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Steven Gerrard wants to name Nathan Patterson, James Tavernier in same side

Gerrard wants to name Patterson, Tavernier in same side
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Steven Gerrard has major hopes for Nathan Patterson but the 19-year-old has had to be patient given skipper James Tavernier's form.

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard will continue experimenting with plans to get right-backs Nathan Patterson and James Tavernier in his team at the same time.

Gerrard has major hopes for Patterson but the 19-year-old has had to be patient given skipper Tavernier's form.

The teenager, who made his Scotland debut towards the end of their Euro 2020 campaign, came on at half-time at right-back as Rangers drew 2-2 with Arsenal on Saturday.

Tavernier moved forward into an attacking role before going off on the hour mark but Gerrard is prepared to tweak his system to get both players on the park.

"We are going to consider it because it's two really good players but it's not going to happen like a flick of a switch," he told Rangers TV.

"It's something we are going to have to work on it in training, they are going to have to get used to it. They are two fantastic players so I can't have one of them on the bench for every game of the season, that's for sure.

"There will be times when it will suit us, there will be times when I don't need it, but it is something that is on my mind and it is something we will experiment with.

"If we use the system it will maybe be more in a back three or a 4-1-4-1 where James is more out wide, where he is used to being when he is at right-back.

"It's a work in progress but it's very early days."

Gerrard is keen to have different tactical options anyway after employing the same system to good effect for most of his time in charge.

Rangers normally have three in midfield with two attackers supplementing a centre-forward in narrow positions, allowing the full-backs to move outside them.

But Gerrard is looking to be more flexible this season.

"Once everyone is back and once we have got the squad set, we are still looking to maybe add to it, I have to have the variety because some managers will try and stop this system," he said.

"They have seen it for some years now. I might have to tweak something just to keep people thinking. I need to have the variety to adapt during the game. That's where the players will need to be quite clever and listen to the information that we give them."

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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
Championship Group
1Celtic000097227581
2RangersRangers000068353366
3Hibernian000054411353
4Dundee UnitedDundee Utd00004140150
5Aberdeen00004549-450
6St Mirren00004554-941
Relegation Group
1Hearts00004344-140
2Motherwell00003756-1939
3Kilmarnock00003858-2035
4Ross County00003356-2335
5Dundee00005071-2134
6St Johnstone00003358-2529
 
First Phase
1Celtic33263497227581
2RangersRangers33206768353366
3Hibernian331411854411353
4Dundee UnitedDundee Utd33148114140150
5Aberdeen33148114549-450
6St Mirren33125164554-941
7Hearts33117154344-140
8Motherwell33116163756-1939
9Kilmarnock3398163858-2035
10Ross County3398163356-2335
11Dundee3397175071-2134
12St Johnstone3385203358-2529


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