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Adam Lallana upset with James Tavernier for failure in Liverpool v Rangers clash
Adam Lallana didn’t hold back his judgement on James Tavernier after his former Liverpool side beat Rangers 2-0 on Tuesday night.
Tavernier started for the Light Blues, leading the side out on their first ever European trip to Anfield, but the 30-year-old had a night to forget as the Reds strolled to victory.
It marked Rangers’ third consecutive loss in the Champions League this season, and Lallana singled out Tavernier for being too conservative while speaking on BBC 5 Live.
“I think it was extremely comfortable for Liverpool,” said Lallana, via Glasgow Live.
“I was slightly disappointed in the way Rangers approached the game off the back of the result at the weekend and season Liverpool are having.
“I probably expected Rangers to be a bit more aggressive and see if they could capitalise in any way. But it was total dominance for Liverpool. I thought they were extremely passive in the way they set up.
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“It was a flat back five and Tavernier never got forward it felt like. It’s a tough place to go and sometimes it can be intimidating for clubs like Rangers who aren’t often in the Champions League.”
Intimidated?
If there’s one thing that Rangers should never be on a European away day, it’s intimidated.
This Gers side reached the Europa League final last season based on bravery and resilience when constantly pinned as underdogs.
That fearlessness to play how they want to is something Rangers can’t afford to lose. Sitting back and inviting pressure is a recipe for disaster, but Giovanni van Bronckhorst seems unable to drill it out of his players.
The squad should’ve been excited to attack and harry this shaky Liverpool side, but instead, they gave Jurgen Klopp’s outfit a huge bump of confidence by allowing them to play without pressure.
It was a disastrous game plan and that was reflected in both the performance and scoreline. Van Bronckhorst’s team selection and tactics are yet again under fire, and he needs to adapt quickly for next week’s return clash at Ibrox.
The home crowd will rightly demand effort and energy from their team, and the squad need to start the game positively.
If Van Bronckhorst gets it wrong again, pressure will start to pile on.
In other Rangers news, Rangers media partner gush over ‘bright spark’ Leon King following the Liverpool defeat.