As we all now know, James Tavernier leaves Rangers this summer after a shock announcement on Wednesday morning.
Tavernier’s time in Govan is fast approaching 11 years, having arrived in Glasgow’s south side way back when in 2015 under Mark Warburton’s management, as Rangers approached a second crack at promotion from the Championship.
He will leave Rangers with most fans’ best wishes, having been captain since 2018 and leading the club to one league title, one Scottish cup, and one league cup, plus the Europa League final.
Fading
This season has seen his fading from the starting XI, with Russell Martin often preferring Max Aarons, and Danny Rohl likewise with Dujon Sterling.
When he has played his legs have looked ‘gone’ despite the fact that stats actually report him 4th in the SPL for duals won.
But the one undeniable part is Rangers and Danny Rohl did not offer James Tavernier a new contract. And he’s chosen to announce that first, then leave.
In fact, the relationship between Rohl and Tavernier has rather faded – we don’t believe they fell out, but Rohl couldn’t justify a new contract to a 34-year-old RB whose best years are behind him.
Rohl controls all of that – a new deal would only be offered to Tav if Rohl endorsed it. And he didn’t.
But what do we make of Tavernier’s Rangers career?
We can tell you Rangers fans, by large, are devastated at his exit.
We reported recently that 65% wanted him to get the new deal. Well the club hasn’t honoured that and Tav will move on. The majority aren’t happy.
But then the majority backed Philippe Clement in August 2024 with a 91% endorsement before he was fired two months later. With the endorsement of THAT by the same fans.
So we love you fellow Rangers fans, but sometimes you literally do not know what you’re talking about. Or want.
We all do want the same thing, a strong Rangers.
Our real question about Tavernier is would Dick Advocaat, Walter Smith or Alex McLeish have had him as such an integral part of the team.
Advocaat had Fernando Ricksen (RIP) after a sticky start, Walter had Gary Stevens for some of 9IAR, and later the slightly less sparkling Alec Cleland, while Alex McLeish had Ricksen and Mo Ross. Walter’s second spell of course had the outstanding Alan Hutton.
So we’re not going to sit here and allege that Tavernier would never have been in Rangers teams of the past. Cleland was not world class, Mo Ross was ordinary and even Fernando had that tough start.
But the difference is none of those more average RBs were captain. They didn’t have this insane hype machine and tribalistic backing behind them.
Social media
Admittedly social media has driven this new age – Rangers’ fall to Division 3 coincided with the rise of social media and the rules of judgement, communication, and even standards have changed with the advent of FB and Twitter.
So it’s hard to compare present era with the past. The past had different players, and sure didn’t have WhatsApp.
But when look at Tav’s time in Govan, as James Tavernier leaves Rangers, the one categorical thing all Rangers captains (and managers) must be judged on is silverware.
Amo, Barry, Goughie, Davo, Butcher, and Weir all won things for the club. Crucially, lots of things. Amo won plenty under Advocaat, ditto Barry and then under Walter. Gough won 9IAR, Butcher was there at the start of it. Weir was huge for Rangers after Barry left.
But Tav, despite being at Ibrox 11 years, won just 3 trophies. It’s simply not good enough, and while every Tav backer will blame circumstance, and they might even have a point, alas for Tav his silverware fell criminally short of Rangers standards.
However, we’re balanced on Ibrox Noise, and we don’t want to slaughter the boy without giving him a fair hearing.
As far as fitness and enduring players go, Tavernier was absolutely outstanding for the club. Rarely injured, and always available. That is a rare quality for a defender, and he clearly takes immense care of himself.
World record
He also has the world record for goals from his position. A staggering 148 (and still technically counting) according to transfermarkt, 152 according to Wiki. Either way it’s incredible.
Then there’s the Europa League final. He shares the honour with very few Rangers captains, of leading Rangers out for a European final that he played a huge part in getting the club to.
He also managed to top the Europa League assist stats in 2020 during the group stage.
So this boy isn’t a failure.
He regularly appears high up on stats markers and ratings sites, such has been his consistency and endurance.
So individually, on a metric and forensic level, he hasn’t failed. Far from it.
His penalty-taking was clinical. Superb. If Rangers got a pen, it was a 95% likely goal when Tav stepped up.
And those assists were supreme. Tav, regardless of how or why, he amassed an incredible 151 (and counting) assists. This included 5 in UCL qualifying, one in the UCL itself, and 21 in the Europa Leagie. That’s excellent numbers however you spin it.
But his time in Govan was one of team failure.
He never led, and others forced him into the role. Tav never really became one, and ‘disappointing’ became a meme for his interviews after another bad result.
He tried, he really did, but Tavernier was just never an alpha leader of men. And the team just wasn’t Rangers level around him, which wasn’t his fault.
Alec Cleland
Tavernier was as if Alec Celand was Rangers’ main RB and captain for over a decade. An average player thrust into a position beyond his actual quality.
And we know just how much Tav struggled to do his job at the back as well. Despite the stats showing him to be strong, Rangers’ right was exposed over and over again costing a lot of points and the phrase ‘ffs, Tav again’ a lot.
How will fans then remember James Tavernier?
That depends who you ask.
Ibrox Noise can say little more than ‘you tried your best, you were incredibly well paid for it, and you move onto pastures new after years of a strange Rangers era where nothing was as it used to be’.
But the majority will be much kinder and vaunt him as a hero. Maybe he was one. Maybe they looked at Tav and saw a modest player thrust into a high position and related to him.
An unlikely captain, and one of the longest-serving in Rangers history.
Despite the fact James Tavernier leaves Rangers, we sure can’t take that from him.