After a stirring first leg performance, Rangers limped out of the Europa League in the Estadio de San Mames after a self-inflicted defeat to Athletic Club.
There was little help from the officials – Jose Mourinho said it would be hard to beat Athletic – but Barry Ferguson’s side were hardly peppering the host’s goal with shots on target.
At the quarter-final stage, mistakes will always be punished, and Ferguson will have been disappointed to see two of the senior members of the Rangers squad stumble at the worst possible time.
John Souttar made a welcome return to the defence, however, the penalty that he gave away was avoidable and he also injured Leon Balogun when there was no need to challenge for the ball.
With the game still in the balance, it was a familiar problem that resurfaced as James Tavernier switched off at the back post and ignored the movement of Nico Williams.
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James Tavernier reverts to bad old Rangers ways
Tavernier, who has backed Ferguson to be the permanent Rangers boss, has become more vocal in recent seasons and can be seen berating other members of the defence if they aren’t doing their job.
Agasint Athletic, the Gers skipper dug out Jefte for allowing a cross before doing something even worse himself just minutes later in the second-half.
It has been the constant accusation of Tavernier. Yes, the attacking numbers are incredible, but sometimes, the 33-year old’s defending barely reaches the standard of an amateur.
When Williams scored, Tavernier was facing the ball on Rangers’ left, he looked to see where Williams was and then started daydreaming.
It’s a goal that Rangers have lost 100 times with Tavernier at right-back, or so it seems.
The problem is, there is nobody that will tell him it wasn’t good enough.
With his attacking effect on the wane, defensive lapses are only going to look worse, unless he is replaced.
Why didn’t Rangers get a penalty with the score at 0-0?
Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Tavernier accepted responsibilty for the second Athletic goal, saying he was trying to organise others around him, however, he also revealed what the referee said to him about the penalty that never was.
With the tie at 0-0, a penalty to Rangers and Athletic being down to 10-men for most of the game could have made a difference.
“He [the referee] said there was little in it,” revealed Tavernier.
“But you saw his top, and it was ripped. It’s one of those, it goes for you, or it goes against you.
“I’ve got to give the boys credit for the energy they put into the game.”
Defending the back post could also have made a difference.
As Sir Alex Ferguson used to say, “control the controllables”.
