JAMES TAVERNIER says he has full belief in the Rangers squad to deliver a result tomorrow and continue their forward momentum under Head Coach, Danny Röhl.
The Gers head into the Premier Sports Cup semi-final off the back of successive victories after Wednesday’s league triumph in the capital.
And the captain believes a victory would underline their early improvement under the German and strengthen the belief of the supporters.
Speaking to the media ahead of the Old Firm clash, Tavernier commented: “What would a win do for the group? It would be a step in the right direction.
“It is another game we have to build on that consistency. The past few months haven’t been good enough, but we have had two good performances, and we have to build on that and go in the direction we want to go.
“It will be fast tempo, a crazy pace, so I expect the same.
“We both want to win, but it is down to us how we want it to unfold. We have to stick to the game plan and apply it on the pitch.
“I don’t look into the news or much about anyone else. I focus on my club and what we need to do, and any outside noise I don’t pay any attention to it.
“It is early days, but it is a game that can get us into a final. It is a cliché, but you look at the next game and not too far ahead.
"This is an important game, but it puts us in a position to build on something.
“Every game is important, but this one is the next one, so it is the most important.”
There are several new faces in the Gers squad after a summer of upheaval.
Many sampled the Old Firm clash for the first time in August’s goalless draw at Ibrox, but Tavernier believes the occasion takes on a different twist at the national stadium with a place in a final at stake.
He continued: “We have played one game already, so they experienced it as a home game, but this is a 50-50 split.
“We have to do what we have been doing the last few games. We have a togetherness, and we are hard to break down, but it is down to us how we make it look and how we approach it.
“There have been small changes tactically, and it is a fresh slate for everyone.
“When you are playing at Ibrox, it feels like a fresh slate, and the boys have responded well.
“The SK Brann game was two days after he came in the door, but we have responded well since then.
“It wasn’t tactical [that night], it was more effort and what we put in, but we have responded well.
“It is about consistency now and putting in performances. I have seen an uplift since then.
“You never want it to get to that stage or have a performance like that, but it is good to see a reaction.
"We have to build on that, push each other and demand, we need a real togetherness in the last few games, and hopefully that continues.
“I have seen where we could be, but we haven’t been consistent.
“I think in the last few games we have seen a togetherness, and it is about doing the basics right, and then the talent can shine through. We can’t become complacent though.”
On his advice, having experienced the fixture for just under a decade, Tavernier added: “All the games I have played in start at a crazy tempo and they can take your breath away.
“I know lads who have come into the game and said how quick it is. You give them a heads up and a calmness, as a game like this, nerves might come into it.
“You have to stick to what the manager wants, and I have belief in the players, and you encourage them and that belief to push them. I think I have a few years in me.
“Every game I treat with the utmost respect, and I always want to win. The desire and hunger are there, even playing games with the kids or playing the PlayStation with my brother, it is always there.”
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