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An excellent article on the main today from @JohnMcIntosh19 https://www.gersnet.co.uk/index.php/news-category/current-affairs/869-the-increasing-value-of-james-tavernier James Tavernier has probably been the biggest enigma in the Rangers side over the last few seasons in terms of splitting the opinions of many supporters. Whilst his attacking threat and excellent output going forward has never really been questioned, his defensive qualities, lack of positional awareness and a failure to competently defend his back post definitely have been. I’ll start this off by stating I love James Tavernier but that’s not to say in the past he hasn’t frustrated the life out of me. His development and maturity has shone through this season but while he has made mistakes in previous seasons, I’ve always thought he was used as somewhat of a scapegoat by certain Rangers fans for us going through a difficult period. In my opinion you can’t ask an attacking wing back to hit the byline and create chances when you give him no defensive midfield protection (Andy Halliday doesn’t count). Moreover, playing under Mark Warburton and asking him to be competent with Rob Kiernan playing as the centre back next to him and when any attack breaks down he simply can’t be in two places at once when a quick counter ensues. We are now seeing the best of James Tavernier this season because of quite a few reasons: his understanding with Daniel Candeias being the main one which provides Rangers with comfortably the best right side in the league. Candeias is the top creator in the league in terms of assists but unlike most wide men he is a bloody hard worker and his ability to press opponents and track back helps Tavernier out so much as he is no longer isolated defensively. The signing of Ryan Jack and the emergence of young Ross McCrorie occupying the defensive midfield role is also important for Tavernier as they know when to cover for the vacant right full back slot when he attacks. That solidity is something Rangers have been crying out for in recent years and it simply means we don’t get caught out as much and the defensive midfielders can break up the play quicker also. In the recent Old Firm game at Parkhead I felt Tavernier was a stand out, defending very well, blocking a Scott Sinclair shot on the line and almost scoring with a well taken volley. he also put in some top deliveries including a superb mazy run where he cuts in between two Celtic players and breezes to the byline before setting up Morelos with a point blank header which should hit the back of the net. He also volleys an early ball onto Morelos' head which he could have done better with also but for me it just shows how important Tavernier is to our side going forward. Signed for £250,000 I was thrilled with the capture at the time but his development has really impressed me: he has certainly found a level of maturity and some leadership qualities this season to drive on the side. If we take a look at Danny Wilson's pending MLS move, I of course wish him all the best but respectfully feel we won’t miss his inconsistency that much but if we lost Tavernier I just don’t see how we replace him and that’s probably the biggest credit I can give him. He has 22 goals and 37 assists in two and a half seasons and whilst this is skewed by the easier level of opposition in the Championship, those numbers are very hard to find. Last season he scored once and assisted six times in 36 Premiership appearances but he has went up to a different level this season with four goals and six assists in 23 appearances and you’d expect him to get in to double digits for assists from full back. He is the best right back in the league by a distance, despite a few commentators suggesting that is ludicrous because Lustig is a Swedish International. That take is ridiculous as he is nowhere near Tav, if we take that argument then Lee Hodson is also an International so he should be better? Stop laughing at the back! Let's say he’s the best right back in the league but how does he compare against boy wonder Kieran Tierney in terms of the best full-back? We’ll look at the stats for this season; now I’ll be honest and I think Tierney is a big talent but like Tav has his own defensive issues, when teams press him heavily he can make silly mistakes as we seen by Daniel Candeias' relentless pressing in the recent Old Firm derby. In 22 Premiership appearances Tierney has two goals and five assists, a bit behind Tav four goals and six assists. There are intangibles that statistics just don’t give us such as positional awareness and such but defensively and offensively in an individual sense I don’t see a great deal of difference. However, due to Tavernier's occasional concentration lapses I’d say he has that to work on and I'd argue Tierney is the more composed when he hits the byline but Tavernier whips a ball in better than anyone in the league as seen versus Aberdeen for Morelos opening goal. The above image is something you may have seen if you follow @TheSPFLRadar and I’d recommend you do if you don’t already. If you haven’t then it shows player statistics for their position and role, with the closer to the middle being the weakest and closer to the outside part of the radar being the strongest statistics for that position in the league this season. For example, xA is Expected Assists so, as expected, he scores very highly for his attacking output here but I’d also like to look at cross blocking % and dribbled past per 90 minutes. These are stats that we can use to look at the defensive side of the game and an area where Tavernier has been highly criticised and sometimes rightly in the past. The good news is that his cross blocking % is one of the highest in the league which means he is stopping dangerous attacks before they reach our area and something Declan John and Lee Wallace are both poor at. That point can be related to Tavernier lack of positional awareness at defending his back post, he does have that issue and I can’t defend that but he also has to deal with it far too often and he was excellent with vital blocks late in the Aberdeen game. In terms of dribbles past per 90 minutes, the stats show he is one of the best in the league in another defensive statistic. I’ve noticed this just by watching him but he is now more pro-active and aware of situations and when he can step in, has built up his strength to deal with wide men and is a very good defender one on one which he has massively improved on. The image above is also provided by @TheSPFLRadar: this time for Kieran Tierney. In terms of his attacking output he is rather impressive showing his creative attributes but frankly his cross blocking % is horrendous but that could be due to Celtic being more dominant and choosing not to get as tight to the opposing winger. Similar stats for the majority of this radar simply show that there isn’t much difference between the two players. They're the two best full backs in the league and by a massive distance at that. Yet, one is valued at over £20million whilst Tavernier has often been derided. Now we come to his contract situation, Tavernier has a deal until the summer of 2019 so he's now into the final 18 months of this contract. Given when he signed from Wigan for £250k he wasn’t a big name I can’t imagine he is on overly high wages though there have been rumours that he wants to move back to England with Sunderland the main club showing an interest. His contributions on the pitch recently have been outstanding and his Twitter activity does not suggest to me a player that wishes to move on. However you have to pay players their worth and make them feel valued or we will lose him. On a rough estimate I’d say he’s on around £6k per week and he’ll have seen Carlos Pena and Bruno Alves pick up over £20k per week and show nowhere near the contribution that he brings. In simple terms, we need to reward our star me and hope that if we can keep them happy and they will sign on. Sure we may lose some talents like Morelos down the line but I feel Tavernier wants to stay to win 55 and we urgently need to reward him with a massively improved contract on a long term deal which provides security for the club, rewards a star individual and is another marker of intent that we mean business to effectively challenge Celtic at the top of Scottish football. The soon to depart Danny Wilson may not have deserved a large pay-rise but Tav's performances and value to the team have to be fairly considered. Reward the man!

I think in the past this behaviour has been described by other clubs as 'over-exhuberance'. Nothing to be concerned about.

That's correct, but our lazy journos will never let the facts stand in the way of a negative story against our club.

Somebody said something on Twitter. Somebody else said something else. There endeth the journalism lesson for today.

Candeias has had a huge impact on Tavernier. They seem to have some sort of 6th sense. Tav improved under Pedro and has continued to improve under Murty. I like him and he seems to be really enjoying his time up here. We need to get him tied down to a longer contract with a better salary. He deserves it.

Easy to forget that Morelos has been playing constantly now for the best part of a year so it's inevitable he's going to look a bit jaded. Ideal chance to rest him on Wednesday and hopefully Cummings goes onto do the business too.

Maybe he cares as much (or as little) about the Scottish national team as I do. Maybe he values himself higher than we do, and is going somewhere he is valued to that level. Maybe he loves the game, but just wants to play it in warmer weather. Maybe he thinks that going to the US is a better move for his family. Regardless of his reasons, we can't assume it means a lack or loss of anything. He obviously sees something better elsewhere and like most people he's going for it. Good luck to him.

With the OBAF Act now about to be repealed and the Labour party, amongst others, in the pocket of Jeannette Findlay et al, you can expect a renewed attack on this song and others when it is sung. No-one can know what ever fan is meaning when they use words like fenian but, in Scotland at least, it's arguably a lost cause if you want to use it. And, in the context of TBB at a football ground, you run the risk of arrest and having your life ruined if you do. Worse, if NbM and others get their way re: strict liability, then the club will also be punished.

"John Cummings"? Yet more spectacular journalism. The fans were just enjoying themselves, no harm done. If thousands of Hibs fans are allowed to run on the pitch and goad us, I don't think a handful of Bears celebrating with our own players deserves much attention.

Opening bid for Morelos maybe, come back with a £10mil offer and some prawn crackers and we'll talk.

Bid in for Morelos? https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/911692/Rangers-transfer-news-Alfredo-Morelos-China-Scottish-Premiership

I can't imagine we'd get much, if any, of a fee for him. He only had 4 months left, and is clearly not going to be a first team regular. I hope we start to become better however at either securing our players on contracts, or selling them while they can still fetch something. We seem to have allowed him to slip away and that's disappointing. I'd expect that to be Mark Allen's responsibility from now on, so hopefully he can prevent something similar happening in future.

Visiting his mum probably

Playing in a nice warm climate would do it for me as opposed to a cold night in Fraserbourgh .

Sir John Stevens‏ @pzj_1564 2h2 hours ago More Can someone explain to me which ethnic grouping or religious belief system this represents?

DK always maintained the investment was over a 5yr period. (I think)

Agree Gaffer. I think yesterday we seen the same threat down our left in the first half but Murphy perhaps tired a bit in the second period - not to mention he had to work harder defensively as County (and Dair) pushed forward more. We're much less predictable than before (or should be anyway) and that should help us in games where teams are more inclined to sit in.

I agree Frankie that he'll be most likely to adopt these or variations of them. To maintain consistency, we have to play 4 at the back so I don't see that changing very often. The 4-2-3-1 can naturally change to a 4-3-3 and that would allow us to have a solid midfield, while benefitting from the wide men we have. If he wants to play Morelos and Cummings together, he could also do that as part of a front three (including either Murphy, Windass or Candeias). At least we have options now to play up front and in midfield. I hope Murty uses games against the weaker teams to develop Barjonas and Docherty, as well as others on the fringes. It's always frustrated me to see a first eleven out on the park when playing teams like Fraserburgh. If your manager doesn't trust you to play in those games, what does that say about the younger players, and what message do they take from that? Surely we have enough quality now to take some calculated risks. Finally, I hope that with Murphy in the team now, we could see him develop a partnership with John in the same way Tav has with Candeias. Imagine how much trouble we can cause for our opponents with that threat down both flanks.

Tavernier is suspended due to two yellows from last season's Scottish Cup. A wee Wicker Man aside, Fiona Kennedy who was in The Wicker Man her husband Francis Clark is one of the town's largest employers via International Fish Canners. http://www.intfishcan.com/

You know when you see the news and there are all these folk saying “he was such a nice man, I just can’t beleive he would do this”?? Nah, we all seen it coming a mile off!

I'd imagine he'll switch between a 4-2-3-1 and the diamond we used before the winter break.

A wish people would stop concerning themselves with what other people think. People caring about repercussions coming from mouths of bigots are pissing upstream. Your alive that makes them unhappy . Get over it or take action but stop worrying about it.

It looks like Police Scotland are celebrating with the players and fans too.

Cummings said after the game yesterday that he is hardly match fit and up to speed thanks to being ignored at Forest for the last few months. Yesterday from 60 mins onwards was begging for Morelos and Windass being replaced, as neither were anywhere close to their level, despite working their socks of. Would have been perfect to throw on Doherty and Cummings and keep County in their half, as we were pressed further and further back.

I think it is deliberate as, more often than not, Tav is the attacking full back so teams seem to play the diagonal down the side meaning the rest of the defence tend to move across one.

The hay bale player is brilliant! Well done that farmer.

Aiden is left footed? No way!?

Fenians want to break up my country. I couldn't care less what religion they are, they are my enemy. Rangers fans at away games are great. Sing it loud and proud. The FTP stuff isn't exactly classy but that religion is repulsive, so I'm not going to take issue with that either. Tims are desperate for us to become spineless, so let's not do it.

I wish the fans would stick to older songs and ditch the Ultra efforts. Watched the cup tie in Cardiff after our game and half the songs sounded the same. We have the greatest songbook going...no need to nick generic songs from anywhere else.

I thought the fans were tossers to be honest, jeez it’s Ross County not Barcelona. But you both make a very good point, there’s nothing the football authorities can do after Fir Park and Hampden.

They are just complete a******es giving the mhedia yet more fuel to criticise.Hopefully Rangers can identify them and take action against them. We are building respect and can do without this.

The real Bryan Hay is one of our own. WHO NEEDS GARETH BALE? Fraserburgh-daft farmer supports local team with GIANT hay mascot ahead of Scottish Cup clash with Rangers Mike Reid has built his very own Bryan Hay to support his team in the upcoming match PICTURED By Rachel Macpherson 28th January 2018, 2:28 pm Updated: 28th January 2018, 2:51 pm WHO needs Gareth Bale? Fraserburgh have their own new mascot Bryan HAY. As the town gears up for the Rangers vs Fraserburgh match later this week, this farmer has created his own hilarious way of supporting the local team. JASON NICOL 2 Farmer Mike Reid showed support for the local team by building his own player Mike Reid, 44, has fashioned his own player – who shares its name with the REAL Fraserburgh star Bryan Hay – from bales to cheer on supporters and his side in the Scottish Cup clash this Wednesday. Mike said: “We created him out round straw bales and then stacked them up. “A friend did the face and my pal Graham made the strip for it. “Ronald Anderson gave us permission to put it on his land, on the way into Fraserburgh. Fraserburgh vs Rangers: Live stream, TV channel, kick-off and team news “We’re just trying to support the local team. “If I support them, maybe they’ll support their local dairy farm.” It comes after fans were left heartbroken when the cup clash was cancelled last weekend due to bad weather conditions. But Mike reveals that the town are now abuzz ahead of the match with businesses decked out to support the team. JASON NICOL 2 The player was built in the entrance to Fraserburgh Mike said: “It’s a great atmosphere in the town. “It was a shame it was called off last Sunday for the frost. It was a real team effort to try and make sure it went ahead, but we couldn’t keep the pitch from freezing. “Not a lot happens in Fraserburgh, so people are excited about the match.” Unfortunately, Mike won’t be able to attend the game on Wednesday. But he admits he might try to catch it on the telly. He said: “I won’t be at the game because I’ll be working. “But I might try and catch it on the telly if I’m fast.” We previously revealed how Fraserburgh chairman Finlay Noble was left heartbroken after the match was cancelled.

.1. I've always thought it related to Billy Fullerton 2. If "fen'ian" has never described someone's religion, why has it been used so much to describe RCs who have never publicly expressed Irish republican views? Of course it's used as a derogatory term for RCs. I may not use it as such, you may not as such and it may be incorrect to use it in that way, but it is used to describe RCs. I've even heard Spanish opposition being called "fen'ian" at Ibrox. It's the same argument as those who use the H word to mean Rangers fans. There may be some who do, but there is a huge chunk of people who use it as a derogatory term for Protestant. Until the use of it to describe RCs is eliminated, the use of the word will continue to be criticised.

Aye those late subs are shite eh !!!!! 2-0 Cummings

Could be on his way to Steòrnabhagh, then...for Macleod's world famous delicacy.

He hasn't been picked for Scotland in years. Rangers are unlikely to be playing in the CL proper for 3 or 4 years, at least. I doubt the MLS is any worse than the SPL.

Whatever the reason for his decision, good luck to the guy. I hope it works out for him and his family. I appreciate what he's done for us, but it makes sense all round for him to go. Cheers Danny.

That last bit gives you the idea that we are some sort of branch of the Freemasons or the like, the footballing arm of the Orange Order and last bastion of the Protestant faith in Scotland. People can sure have their own opinions about that, yet, it is one of the defining trademarks of Christian faiths (no matter which sort it is) that certain factions have their own opinion about what is right ... and that this is the only right way. If you question that or deviate from that line of thinking, you are brandmarked a "heretic" and/or someone "out of touch with the club's heritage". Suum cuique, but I for one like to define my own opinion about how I support my team and why I do that and sure don't like being told what is right or what sort of "heritage" the club has, a "heritage" that has clearly been not prevalent at the club itself for the best part of 30 years.