‘World-class’ – Gerrard makes big claim about Rangers player v Dundee United
Steven Gerrard described James Tavernier’s free-kick during Rangers’ 2-1 win against Dundee United on Sunday as “world-class”.
The club captain opened the scoring with a wonderful long-range free-kick after 26 minutes, before providing the assist for Connor Goldson’s winner just before half-time.
The win allowed the Gers to maintain their 13-point gap at the top of the table and gave Tavernier his 11th goal and eighth assist in the league this season.
Speaking after the game, Gerrard said that the 29-year-old was showing “fantastic leadership” in addition to his great play.
“It is a world-class execution from the free-kick – it doesn’t matter who you are, or who you are playing for, if you can deliver free-kicks like that, they are world-class moments,” he told RangersTV.
“And, he comes big again for the second goal with the assist for Connor, again, and both of them are showing fantastic leadership again.”
So valuable
The level and consistency of the performances put in by Tavernier so far this season are quite incredible and he is on course to be named as the Scottish Premiership Player of the Year.
No player in the division has as many goals or assists as the Gers captain (via WhoScored) and he once again came up trumps in a tough match for Gerrard’s side. His all-around game was excellent too, with the skipper taking four shots, completing 58 passes, making one key pass and winning one tackle and one interception (via WhoScored).
While Rangers dominated the ball with 74.3% possession and took 18 shots to their opponents’ seven (via WhoScored), a lovely Liam Smith goal got Dundee United back into the game and it took character to come back and seal the win. The Gers have now won their last nine matches in the league and continue to ramp up the pressure on rivals Celtic, who by comparison have won just four times in all competitions since they lost the Old Firm derby in October.
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