Gary McAllister has backed James Tavernier to lead them into one of their biggest seasons in history.
But the Ibrox assistant reckons a near-flawless campaign like new English champs Liverpool’s might be required to stop Celtic’s 10 In A Row quest.
Tavernier’s leadership qualities were called into question before football shut down – but McAllister insists he has the trust of Steven Gerrard and the management team.
The Ibrox gaffer is the first in history to survive two trophyless seasons to start his reign but McAllister says Tav can lead their troops into battle.
He said: “We trust the captain. He plays a massive part in that and I like that he takes on that responsibility.
“We do ask him to go and go and over the piece he’s a good captain.
“He’s available the entire time. He’s set some very high standards in terms of goalscoring and assists. You look at his numbers and what he provides for us and he’s a key player.”
McAllister watched his former club lift their first English top flight crown in 30 years after losing just twice in the league so far.
Asked if Gers might need a similar campaign to stop Celts, he said: “Absolutely. That’s just a given. Historically, across the globe, most of the teams that win leagues, that is the sort of level you have to hit. There’s very little wiggle room there.
“We gained a points average of 2.4 to 2.45. We’ve got to get better than that.”
McAllister admitted Gerrard has to stop Celts.
He went on: “We’ve got to win. You can break it all down but the easiest way to say things is: we’ve got to try to win. We will only be judged on winning.
“Steven’s hunger and desire to win – he’s got it even more so now. He’s worked his entire life and career at those levels. Even when he went to the States there was a pressure to win there at a high-profile club.
“Everyone at this club has to embrace what is a massive challenge to stop a team from winning ten leagues in a row but we’re up for the battle.”
