James Tavernier heads into testimony territory, but I can't think of anyone better than the Rangers' skipper. Tav signing a new deal ahead of his two big games this week with Hibs and his two big games with PSV next week is a huge boost for the club as a whole.
For James, his time at the club has been a jet-coaster, but he would have liked to have won two trophies more than the two he has ever won. There is no doubt that But what impresses me about James is how he has persevered through difficult times.
ListenI know the scrutiny you face as Captain of the RangersThere is an expectation that you must be this great inspirational figure, but Tav doesn't seem like the type of guy who yells at me. He has his own style and leads by example.
If you look at his numbers, 351 games and 85 goals in eight years. These are insane stats for a full-back, but his appearances are also incredible.
He rarely misses a match and usually turns the game on when it matters most. I've seen talk about whether he's in the club's Legends category or not, but I'm pretty sure he's already a member of that club.
He's a waiting Hall of Famer, but if he can help his team get the win they need against PSV next week to qualify for his league of the Champions, We may be able to expedite his application. His 2-2 draw on Tuesday was a decent result for Geovan Bronckhorst and his players, but he still needs to move up a level or two to win in Holland.
From my experience in 1999, I know how difficult Eindhoven is as a venue. Back then they had a quality bag with Ruud van Nistelrooy and Luc Niris up front, and so did we.
That year, they defeated Parma in the qualifying round. At Ibrox, Bayern showed he was more than a match for Munich. The stadium he remembers was a lot like the Ibrox, just a little smaller.
The fan is right above you and the Dutch punter made a right racket. They yelled and jumped about an hour before the game started and continued for 90 minutes. But big Jörg Alberts managed to silence them with a goal.
After getting Dick Advocaat and Arthur Newman the year before, they got their manager and captain, and in his first two games he only took one point, so he needed a result. So there was a little pressure. However, Albertz came up with his trademark hammer blow to seal the win.
The big man had something to prove after being dropped by the manager in that match, but scored a fantastic goal in the best possible way. He pointed to the name on the back of his jersey as he celebrated, which he sent Gaffer a little message. The best way to show that you are good is to go out and produce goods, and that is what he did. I am sure you were frustrated.
GREAT With so many top players in the Rangers, they can afford to keep the likes of Ryan Jack, Glen Kamara and Alfredo Morelos on the bench. But knowing their character types, they are eager to start a game as big as Wednesday.
The competition is so fierce right now. Just like in my day you had to fight players like Jorg, Gio, Claudio Reina, Tugai just to win a match. If you want to play, you have to turn it on. This will no doubt be Gio's message this weekend as we expect him to shake things up on Easter Road.
The players who will be competing in Eindhoven He has only one chance to prove his eligibility on the Antonio Corac
is one guy I think already justified his choice for the second leg. I know patience is lacking here in Glasgow, but judging a man in two games, especially against Livy and against Union Saint-Giroise in Belgium, when he was almost starved for serve. That's unfair.
Okay. He doesn't link up as much as Alfredo Morelos, but he's a different kind of player and what he does is put the ball in the back of the net. I am delighted with the big man after he silenced some of his critics.
The move that produced his goal the other day was smooth and sublime, but his first finish came in a build-up produced by Tom his Lawrence, Stephen his Davis and James his Tavernier. It was as good as it was. Since joining the club, I think he has probably only had six decent chances and won four of them.
He has Morelos blowing his breath down his neck, so he has to keep it up, but I'm impressed with his accomplishments so far. Obviously, the team was used to hitting the ball against Buffalo when under pressure, so they had to adapt to his style. In that sense, they have to come up with a solution because Chorac is not as emotional as Outball. Mikey Morse was technically good and he always won the ball under pressure.
But Jonathan Johansson also struggled to hold back. But what he could do was change the defense and make sure he played to his strengths.
Geo's side must do the same as Korac. They know he'll grow with the ball in the box, so make sure Eindhoven's Danger gets the first chance to deliver the ball into his zone.
There is too much at stake to think tentatively over there. I hope the team can turn the screws at Phillips his Stadion like my old team did.
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