Man United v Rangers: Ruben Amorim makes admission about exit-linked Gers star
Ruben Amorim has admitted he is concerned about the attacking threat of the Rangers full-backs ahead of the clash against Manchester United.
The Gers will travel to Old Trafford on Thursday (23 January) with a top-eight spot on the line in the Europa League league phase.
However, despite heading into the clash as underdogs, Amorim shared his fears in his pre-match press conference on Wednesday (22 January) with the likes of James Tavernier, who has been consistently linked with an Ibrox exit this season [Football Insider], high on the list of concerns.
He said: “The full-backs are really high and they have [the] talent to score in the final third, so it’s one more difficult game and it’s important for us because we want to skip the Europa League play-off. The Rangers fans will make some noise, so we are prepared, and our fans will be prepared.”
James Tavernier can wreak havoc for Rangers v Manchester United
The Light Blues captain has endured a tumultuous season at Ibrox.
He was widely expected to leave Glasgow in the summer with interest from Turkey rife, but no such move materialised.
Philippe Clement granted the full-back the opportunity to move past the summer speculation, but his performances left a lot to be desired and although he lost his place to Dujon Sterling, defensive injuries have seen him return to the first team fold.
Despite everything, the consensus remains that this year will be his final at Ibrox, but he is still a pivotal member of the Rangers squad as far as Amorim is concerned.
Although Jefte and Ridvan Yilmaz have shown glimpses of attacking prowess at Ibrox, Tavernier has been a constant threat to opposition backlines throughout his career and will be eager to lay down a statement against a frail Manchester United side.
Amorim is losing his head at Old Trafford only two months into his reign, and his latest “breakdown” after the defeat against Brighton in the Premier League will only encourage Clement to seek an unlikely win south of the border.
Rangers have already proven they can compete with Premier League opposition after the 1-1 draw against Tottenham (12 December) – they could now go one step further and all but secure passage to the Europa League round of 16 with Tavernier as the focal point.
In other Rangers news, here’s how the Gers could line up against Manchester United.
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