As Rangers step into 2026 with an Old Firm at Celtic Park against Wilfried Nancy’s struggling Hoops, James Tavernier’s message is neither dramatic nor defiant.
Instead, it is grounded in responsibility. For the captain, this fixture is not about noise, narratives, or even opponents as much as it is about Rangers controlling their own standards.
“Really excited,” Tavernier said of opening the year with a derby.
“We ended on a good note but tomorrow’s going to be another challenge.”
Rangers arrive off the back of momentum of wins over League Cup winners St Mirren and high-flying Motherwell, yet Tavernier framed the match as a reset rather than a reward - 90 minutes that demand full focus, not reflection.
Preparation, as ever, has included detailed analysis of Celtic.
Tavernier noted changes in formation and style under their new regime but was quick to draw the boundary between awareness and obsession.
“We can really only focus on what we’re going to do,” he said.
“Trying to be aggressive without the ball and composed with it.”
That insistence on self-control runs through every answer he gave.
Old Firm matches, Tavernier knows, are rarely won by dominance.
They turn on moments.
He said: “There’s obviously going to be clinical moments in these games where you’ve got to take them.”
It’s a simple truth, but one forged by experience. Rangers don’t need volume - they need precision.
And precision, Tavernier implied, is only possible when emotion is managed rather than suppressed.
There is a temptation to talk about exploiting nerves, especially given Celtic’s recent struggles – the hosts have lost five of their last seven matches.
Tavernier did not deny the possibility - but he rejected the idea that it can be forced.
“There have been times when we’ve got the crowd almost against them,” he said.
“But that’s down to the way we play and how we start from the first whistle.”
In other words, nervousness is a consequence, not a strategy.
Perhaps the most telling moment of the press conference came when Tavernier addressed form and opportunity.
He said: “We’re the only ones that are going to really beat ourselves this season.”
It was a line delivered without hesitation.
For the captain, Rangers threat does not come from the opposition, the environment, or the occasion - it comes from lapses in concentration, discipline, or belief.
Those, he suggested, are the margins that decide seasons.
Handling emotion, then, becomes a skill rather than a challenge.
Tavernier admitted he deals with it comfortably now, understanding that performance must anchor passion.
“If you can display a good performance with the three points, then it sets you up even better,” he explained.
Even victory, he warned, must be treated with care.
He said: “It will give you good confidence, but you also need to still be humble.”
History has taught him how quickly momentum can evaporate if standards slip.
His advice to Old Firm debutants was simple and revealing.
“Enjoy it, embrace it… stay cool, calm and collected,” he advised.
No fear. No bravado. Just responsibility.
For Rangers, the message is clear: if they lose control, it won’t be because of Celtic Park - it will be because they lost sight of themselves.