The James Tavernier situation at Rangers is a very unique one. He is, without any doubt, and we say this with a heavy heart, the worst captain that the club has ever had. We are well aware of the amount of hate that we will receive from those extremely ardent Tavernier fans for this comment, but many will also agree. A Gough, a Butcher, a Davie Weir, a Barry Ferguson, Tavernier has definitely most certainly not been.
Consequently, we are not shy in saying so. He is not a Rangers captain and never was. When he was made originally a temporary captain under Steven Gerrard and the prior managers before Gerrard came into office, he was not a popular choice by any manner of means. The outrage over him being part of the cycle of captains at that time, which included Lee Wallace, Kenny Miller and Tavernier, saw a merry go roundabout where Rangers were unable to find a permanent fixture for the armband. Gerrard decided just to leave Tavernier in that position against most fans’ wishes, even though some did support it. The reality is, he has not been a good captain and we are not afraid to call that out.
Captaincy controversy and fan backlash
However, his contribution in terms of goals and assists has been very, very good, even if it has left the back door wide open. Consequently, the question of a new contract for Tavernier as he reaches the end of his deal is a curious one. This is, of course, his testimonial summer. Next, this coming summer, we will see him being at Rangers for the full 10 years and eligible for that testimonial.
Testimonial debate and legacy questions
Has he earned one? It is such a surreal era in Rangers history. This is in that we cannot measure things in the way that we used to. Many fans still try, and of course entire generations seem to be growing up with this Rangers version. They are also growing up with Tavernier as captain. This is the level of Rangers that they are used to. There is one notable individual among our community who is around 75 years of age. He will remain nameless, but he is very much is aware of how Rangers should be and should conduct themselves.
Standards then versus now
And he is among those who can judge the current Rangers era as being considerably weaker than it should be. That the level that Rangers are at right now is nowhere near where it should be. The James Tavernier situation is very much, sadly, a part of that. He is, let us not forget, a failed Wigan reject. He cost £200,000, and fitted perfectly with the Championship at the time that Rangers needed him. But the step up, he hardly exactly shone. He has never been at the level of, say, an Alan Hutton or a Gary Stevens. Anyone saying otherwise is simply deluded. If we look at his own brother, Marcus, he has shone in the Premier League in England for years. That is a level that James would wish to be at, but is simply nowhere near there.
Contract terms and future role
This is not to completely diss him. He has been what he would be, considering, good enough for the level that we have been at, which is not normal Rangers. He is not a strong player, he is not a strong leader, and we have seen better defending. But at the end of the day, he has had the armband for a very long time, and he has been loyal, although it is quite easy to be loyal when you are being offered £37,000 a week. That said, the new contract, if there is to be one, has to be a massively reduced deal. Very few Rangers fans would want to see Tavernier permanently in the team every single match, given the fact that clearly his season, this season, his legs are no longer there. He is 34, after all.
So with the James Tavernier situation, what does he deserve? We would reduce his wages by at least half, and he would only be a squad member. We would pay him around £18,000 a week. He would still be on a very healthy wage, and he would be a squad player. In all fairness, we would probably go even lower than that wage, but we are being maybe a little bit sentimental ourselves. At the end of the day, the club will decide exactly what Tavernier is to be offered. He will, of course, want to play out his career at Ibrox. We believe he has already said that that would be his ideal choice. But at the end of the day, it just depends on what Danny Rohl and others deem him to be worth.