a lot more cameras. You can get seen and caught with a lot more.
“There are a lot of technical players now. The game is moving, it’s evolving. The way the game is evolving, you don’t really get too many players that just kick lumps out of each other anymore. It’s almost like a dying breed. I think those days when you see people flying two feet through the air are may be gone.
“No matter what though, it is a feisty game. There are going to be challenges. I don’t think that altercations on the park will be totally gone. Emotions can get the better of us a lot of times, but obviously there’s a lot getting seen and nothing will get unseen so you have got to be aware of that. People get sent off for many things, but hopefully there are no red cards tomorrow.”
There have been calls for VAR to be scrapped in Scotland following a series of controversial decisions in the past few weeks – but Tavernier believes the new technology has led to cleaner matches and feels players are still able to channel their aggression in different ways.
“You feel that with some decisions that maybe if the officials miss it they can go back on it,” he said. “It obviously helps. It is an improvement. As we move forward we will see new things and we have to adapt to it and just go with it.
“You have to show passion in everything - getting to the ball first, in one-on-one battles, in showing that you want to be on top, standing up to them as an individual and doing your part for the team. If everyone does that you have the foundation of the team and the talent will take over.”
The 31-year-old, who joined Rangers back in 2015, admitted that he still gets a buzz out of playing against Celtic and is looking forward to helping the Ibrox club try to avenge the 4-0 defeat they suffered at Parkhead back in September with a win today.
“You still get the adrenaline rush,” he said. “You always get that the day before the game is coming. If you go to the shops you always get the odd person talking to you about the game. I have had some comments from young lads who have been off school this week. It is like every game - you look forward to it. But the Old Firm is different.
“The results since the last time we were there have been very positive. We’ve got the results we’ve wanted in the league and we’ve shown resilience, especially away from home.
“We’ve had some really good performances so we go into the game really full of confidence. But we need to do all our talking on the pitch. It’s all well and good saying how well we’ve done and how well we’ve been playing.
“It all comes down to when the first whistle blows. We have to perform as a team, not just the starting XI, but the subs as well. We’ve all got to perform and make the club proud.”
