JAMES TAVERNIER has experienced his fair share of highs and lows in Old Firm derbies over the years. Now in his eighth season at Rangers, the right-back has competed against Celtic on no fewer than 27 occasions amid a variety of backdrops.
The defender was there as Mark Warburton and Pedro Caixinha tried and failed to overhaul their rivals on the domestic front. He was there as Steven Gerrard achieved just that and the momentum shifted in the opposite direction, with the Liverpool great recording six wins in his final seven meetings between the two sides. And he remains here now as the pendulum has seemingly swung back in Celtic’s favour, with Ange Postecoglou’s side claiming the bragging rights in the last two derbies and boasting a nine-point lead at the top of the table.
The Rangers captain has claimed victory in eight Old Firms during his lengthy stint in Govan and he is confident that when the full-time whistle rings out at Ibrox this afternoon that figure will rise to nine. Managing his emotions in what is certain to be a feisty environment is of utmost importance, he says, but he believes he has played in this fixture enough times that he knows what to expect.
“I’ve experienced a lot of it,” Tavernier acknowledged. “It probably hurt more in the early days because the results weren’t there for a long period of time. Then as the squad got stronger and stronger and we felt that we could get the results. It was obviously better but you never like losing, no matter what.
“We have got to come into [this game] full of confidence, which we are, and start with a clean sheet. We have got to be solid defensively and set the tempo of the game.
“I’d say, especially in the first few games, you hear all the noise around the game and you don’t really know what to expect, so you build it up as the absolute biggest game. If you lose you feel like you are going to die. It is one of those you never want to lose regardless. It’s something that I’ve been able to control over the years.
“Definitely [you have to control your emotions]. The emotions can affect a lot of it because tactics can go out the window. More or less, tactics go out the window when the game starts.
“It becomes about who can put their stamp on the game – the first headers, tackles. It’s about being controlled, not relaxed, with the way you are playing.”
Even the most ardent Rangers supporter would concede that the momentum is with Celtic this afternoon. Postecoglou’s team have been in incredible form on the domestic front, racking up 18 wins in 19 league outings, and victories in the previous two derbies would suggest the champions have the upper hand in Glasgow as it stands.
Tavernier knows how quickly the momentum can shift, though, and takes heart from the fact that he and his team-mates have overcome similar adversity in the past. He points out that it wasn’t so long ago that Rangers were contesting the Europa League final and believes it won’t be long before the team hit similar heights once again.
“Six or seven months ago we were in a European final and we have only lost a few players out of that squad,” Tavernier said. “We have got more players in the squad so we know the heights that we can get to.
“Recently we have shown a real grit and determination to go into games and get the wins that we needed. We have shown different ways of winning and that is really pleasing to see – that we have got that real grit that we showed when we won the league.
“That season we showed different ways of winning and we have got that back in our play. It is good to see. We have got to take every ounce of experience into a game like this and apply it.
“There are a lot of points to play for. We obviously want to get the win. We know there is a gap so we know it is important to get the points that we need. There are a lot of games to play and we will go to the last game of the season wanting to win every single game. That’s the minimum.”
The 4-0 humbling at Parkhead back in September was a particularly sore one for Tavernier. The early stages of his Rangers career featured regular thrashings on derby day but the defender says that the loss at Parkhead was even more painful for one simple reason: the current squad are capable of so much more.
He said: “Yeah. I think it is always important – if you lose a game, as long as you have left everything on the pitch. The [2019-20] League Cup final, for instance – we left everything out on the pitch and lost by a penalty kick.
“You never want to lose but you can walk away from the game saying you have done everything possible. I think the game at Parkhead, we didn’t do everything possible as a team that I know we can do. Those are the ones that hurt more because you know there is more to give.
“Even though you want to give everything on the day, if things don’t click together then there is always a sense that the performance wasn’t good enough. That is obviously a good thing to see because we have more to give and hopefully everything goes together really well [against Celtic].”
