Tavernier salvages Rangers draw against Dundee United

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Rangers’ woeful start to the season continued as they came back for a 2-2 draw against Dundee United in their first match since Russell Martin’s sacking.

With the Ibrox side edging closer to appointing Kevin Muscat, U19 coach Steven Smith took charge as he vowed to make the fans “happy” after a period of pain”.

It started well when Thelo Aasgaard fired in his first goal for the Ibrox side to give them a deserved lead.

They continued to dominate, but Kristijan Trapanovski fired into the bottom corner just seconds after coming on before Craig Sibbald’s stunning strike gave United the lead.

Rangers captain James Tavernier salvaged a point with a late equaliser but they were booed off again, still without a home win in the Premiership this season.

Fan anger continues at Ibrox

Smith, who had two spells as a player at Ibrox, told his players before kick-off to “be brave, take responsibility, trust the information given and execute the game plan” – and they certainly started in a positive fashion.

However, the Rangers ultras group in the Copland stand, Union Bears, displayed a message on banners which appeared to be aimed at the players, reading: ‘No more buses to hide on. No more managers to hide behind. Face your failures like men’.

Initially, United goalkeeper Yevheni Kucherenko did not see too much action, although he was happy in the 17th minute to see a long-range drive from Tavernier just clear the bar.

However, when Aasgaard took a deft touch from Djeidi Gassama on the left, he skipped past Bert Esselink and Luca Stephenson before curling the ball into the far corner of the net.

Kucherenko made another couple of good saves from Aasgaard and one from attacker Oliver Antman as the home side pressed for the second.

At half-time, another banner was unfurled from the Sandy Jardine stand which was aimed at chief executive Patrick Stewart and sporting director Kevin Thelwell. It read ‘Stewart, Thelwell pack your bags and go before we pack them for you’.

United began to pose more problems for the home side and Trapanovski came off the bench for Amar Fatah in the 65th minute then immediately fired low past Jack Butland from the edge of the box.

Then, in the 75th minute, after Butland had made a crucial save from Zac Sapsford, the visitors recycled and Sibbald curled a shot from 25 yards high past the Rangers keeper.

The hosts battled to get back on level terms and once again it was Tavernier who came to the rescue, walking on to a pass from substitute Mikey Moore and guiding the ball high into the net from the edge of the box.

Butland then made a crucial save from Trapanovski as the game swung from end to end but there was to be no winner for either side.

Smith: ‘It hurts and it should hurt’

Rangers interim head coach Steven Smith speaking to Sky Sports News:

“First half we played at a good level, the second half the game changed and we didn’t change with it and to go from the level we did in the first half to probably being lucky to get a point in the end isn’t great but we need to move on.

“Our intensity went from being really good in the first half to a drop in the second half and once that happens and the other team gains momentum it’s quite tough, so they need to manage that part of the game better.

“It’s frustrating and it hurts and it should hurt, there’s no getting away from that but they know in the change room that what they need to do to get better and it’s up to that group now to galvanise each other and stick together and move on.”

“I’ve only worked with the group for 10 days so I can only pass comment on what I’ve seen in that time and I was honest with them. I don’t think it’s my job to go in and rant and rave and shout even though there are bits inside me that want to do that but that’s not what my remit is at this moment.

Asked if the players need to shoulder some of the blame, he added: “That’s the case all the time, I don’t think that’s used because we’re suffering at this moment, that’s every time you play, every time you train, that’s how I play, that’s the mindset that I had and I’d like to think that that’s the mindset that they have in there.”

Goodwin: ‘Feels like two points dropped’

Dundee United manager Jim Goodwin on Sky Sports News:

“That old cliché of a game of two halves.

“The first half wasn’t good enough as far as we’re concerned. We were second best all over the park, the gaps between defence midfield and the forward line was too big.

“At half time we were able to adjust that, we got a little bit higher up the pitch, got a little bit more pressure on the Rangers defenders when they were building. I thought we were really, really good in the second 45 minutes.

“Disappointed not to have taken all three points in the end.

“We never assumed the game was over, we knew Rangers were going to throw everything at us but to be at that late stage of the game and winning, it does feel a little bit like two points dropped at this moment.

“I thought the substitutions today were outstanding. It shows how important the squad is going to be to us.”

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