HE refused to reveal what had been said at his meeting with Steven Gerrard about his dip in form earlier this week and declined to divulge whether or not he remained Rangers’ designated penalty kick taker after three missed attempts this season.
James Tavernier was, though, more forthcoming about what lies ahead yesterday, his 28th birthday, as he attended a sponsor’s press conference with his fellow Betfred Cup semi-final captains at Hampden.
The man who has come in for stinging criticism from supporters this season, and even faced calls to be dropped from the first team, after making some costly mistakes in big games at home and abroad is only looking to the future.
READ MORE: Should Rangers manager Steven Gerrard drop James Tavernier?
He remains confident that better times await both him personally and his club as a whole after the impressive 4-0 triumph over Ross County in Dingwall on Wednesday night that kept them level with Celtic on points and moved them closer to their city rivals on goal difference.
Asked about whether he would still step forward to take spot kicks, however, he was reticent. “I’m not going to give away anything for the next game,” he said. “I’m not giving anything away because it’s an in-house thing.”
No penalties were awarded in Rangers’ meeting with County – the visitors cruised to a comfortable win without them thanks to doubles from both Ryan Jack and Alfredo Morelos – but Tavernier insisted he would have been more than prepared to step forward if there had been.
“You always want to rectify it when something goes wrong, whatever it might be,” he said. “If you’re not doing well then you want to fix that. If it came (against County), it came. But I was just happy we kept a clean sheet and it was good to see that other players in the team can contribute goals as well.”
Tavernier has always been something of a mercurial talent; he is rightly renowned for his speed down the flank, devastating deliveries into the opposition area and eye for goal, but is, at the same time, prone to lapses in concentration at the back.
So asked if he had found the fallout to his miss at the weekend and the defensive errors he had made in recent weeks hard to take, he said: “Not so much. I’m a strong character. I have missed a couple this season and I have scored plenty before. I am always looking forward to bouncing back whenever I’ve been knocked down a bit.
READ MORE: Steven Gerrard delighted with 'proper leader' Ryan Jack after Rangers ease to win over Ross County
“That’s football. I have seen it happen. You could win a few games then come in at half-time drawing and the fans are not happy. That is the bar they set and the standards they want the team to play at. If you are not meeting them, then you are going to hear them. That’s just football in general.
“I am a strong enough character and it doesn’t really faze me. I believe in my ability and myself. It takes a lot to get me down or anything like that. I am a strong enough character to deal with it.”
All the same, Tavernier was effusive in his praise of Gerrard – who publicly called for fans to get behind his skipper and help him come through the difficult spell he is currently experiencing after the 2-1 win over Motherwell on Sunday – and the backing he had received from his manager as well.
“I really appreciated that,” he said. “Me and the gaffer had a private chat and I know I have the full backing of him, the staff and the players.
“The game at Ross County was great with the fans singing and having the full backing of them. I only want to do good at this club. Sometimes you do get setbacks, but it is about how you deal with it.”
The sound defensive display against County – Rangers kept their first clean sheet in four games despite goalkeeper Allan McGregor being ruled out and Gerrard making no fewer than five changes to his starting line-up – was hugely encouraging for Tavernier.
READ MORE: Ryan Jack pleased with the plaudits but knows Rangers need to win prizes
“We started off the season really well in terms of keeping the goals out of our net,” he said. “Against Ross County, as a defensive unit and a team, we wanted a clean sheet. Going in 3-0 up at half-time, we wanted to lock up shop and not concede any daft goals. It was really good for myself and all the other defenders.
“I was really impressed by our performance and the way we dominated the game and the possession of the ball. Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Jack came up with the goods in terms of the goals but it was a good showing from everyone, including the substitutes who came on. We put on a good professional showing.
“A lot of the boys who haven’t been playing regularly were itching to play. The gaffer freshened it up with a few different faces on Wednesday night and all the boys who came in did a great job.
“It gives great confidence to the gaffer as he knows the squad is willing to put in the work when it is asked for.”
Tavernier is focusing solely on the Betfred Cup semi-final against managerless Hearts at Hampden on Sunday, not his problems of late and the flak that has flown in his direction, and confessed the opportunity to lead Rangers out in a major final as captain for the first time was an enticing one.
“I don’t want to look too far ahead,” he said. “It is going to be a tough game this weekend. We have to get the job done. But it would be a dream to captain the side going into the final. It would mean a lot.”
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