Rangers exit on the cards for James Tavernier after what he did v Athletic
Rangers saw their season come to an end after crashing to a 2-0 defeat away at Athletic Bilbao on Thursday, knocking them out of the Europa League.
The Gers went into the away tie with the scores level after coming out of the game at Ibrox unscathed, despite a red card and a penalty against them.
However, Rangers were not at the races in the Basque Country, and captain James Tavernier was to blame for the killer goal after Nico Williams ghosted in to head home.
Tavernier sees Rangers future questioned after defeat
It has been a disastrous season for Rangers, and the Europa League was the only thing left to play for, meaning Ibrox will be a bleak place for the remainder of the campaign.
Supporters will, instead, be turning their heads towards the summer transfer window in the hope of the 49ers Enterprises completing a takeover at Ibrox.
| Team | Possession | Shots | Shots on target |
| Athletic | 56% | 22 | 4 |
| Rangers | 44% | 7 | 2 |
If the American investors do finalise the takeover, there is expected to be plenty of change at Ibrox ahead of the new campaign.
Barry Ferguson is looking unlikely to secure his future at Rangers as permanent boss but many of those on the pitch are also not up to the required levels.
After his performance against Athletic, presenter David Tanner has suggested that Tavernier could now be one of those on the list ready for the axe.
Speaking live on talkSPORT (18 April, 6:41 am), Tanner said: “I think last night’s game was very much the end of an era for lots of those players, possibly even James Tavernier, the captain who’s been such a stalwart for the last 10 years.
“He was to blame for the second goal by the way, completely losing Nico Williams, who’s been linked with that £60million move to Arsenal. It’s not the first time I’ve seen Tavernier do that, it’s happened far too often over the years if truth be told.”
Rangers set for summer overhaul
Ahead of the new campaign, assuming the 49ers Enterprises do complete their takeover, it is essential that the Bears start building their new future as soon as possible.
Over the course of the campaign, it has become clear that too many members of Ferguson’s squad are not up to the standards that are expected in Glasgow and a new boss will no doubt be keen to refresh the look of the squad.
While several players are out of contract and likely to exit, Tanner’s questions over the future of Tavernier are fair enough, especially after an evening on which he made another mistake, this time costly.
The captain has been a mainstay in the squad for some time now, having first moved to Ibrox back in 2015, and there is no doubt he has given his best to the club.
That being said, there can be no room for loyalty if the Gers are serious about looking towards a more successful future and competing at the top of the Scottish Premiership with Celtic once more and whether Tavernier is up to those standards is yet to be seen.
The captain is out of contract in Glasgow in 2026, meaning the Light Blues could choose to cash in at this stage and bring some money in, rather than letting him see out his contract.