"I call him Tarbs," said Warnock.
"I knew he had a lot of ability and I've spoken to Harry Redknapp about him - he told me you'll be tearing your hair out at times.
"But I think I'm the right type of manager he needs and he's already working harder than he ever has.
"He's a gifted lad. They've got ability and they've got to add work-rate to it.
"Everyone in the country knows this team has under-achieved but you don't win anything on ability alone. It's what is under the shirt that counts as well.
"He's got ability but he's listening and he's trying his hardest. He's got to do that to have any chance of getting into Harry's squad. I think it's good grounding for him and will do him a bit of good."
The 20-year-old Moroccan was a constant menace to the shaky Plymouth back four.
He had already played in Jay Simpson for a chance which the 13-goal striker put wide, and then hit the side-netting after shaking off three Plymouth defenders.
And when Rangers were awarded a 35th-minute penalty after Kari Arnason had wrestled Tamas Priskin to the floor, Taarabt coolly sent Argyle keeper David Stockdale the wrong way.
Rangers made the game safe three minutes after the interval when Taarabt's free-kick was nodded in by defender Damion Stewart.
"It was a different game from Saturday, with all the razzmatazz of my first game," added Warnock.
"My centre-halves and goalkeeper were magnificent but you have to defend from the front and I thought we did that.
"We'd gone 25 games without a clean sheet - that must be right because the centre-halves told me."
Defeat leaves Plymouth rooted in the bottom three, seven points from safety.
Their boss Paul Mariner was as green with envy as his players' shirts as he surveyed Warnock's riches.
"Neil's done a great job since he's come in," he said.
"But you have to remember they put this squad together with quite a lot of money and they have a lot of talented players."
Arnason wasted their best chance when he headed an Alan Judge free-kick over the top in the first half.
"Chances like that change games," added Mariner.
"David Stockdale hasn't had a save to make and yet we've lost the game 2-0.
"It was a poor penalty to give away and then we let another in after 48 minutes.
"In our position we can't keep shooting ourselves in the foot."
Source: Team Talk
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