Kris Boyd slams Rangers recruitment, senior players like James Tavernier have ‘outstayed their welcome’
Kris Boyd has slammed Rangers’ recruitment for their failure to provide competition for senior players, which has meant the likes of James Tavernier have “outstayed their welcome.”
The Light Blues’ summer additions have faced criticism throughout the start of the season having taken their time to adapt to life in Glasgow, but following Michael Beale’s sacking and the Gers’ 2-1 Europa League defeat to Aris Limassol, criticism has shifted to the senior members of Steven Davis side.
James Tavernier, Connor Goldson and Borna Barisic all struggled in the defeat in Cyprus, with Goldson admitting his fault for the opening goal, while Tavernier seemed all at sea, failing to impact the game in attack or defence.
Discussing the players for the Scottish Sun (6 October) Boyd wrote: “Rangers have this habit of keeping players too long and some of the current squad have long outstayed their welcome. Tavernier is shot to pieces. He is completely devoid of confidence.
“Barisic struggled again and you wonder why Rangers didn’t accept an offer for him when there was interest in him in recent windows. Like many of the established players, he is in a comfort zone because he knows the new signings aren’t up to it. The upshot is that the Croatian can coast, safe in the knowledge nobody will take his place.
“And nobody is pushing Tavernier, either. Goldson ran down his contract in 2022 and was within his rights to do that, but Rangers then gave him a long-term deal. He’s now got an easy life, as there is nobody good enough to take his place.
“Right now, too many Rangers players turn up at the weekend knowing they will start. That’s not healthy and it’s really showing in the performances and the results.”
Two problems
There are almost two separate problems for Rangers to deal with judging by Boyd’s assessment, not only do they need to know when to allow a player to depart Ibrox, but they also need to begin signing players who are at a high enough level to replace those who leave.
Rangers have failed to do this at the top end of the pitch this summer, with Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos allowed to leave Glasgow, only for the players who have replaced them at Ibrox to struggle to have any positive impact since arriving.
Players are comfortable in the knowledge that they will be starting no matter how badly they play because of the complete lack of options currently at Davis’ and previously Beale’s disposal, and as Boyd wrote, that isn’t healthy for anyone involved at the club.
For this Rangers side to be successful, they need players who are hungry to succeed at Ibrox and currently, it doesn’t seem as though the likes of Tavernier, Goldson and Barisic have that drive to recover from this dreadful start to the season and return the Light Blues to the top of the Scottish Premiership.
Whoever takes over at Ibrox is going to have a lot of decisions to make, both off and on the field to recover from this terrible start to the campaign.
In other Rangers news, Boyd has called on the Light Blues to appoint a new manager by Monday