Davis was right to drop £6m duo, but James Tavernier cannot keep starting
Interim Rangers boss Steven Davis has made the right call in dropping Sam Lammers and Cyriel Dessers from the confirmed starting XI v St Mirren, but James Tavernier shouldn’t be holding on to a guaranteed starting role.
The Gers captain has earned himself that starting role over continuous impressive performances over the years, but he has been shocking recently and shouldn’t be included in the first XI purely because of who he is.
Davis has shown by removing Dessers and Lammers, who cost a combined £6million in the summer, from the team that he is not afraid to make changes, and while it’s understandable that he wants his captain starting in a tough period, Tavernier’s performances have not been good enough to warrant a starting place.
In back-to-back losses against Aberdeen and Aris, he has been underwhelming, but even in their wins this season he has failed to impress. His normal marauding presence down the right-hand side has started to ease, and a kick up the backside could be due to spring him back to life.
In the shock Europa League defeat, Tavernier lost the ball 29 times. He attempted just one dribble in 90 minutes, failing to complete it, and completed just one of six crosses, with his influence down the right flank completely ineffective as his side laboured to a defeat. [Sofascore]
The right-back also won just two of six duels he was involved in, both on the ground and in the air, and had just 70% passing accuracy, in a performance that, if it was anybody else on the pitch, would have seen them dropped.
The bigger issue is that this performance wasn’t just a one-off this season. Even in victory, looking back to the impressive Europa League win against Real Betis, Tavernier put in an awful display.
He won just two of 11 ground duels, lost possession 28 times, had just a 64% passing accuracy, completed only one of seven attempted crosses, and failed to complete either of his two attempted dribbles. [Sofascore]
Consistently poor performances across a poor start to the season should see rotation used. Dujon Sterling was brought in during the summer to provide competition, so what was the point in that if he won’t even be used when rotation would be completely beneficial to both players?
Tavernier needs something to spring him back to life, and he should have been dropped for this clash.
In other Rangers news, Keown has slammed Davis for recent “insulting” comments.