Ally McCoist explodes at ‘shocking’ James Tavernier in BT Sport studio as Rangers lose v Ajax again
Ally McCoist was raging with James Tavernier’s defensive positioning as Rangers lost 3-1 at the hands of Ajax at Ibrox on Tuesday night.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad went down as the worst Champions League side in history as their Group A campaign ended with a 100 per cent defeat record.
It was a rotten performance by the Gers from the off with Steven Berguis’ goal in the fourth minute coming off the back of terrible defending by the Scots.
Rangers captain Tavernier, 31, was particularly at fault, according to McCoist.
Speaking on BT Sport 4 on Tuesday night (1 November, 08:54pm), McCoist said: “I’ll be honest with you, I don’t know if it’s a brilliant finish and he goes for it. I don’t know.
“However, it’s defensively shocking.
“The full-back (Tavernier) is caught on the inside again. You can’t.
“You’ve got to give yourself half a yard and if he goes short, you can go and match it. If you get caught inside, you’re chasing your tail and you can’t do anything about it.”
Shocking, indeed
Tavernier’s defensive abilities have always been woeful.
He’s played 370 times in all competitions for Rangers and fans are more than aware of the right-back’s strengths and weaknesses.
The ex-Newcastle player is a master of the penalty kick, dangerous at free-kicks and corners and is at his best when he’s marauding forward down the right and cutting into the box to either set up goals or score them himself.
When it comes to marking, tracking back, tackling, positioning – pretty much anything defensive – then Tavernier struggles a lot.
He got a goal against Ajax as Rangers lost 3-1.
It was from the penalty spot – as per usual – but that shouldn’t mask over what was a rank rotten display by him.
Van Bronckhorst and Ross Wilson haven’t helped the club captain though.
Wilson sold Nathan Patterson to Everton in January and didn’t see it fit to sign a new back-up right-back to offer Tavernier some competition.
And even though van Bronckhorst has Adam Devine chomping at the bit to get into the senior squad after impressing at youth level, he’s refusing to give the young right-back chance even in cup games against lower-league sides.
In other Rangers news, a “crazy situation” has emerged at Ibrox that’s led to this star player being “gone” from the club.