'Raging' Tavernier blasts 'disgraceful' Rangers performance

Rangers captain James Tavernier slammed a "disgraceful performance" on the back of a 3-0 defeat to Brann in Danny Rohl's first match in charge.

A dismal season for Rangers arguably hit a new nadir on Thursday, as they slumped to a heavy Europa League loss in Norway.

New boss Rohl, who succeeded Russell Martin earlier this week, made his way over to speak to the travelling fans at full-time, while some supporters directed their ire at the club's leadership.

Tavernier, though, feels the players are the ones letting the club down.

"It's just a disgraceful performance, it's as simple as that," said a furious Tavernier, as quoted by BBC Sport.

"All the years I've been here, the consistency of poor performance that we're putting in, I've not experienced it before.

"Some of us show our aggression after the games, after we get beaten – you expect all the lads to take that in, but we have to look at ourselves much harder.

"We were just second best to first ball, second balls, not enough fight, and I shouldn't be saying that for Rangers players – that should be the given.

"It's just far too easy at this minute playing against us. That's the hurtful thing about this all.

"The manager's come in, it's a couple of days on the training pitch, you can only give certain instructions, but us ourselves have to put that on the pitch.

"He [Rohl] can give us the best opportunity, but it comes from within as a player to fight, to give it your all, that's within. I don't think that's something that's taught.

"I think you've either got it or you haven't, we're just clearly not showing that at this moment in time. I'm raging."

Rohl, meanwhile, took responsibility to put things right at Rangers.

"I think we have high standards, and we should have high standards at Rangers. This is very important to understand, I think for me it was clear that everything could be right, but of course we are very disappointed," he said.

"We have to say the opponent was better, they deserved the win, they were more aggressive, they won more second balls.

"And I think today I saw a lot of where we are at the moment, what the reality is, but also it was very clear we have not so much time to change something, but I want to see again a step forward on Sunday and it means we have to win this game.

"I think there are reasons why we didn't win so many games in the past, I think you saw this again.

"My job is to find a solution as soon as possible with this group. I saw a lot about individual performances, but more and more as well how we act as a group, and these are the things we have to improve."

With zero points from their three matches in the competition, Rangers sit at the bottom of the 36-team Europa League standings.

Rangers have failed to win their last six Europa League games (D1 L5), their longest ever winless run in the competition. 

Rohl's first Scottish Premiership match in charge comes on Sunday, as Rangers host Kilmarnock at Ibrox.