Tavernier wants maximum points from split as Rangers target title

Rangers captain James Tavernier has set his side a title-clinching challenge of wins from five after the split.

The Ibrox side, who were 13 points adrift of leaders Hearts when Danny Rohl took charge in October, are now just a point off the pace.

Rangers begin their post-split games at home to Motherwell next weekend while Hearts are at Easter Road for an Edinburgh derby against Hibernian and third-place Celtic host Motherwell.

But Tavernier insists his team aren't worrying about anyone else and have full concentration on picking up maximum points from their remaining games as they target a first title in five years.

"We can only focus on ourselves, we can't really focus on anyone else," the 34-year-old defender said.

"We've just got to get five wins and hopefully that takes us where we want to be at the end of the season.

"That's obviously the goal, and going forward we'd like clean sheets as well and not try and make the games harder for ourselves."

With no game this weekend, Rangers – like title rivals Hearts – are currently recharging their batteries for the run-in in the Spanish resort of La Manga.

"It's obviously just bonding time with the boys, getting closer together," said Tavernier.

"It's the last stretch now, so it's more about getting the boys really together because the only time we had this was probably pre-season.

"This is a time where we can spend five days with each other and just grow together and make sure we finish the season off strong."

Tavernier says Rohl's calm demeanour helped Rangers turn around a 2-0 deficit to head to Spain on the back of a 6-3 comeback win at Falkirk.

"Obviously it was night and day, performance wise, from the first half to second half," he said.

"We caused our own problems in the first half. But I thought the mentality and the resilience from the boys and the reaction, to get that first goal just before half-time and then the second-half performance was really strong from ourselves on a difficult surface against a difficult team."

"He [Danny Rohl] obviously knows what the team can deliver, so there was a sense of calmness at half-time and I felt the boys really responded really well."