Michael Stewart makes new James Tavernier admission after Rangers win v Motherwell
Michael Stewart has admitted he feels sorry for James Tavernier after Rangers’ Scottish League Cup win over Motherwell.
Philippe Clement’s side booked their place in the Hampden Park final with a 2-1 win over Motherwell on Sunday (3 November) thanks to second-half goals from Cyriel Dessers and Nedim Bajrami.
Although the Gers managed to advance to the final, Tavernier was nowhere near his best and Stewart believes the Light Blues may be questioning the Gers’ decision to sell players like John Lundstram and Connor Goldson.
Speaking on The Scottish Football Social Club (4 November) he said: “I feel for him Darrell because like I said before, I don’t think there are enough strong characters in there.
“He is the one that is almost the target of a lot of criticism. At times, as Scott is saying, you accept that because of the position you’re in but privately, he must be looking around thinking to himself, where are the likes of John Lundstram, Connor Goldson, Ryan Jack?
“Guys that he could share that burden with. He’s not going to be feeling sorry for himself, but he’s probably thinking what else can I do when those around me are not what I had before?
“Of course, it’s natural, he’s over 30 now, you’re inevitability going to change, the dynamics of your game are going to taper off slightly and at a crucial time where he’s needing more quality around him, it’s disappearing.”
What has happened to Rangers captain James Tavernier at Ibrox?
While it is true that Tavernier lacks other leaders in and around him at Iborx to help shoulder the burden under Clement, his own individual performances have been nowhere near good enough for a long while now.
Fans and pundits alike have grown tired of watching the Englishman be beaten at the back post having failed to track a runner or spoon a cross into the crowd when aiming for Cyriel Dessers in the penalty area.
Yes, he has occasionally been hung out to dry by the performances of those around him, but he has to take a lot of the blame. Rangers couldn’t keep the likes of Lundstram and Jack around just so they had other figureheads in the changing room.
Clement and the team around him needed to cut the wage bill and while that has left them short of leadership, it was the right thing to do. It wouldn’t be a shock to see Tavernier follow them out the door when January rolls around.
In other Rangers news, Vaclav Cerny has been told that he looks like a “little boy” when he plays in the Scottish Premiership
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