As we explained in yesterday’s content, which raised the cat among the pigeons, of course, Nico Raskin will be the next Rangers captain, assuming that is that Danny Rohl remains Rangers manager over the summer. This is amid the James Tavernier Contract Situation as well.
James Tavernier Contract Situation
The consequence, of course, of this has been James Tavernier’s presence in the media. He has been discussing how Rangers have not offered him a new contract, bearing in mind we are now deep into April, and Tavernier is desperate to stay at Rangers. There are a lot of reasons why the captain wants to remain in Govan. Obviously, of course, having been here for 10 years, to say the least, he is settled and his children have grown up here. He doesn’t want to uproot and move away at the age of 34.
There are other reasons as well. And those other reasons would be simple. The salary he is currently on is extraordinary. He is 34 years of age and currently getting £37,000 a week. For what he has offered the club we feel that that wage is a bit on the high side, to say the least. Consequently, while he would accept a wage reduction, we are sure he still knows he’s getting it better at Rangers than he’d get anywhere else.
Media Comments and Public Position
Tavernier is not a bad player. Ibrox Noise never condemned him as a bad player. He is, however, a below-average right-back who has above-average stats. Those above-average stats are due to his free-roaming ability to provide assists, and especially to score, particularly penalties. We won’t deny what he’s given the club in terms of goals. Very few of those goals, however, have been points-winning goals, or even match-winning goals, but nevertheless, a goal is helpful than no goal.
But the issue here is that Tavernier knows that he is at serious risk now. We are deep into April, and no new offer has been given him. The fact that he has “grassed” the club up, however, is a curious situation. Offering an interview to the BBC, to the media, to tell them that he has not been given a new deal yet and hasn’t been offered one, is a very, very curious state of affairs. One could argue he was only answering the question he was asked, but he’s put himself out there in the press in the first place to be asked that question.
Rangers Contract Decision
It is, of course, the big pressing question about Tavernier: his extension. His arriving at 10 years at the club and his contract expiring. Ibrox Noise learned how Rangers fans feel about a new deal. We will give the results of that one in a separate entry. But the fact is that he has gone public about wanting a new contract. He is pretty clear he wants to stay. We’re not surprised to say the least.
Ibrox Noise would accept him remaining on a new deal, as long as the terms are massively reduced. He is 34 and nowhere near worth the kind of cash that he’s currently getting. We would have him down to around £15K tops. That would be about the limit for what essentially he is becoming, which is a squad player. We have seen this season that his legs are no longer there. He doesn’t have the pace. He doesn’t have age on his side. How could he? He’s 34. He is not Cafu, alas, for him, who was able to run like an 18-year-old continuously up and down the flanks for AC Milan and earlier Roma. All the way into his deep 30s. He was a Brazilian phenomenon. Alas, Tavernier is not quite at that level.
Future Uncertainty
Consequently, he cannot expect or demand a new deal. For James Tavernier Contract Situation all he can do at this point is say that he really, really wants one. Whether he’s to be offered one, well that’s up to the board and Danny Rohl.