James Tavernier tells Rangers teammates what they must do amid ‘massive’ Europa League claim

James Tavernier has called on his Rangers teammates to make a faster start against Aris Limassol after limping to a 1-1 draw with Aberdeen on 26 November.

Rangers will host Aris at Ibrox on Thursday 30 November having lost 1-0 to the Cypriot side in the reverse fixture, and will be hoping to take all three points and set themselves up for progression from the group stage.

The captain has shared his view that if they can start well and stay switched on for 90 minutes then they will put themselves in a good position to take all three points in what he says will be a massive game.

Tavernier was speaking to The Herald [28 November] as he shared: “First of all, we are looking at a clean sheet. We have looked back on Sunday – especially the first 15 to 20 minutes. We know where we need to improve. Having said that, we are always looking to improve even if we win games.

“We need to make a faster start and be more switched on. And if we do that we will put ourselves in a good position for Thursday to get the three points.

“To be honest, it’s a massive month and a half for us. We know how big Thursday night is. We have got to take full advantage of playing at Ibrox and try and get the three points. That is the objective that everyone is working towards.”

Need to get the job done

Regardless of how they do it, Rangers must take all three points from the game on Thursday and set themselves up for Europa League progression. Not only will it be good for the club, but the players should receive a boost from a victory at Ibrox.

The atmosphere at Ibrox on a European night is always bouncing and should spur this group on to go and win the game, but they must remain focused and not take anything for granted as they were shown in Cyprus.

If they can get a clean sheet as Tavernier has insisted is the aim they will, of course, put themselves on steady foundations for a win, but they will need to be switched on all over the pitch to ensure they gain all three points from the penultimate group game.

The captain is right, it’s a massive month and a half coming up at Ibrox, and the only way to treat every game is as a must-win and Philippe Clement’s side aims to remain competitive across all competitions this season.