Philippe Clement makes James Tavernier saga even worse at Rangers in new decision
Philippe Clement has made things worse by starting James Tavernier for Rangers against Hearts after leaving him on the bench at Olympiacos, Keith Jackson has said.
Tavernier was restricted to a five-minute substitute appearance in the 1-1 Europa League draw in Athens on 7 November, but returned to the starting lineup against Hearts at Ibrox on Sunday (10 November).
Although the captain got the assist for Cyriel Dessers’ lone goal as the hosts won 1-0, Jackson reckons Clement is making things difficult for him by not being consistent with his team selection, especially with the Scottish League Cup final on the horizon.
Asked if Clement is making the Tavernier situation worse, Jackson wrote in the Daily Record (11 November, page 36): “Absolutely. Clement should make a decision and stick with it.
“And he should be doing so with one eye on next month’s League Cup Final and the prospect of attempting to deal with Daizen Maeda.”
Philippe Clement makes James Tavernier situation worse at Rangers
Tavernier got the assist for Dessers’s goal, but it appeared he was trying to go for goal after the ball fell to him inside the box. He was perhaps fortunate that the Nigeria international was able to turn it into the back of the net.
The rest of the right-back’s performance still left much to be desired, with his defensive frailties exposed multiple times. He was guilty of failing to track his man on several occasions, making him a liability for the team as he often has been this term.
Having fallen nine points behind Celtic and Aberdeen in the title race, success in cup competitions is probably Rangers’ only hope for some joy this season.
The Gers have an opportunity to add a piece of silverware to their cabinet when they face Celtic in the League Cup final at Hampden on 15 December.
As Jackson said, Clement needs to decide who his first-choice right-back is before then if he wants to earn success with the Ibrox outfit and keep his job.
In other Rangers news, this manager linked with a move to Ibrox has been touted to be a big hit in Europe.
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