The Scottish Cup remains the only silverware up for grabs, it’s a strange feeling considering it is still only April and Sunday’s Old Firm derby is pretty much the end of the season for one half of Glasgow.
Rangers still have the chance of an unbeaten league campaign but trophies are everything, and with the Scottish Premiership already in the bag, all eyes turn to cup duty at Ibrox.
The build up is always full of mind games, John Kennedy currently a distant last, with Steven Gerrard’s straight shooting as accurate as in the days that he was the other side of the whitewash, not that Frank McAvennie sees it like that.
The former Celtic striker believes that the Gers gaffer has no intentions of playing James Tavernier despite Gerrard hinting that it remains a possibility, as reported by Football Insider:
“I don’t think Tavernier will play, if Patterson is fit and available then he’ll start,”
“It would be a surprise Gerrard won’t want Tavernier to break down again, even if he has just signed a new contract.
“Celtic found Rangers out in the last Old Firm, those long balls forward to [Leon] Balogun caused all kinds of problems.
“The full-back will have to do a lot of running and if Tavernier isn’t 100% fit then Patterson will surely start.
“I just can’t see Gerrard risking him and Patterson has done such a good job, I don’t think it’s mind games, Gerrard’s just being honest.”
The fitness of Tavernier has never been a secret, and if he came through the last full contact session unscathed, there is no reason why he shouldn’t be in the match day squad.
Vital Rangers Player of the Year 2020/21
Allan McGregor
Connor Goldson
James Tavernier
Steven Davis
Nathan Patterson has excelled in recent weeks, there won’t be any fears over him playing and there is no reason why we couldn’t have the best of both worlds, get an hour out of the skipper, then bring on the 19-year old for a flat out 30 minutes.
Considering Celtic “found Rangers out” a 1-1 draw is hardly reflective of a dominant performance, especially after we had just played in the Europa League and they had a full week to prepare, McAvennie’s assumption that Celtic are going to run all over Rangers says it all – as Borna Barisic said “it’s the best joke he’s heard all year“.