‘Tavernier change ready’ under Russell Martin after new Rangers developments
Rangers battled hard to open their pre-season with a 2-2 draw against Club Brugge on Sunday, with James Tavernier starting from the bench.
Max Aarons started at right-back following his move from Bournemouth, and the Ibrox faithful got a first look at their new signing.
Rangers went 2-0 down in the first 13 minutes after some dismal defending, but rescued a draw at the death after improving in the second half.
Russell Martin will have learned plenty about his squad during the draw, and it now appears that Tavernier could be set to change position under the new manager.
Tavernier impresses at centre-back against Club Brugge
Tavernier replaced the disastrous Robin Propper at half time against Club Brugge, coming on as a centre-back, in a surprising move.
Given that the defender’s strengths are in his attacking ability and his weaknesses are in his defensive work, few would have predicted that he would make a good option centrally.
| Season | Appearances | Goals |
| 2024/25 | 33 | 4 |
| 2023/24 | 38 | 17 |
| 2022/23 | 38 | 16 |
| 2021/22 | 35 | 9 |
| 2020/21 | 33 | 12 |
However, Tavernier put in an excellent performance, as his mobility meant that Rangers were able to push higher up the pitch, and defensively, he was the most solid player on the pitch.
With Aarons coming in, and Rangers currently weak in the centre, Tavernier could now start the season in this new position.
Rangers need reinforcements at centre-back
Leon King was also disastrous alongside Propper, while Ben Davies was absent from the squad as his future appears to be elsewhere.
With John Souttar injured, there was little choice for Martin but to use Tavernier centrally, and this highlights how much of a problem position it is.
For now, Tavernier may be trusted to start at centre-back over the other options with Aarons in at right-back, and he could end up making this position his own if he continues to impress.
This cannot be relied upon for long, though, and Rangers will need to recruit at centre-back to take the burden off Tavernier in the coming months.
Conor Coady has been strongly linked, and the former Wolves captain would bring a lot of experience and leadership to the back line.
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