Rangers captain James Tavernier has conceded that the team's midweek draw against Motherwell represents a significant missed opportunity, leaving Sunday's crucial clash with Scottish Premiership leaders Hearts at Ibrox as an absolute must-win encounter.
A Frustrating Night at Fir Park
Danny Rohl's Rangers side traveled to Fir Park on Wednesday night with the chance to close the gap on Hearts to just three points. The visitors got off to an ideal start when midfielder Nico Raskin gave them the lead after just six minutes with a well-crafted goal.
However, Jens Berthel Askou's impressively expansive Motherwell side took control of the game for long periods. The match took a dramatic turn in the 78th minute when Motherwell's Lukas Fadinger was sent off after a foul on Rangers attacker Mikey Moore, with referee Steven McLean upgrading the initial yellow card to red following a review on his pitchside monitor.
Late Equaliser Compounds Rangers' Frustration
Despite the numerical advantage, Rangers looked no more assured and were punished in the final minute of normal time. Motherwell centre-back Stephen Welsh, back for a second loan spell from Celtic, took advantage of slack defending to fire past Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland from close range.
The result leaves Rangers five points behind Hearts and just one point ahead of Celtic, who have a game in hand. With Hearts potentially able to extend their lead to eight points when they visit Ibrox this weekend, the pressure has intensified significantly on the Glasgow side.
Tavernier's Candid Assessment
Speaking after the match, Tavernier was frank about the situation. 'Every game's a must-win, but with their lead in the table, obviously it's a must-win if you want to compete for the title,' the captain stated. 'So we have to get the three points, no matter what.'
Tavernier pointed to the team's resilience throughout the season but acknowledged the need for improvement. 'I think if you've seen the course of the season, we've responded. We obviously don't want to put ourselves in these situations, and from now, with 12 games to go, we can't really be having any of these situations going forward.'
Learning to Win When Not at Their Best
The Rangers captain emphasised the need for his team to develop different ways to secure victories. 'So we've got to obviously show different ways of how to win and see games out when we're not looking overly at our best.'
Looking ahead to the Hearts encounter, Tavernier added: 'It's obviously a massive game on the weekend. Every game's massive, but it's at home and we've got to really be on the front foot against another good team who've been doing well this season and get the three points.'
A Young Squad Facing Pivotal Moments
Tavernier reflected on the development of Rangers' youthful squad throughout the campaign. 'It's a young squad. We've had ups and downs this season and then I felt that as young as the squad is, they've really came round and really grew as a group.'
The captain highlighted the importance of the coming fixtures. 'These are pivotal moments in the season, where you come down to the last stretch and you're really going for the title and you're in the title race. So you can't afford to have slip-ups like this, but we know it's obviously a missed opportunity.'
Concluding with determination, Tavernier said: 'We got a point and now we have to respond and get three points at home.'
