Rangers reaction: Worst may have passed, Tavernier will surely eclipse ‘penalty king’, making a spectacle of VAR

Rangers' James Tavernier requires only three more peantly attempts to earn a special place in the club's history. (Photo by Rob Casey / SNS Group)

Rangers secured a desperately-needed fillip with their 3-0 defeat of St Mirren in Paisley on Sunday.

We pick through some of the talking points from the SMiSA Stadium …

Worst may have passed for the Ibrox club

Never will a two-week international break have been as welcome to any club as that will be to Rangers right now. And, unlike the September hiatus which followed the Celtic defeat ultimately fatal to Michael Beale’s job prospects, the Ibrox side step away from hostilities – with their own support as much as any opponents on the pitch – after rediscovering the art of winning. There was nothing scintillating about the display under interim Steven Davis. The home side, previously unbeaten in the Premiership, essentially – and literally – handed them the points, Ryan Strain deliberately nudging the ball away with his mitt in the box midway through the first period for the double-jeopardy of a red-card and penalty coverted by James Tavernier. With Rangers’ confidence shot after the dismal 2-1 defeat away to Aris Limassol in the Europa League three days earlier, to compound the cataclysmic 3-1 home loss to Aberdeen that pushed Beale through the exit door, Rangers would have been grateful for any help to dig themselves out of the mire. And move them to second in the table and back within seven points of leaders Celtic.

Before they next take to the pitch – at home to Hibs on October 21 – a new manager will be in place. A round of interviews expected with Philipe Clement, Scott Parker and Kevin Muscat in the coming days. This will draw some of the poison from the situation with the club’s fanbase. The toxicity of the relationship illustrated with the banner that lambasted a failing playing squad as ‘heartless, passionless, leaderless/not fit to wear the colours’ early on at the SMiSA Stadium.

Moreover, the new man is likely to have a number of injury returnees to bolster his playing options, with such as Todd Cantwell in the frame for a comeback then. The fixtures haven’t fallen kindly for him, with the match against in-form Hibs giving way to a trip to the Czech capital for a crucial Europa League encounter with Sparta Prague. But it is worth remembering that, picking up a similarly rudderless side last November, Beale’s start to his tenure led to Rangers posting 17 wins and a draw from the club’s next 19 games, when they seemed in no state to produce that kind of form. So often a coaching change can be good for arresting decline. At least in the short-term.

Tavernier will surely top ‘penalty king’

Arguments will rage about the worth of Rangers hall of famer James Tavernier long after the club captain has departed the Ibrox team. But, courtesy of tucking another penalty away with aplomb at the weekend, before that day arrives the right-back will surely be unimpeachable in one respect. The 31-year-old’s latest spot-kick was his 66th across his eight-year Rangers career. A total of 54 of these converted. It is believed that Johnny Hubbard is the Rangers player with the most penalties to his name in the club’s history. The 1950s winger earned the soubriquet ‘penalty king’ because he buried 65 of the 68 spot-kicks he took. With Tavernier only two shy of the latter figure, he will surely claim Hubbard’s mantle before the season is out.

Making a spectacle of VAR

The placement of the VAR monitor at St Mirren’s ground along the trackside at the main stand creates the feel that a referee practically has to go in among the punters to review any decisions. And get an earful if the home team could be on the wrong side of any judgement required. So it was that Nick Walsh was given it tight by the crowd in the vicinity of the monitor as he had the relatively simple job of confirming that Strain had transgressed to end his afternoon, and cough up a penalty. To the extent that one elderly gent, so incensed, rose to his feet and removed his glasses which he held out towards Walsh. The offer of the spectacles not taken up as the official fixed eyes intently on the screen and and impressively blocked out the bad-mouthing.