It has been confirmed by Rangers and Danny Rohl that James Tavernier’s Ibrox future is now under significant question and the captain may not be offered a new contract.
Dujon Sterling has recently taken Tavernier’s place in the side. As a result, the former first team mainstay, 34, now watches more often and mainly makes substitute appearances.
His case for inclusion was not helped with a bad penalty miss during the shootout.
He said:
“I’m just going to give it all what I’ve normally done every season, and see where it takes us. “I obviously want to play. But the manager holds the cards to all of it and what team he selects, and you’ve just got to be fully behind the team of whatever team he selects. You’ve just got to keep working hard. It’s down to the manager, who and what he selects, and you’ve got to respect that. That’s the best I possibly can do for myself. The team are working continuously hard, and we’d like to see silverware at the end of the season, but it’s game by game, the old cliche, but it is game by game, and we obviously have to take those maximum points.”
His comment about Rohl does hint at a bit of needle. He feels slightly entitled to selection.. He does this by stating that Rohl holds all the cards and that it is up to him.
Either way, the manager, rightly or wrong, does indeed pick and choose the team. And Rohl has now confirmed Tavernier is no longer indispensable and will play when the time is right for him to do so.
The reality is Tavernier has played almost unchallenged since 2015 and has become completely used to getting things his own way..
Rohl is no longer giving him that, and Sterling is doing a…well… sterling job at RB.
What does this all mean?
It means that Tavernier is probably playing his last season as a Rangers player. While he’ll get his testimonial this summer, his time really was up a long long time ago.
He has remained firmly entrenched in the XI for 10 years.. Only now under Rohl has he lost that privilege.
His goals and assists have improved again and his stats this season are more than decent..
Alas, his defending remains an eyesore and a huge Rangers weakness when he plays hence James Tavernier’s Ibrox future.
James Tavernier’s Rangers story is very likely to be coming to an end.