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James Tavernier issued Rangers wake-up call by Philippe Clement as skipper's words backfire
James Tavernier raised eyebrows at the start of the month by insisting his form has been 'pretty good'.
But after an unsettling week, Philippe Clement issued a stark wake-up call as he rated Tavernier's performance against Hearts. Tavernier's future at Ibrox is unclear after the defender was dropped for the midweek draw at Olympiacos. It even seemed that the 33-year-old had slipped down the pecking order to THIRD-choice right-back after Dujon Sterling was given the nod in Greece before being replaced by Neraysho Kasanwirjo from the bench.
But, not for the first time during his tenure, Clement surprised fans by restoring his captain to the starting line-up for yesterday's win over Hearts. Tavernier even had a part to play in the winning goal, as his powerful shot turned into an assist for Cyriel Dessers to notch a first-half winner.
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Tavernier was replaced by Sterling yesterday on 68 minutes as Rangers laboured to three points and Clement admitted his skipper's defensive display could have been better. He said: "That it was also in ups and downs. He had a few really good moments. He had a really good shot also in the second half. We were unlucky that it got blocked.
"There were also moments that defensively it could have been better for me. We're going to work hard on that with all the team. There was not one player today who only had highs. So it was a performance too much with ups and downs. We need to get still more consistency to kill these games off and that's the most important."
While Tavernier has received criticism from the stands for his performances this season, he defended his performances just days after the 2-1 humbling at Pittodrie. He said: " felt I have been pretty good this season," Tavernier said when asked how he would judge his form this term. "Obviously there has been a bit of a dry spell, if you want to say, in goals but I am trying to create as many chances as possible and try to reduce as much as we can going against our goal.
"Physically I feel really good. I feel I get stronger and stronger all the time. It is nothing new for me to play 60 games a season. I can do that physically, I can put that demand on myself. It is just about me making sure my football is right and the demand on myself so it can reflect on others.
"There have obviously been chats [with the manager about not playing as much this season]. We have got a squad and we need to keep freshness. I will say to him that I want to play every single game but obviously it can come down to certain aspects where he needs a little bit more freshness. It is his decision. I am always there to be called upon to play."
