One thing we are very curious about is why Rangers manager Danny Rohl undermined his captain so aggressively. James Tavernier, for all his faults, is Rangers’ captain. It is extremely well documented that Ibrox Noise does not support James Tavernier as captain, given just how poor a leader he has actually been over the duration, but nevertheless, the decision was made by Gerrard and retained by other managers, misguidedly. Regardless of the reasons, though, he does have the armband. So for Danny Rohl to come out and more or less admit that Tavernier was not his captain and that Nico Raskin was, was a very, very curious thing to do while retaining Tavernier with the armband.
“He’s (Nico) my guy on the pitch when I need to make a tactical [change] – I bring him over when I have to tell him something.”
The Captaincy Contradiction
It is often done that a new manager will change captain. That does happen. And it is often a controversial activity, which can leave some misgivings on the part of the deposed captain, but they have to respect the decision and just get on with it.
Lorenzo Amoruso was one such player who lost, of course, the captaincy by Dick Advocaat to Barry Ferguson. It was, of course, the correct decision, but Amo had to swallow his pride and just get on with it.
But Raskin has not been given that armband. Instead, his manager said, yes, he is my man on the pitch. He is the one I communicate with. He is the one I consult with and liaise with.
There was no mention of Tavernier, his actual captain, at all.
Tavernier And Rohl
James Tavernier, of course, is 34. Rohl is 36. 36 for a manager is extremely young and inexperienced. Consequently, Tavernier must have felt rather perturbed by that decision, and we do wonder if that is why he went to the BBC to say that Rangers had not given him a new offer.
The simple fact is that Rohl did not want to give Tavernier a new deal. He was not his captain and he did not particularly rate him.
We do not entirely blame him for not rating him, but the way that Tavernier was treated was poor.
He was not offered a deal. He went to the press to explain this and both sides could have handled it a hell of a lot better.
A Messy Situation
Only a day and a half after going to the press, Tavernier then announced he was leaving. He of course did not decide. He was told he would not be receiving a new offer and that was that.
We do not know what goes on inside closed doors, especially not between Rohl and Tavernier, but it is abundantly clear that they do not have the best working relationship.
That it is professional enough, but Tavernier is not Rohl’s man, and apparently Raskin is.
But then if Raskin leaves this summer, that all goes up in the air as well. But then if Rohl leaves this summer as well, it even flies further into the sky.
Who knows what on earth is going on these days at Rangers? It is such a mess.
But nevertheless, the point being that Rohl mistreated Tavernier is true. Danny Rohl undermined his captain. His public quotes were not very fair, and you really do not see things like that to undermine your current captain.