Is it because he is the captain he will not be dropped?

wilso10 said:
I'm sorry, this is also nonsense.

Daniel Candeias leaving has nothing to do with JT making stupid errors like the one at the weekend and in the Young Boys match.

It's a flaw to his game that's always been there, he needs to make better decisions when he's in such a precarious position of the pitch, that's all.

Overall I don't think Tav has been terrible this season, in fact I think he's been pretty good in most of the games he's played but I also don't buy into this he's missing DC argument.
Click to expand...
Correct - The last three big errors, he was back in a defensive position and just f'd up. It wasn't like the SC final where he kept letting Stokes get in behind him.

He does still get caught up the park (less than before), but that wasn't the issue recently.
 
All great managers, whilst being loyal to their players to a degree, have a ruthless streak and will do what's best for the team. Time for Stevie G to show he has it. Personally I think Tav will come good again, but if he was to suffer another costly relapse on Thursday the knives will be well and truly out.
 
It's the way every team in the land works, the manager has favourites. Its also not exclusive to Tav. Off top of my head:

Ejaria (last term)
Ojo
Goldson
Arfield
Aribo

All had a poor run of games and kept their place.

Tav isn't immune to being benched but the way our support is going after him just now, and the stick he is getting is completely over the top imo.
 
If we’re being honest, none of our players are good enough to not be dropped to try and play their way out of a slump in form - captain or not.

The squad is there to use as the manager sees fit, I would start him on Thursday & then rest him on Sunday.
 
Commentator said:
Can't agree JW, nothing 'Tav-esque' is coming off for him these days. He used to be able to bring a ball down from a height by jumping up for it, was sort of a signature move, it now bobbles away. The weight of his passes is wrong, positioning is erratic, his timing is off, his decision-making is poor, and his once terrific crosses into the box and dead-balls are not good enough. Bloody McLean came on yesterday and targetted him, picked him out as weak, the captain of Rangers.
He's in a dreadful slump and shouldn't be under the spotlight but at Rangers and as Club Captain there's no hiding.
Scottish kickba' is merciless, it's no place for an individual like Tav when he's not at his best.
Click to expand...

I have a sneaking suspicion he's carrying a long-term injury. Not the straightforward kind of injury which means you outright cannot play but the kind that in the bad old days was treated by endless hush-hush cortisone injections which masked the underlying condition. The end result is his body cannot quite manage what he is accustomed to and you get misjudgments that led to the recent goals against Young Boys and now at Tynecastle.

When he blootered the ball straight into the face of the Hearts player from a few yards away when attempting a cross it was just the most un-Tav thing ever and I thought to myself "something isn't right here" and I don't think it can all be explained away with a slump in form.

Gerrard is in a difficult spot, he clearly rates Tav extremely highly but is very clearly aware of the recent errors and I don't see an obvious replacement other than Flanagan who is only just fit again after multiple surgeries.
 
Valley Bluenose said:
He doesn’t get dropped because he is, far and away, our best option at right-back. Nothing to do with being Captain.

Even in his current run of poor form Tav is, by a considerable distance, our best option.
Click to expand...

Really?

All the games he’s cost us? He’s our best option?

Then we are screwed.
 
Wee Dick's Hairnet said:
Really?

All the games he’s cost us? He’s our best option?

Then we are screwed.
Click to expand...

There’s a difference between being a Sandy Jardine level right-back and the best option we currently have. Right now, none of our other options comes close to Tav in terms of what they bring to the team - even with his current run of mistakes. Which he will, I forecast, come out the other end of.
 
I can understand the gaffer’s hesitation in dropping Tav. Dropping the club captain brings all sorts of controversial issues, especially from our haters in the media.
But if Katic or Borna make the same continuous blunders as Tav then we all know they would be benched.
It’s a massive call for the gaffer to drop his captain but if it’s for the benefit of the team then he has to do it.
 
Recoba said:
They are not tiny when he is playing this poor, nobody would have expected another howler like this so quickly after Young Boys and it wasn't so long ago he gifted the poets a goal in the 2-1 defeat, i think most of us at the time thought that would be his worst howler for a good while but we have been proven badly wrong.

More worrying than that though is when you look at his body language, he looks completely destroyed and is incapable of leading the team at the moment.
Click to expand...
Body language expert?
 
The OP can't even bring himself to say his name, you'd think he was a convicted murderer or something.

His name is James Tavernier and he's the Rangers captain.
 
stein and johnston said:
I can understand the gaffer’s hesitation in dropping Tav. Dropping the club captain brings all sorts of controversial issues, especially from our haters in the media.
But if Katic or Borna make the same continuous blunders as Tav then we all know they would be benched.
It’s a massive call for the gaffer to drop his captain but if it’s for the benefit of the team then he has to do it.
Click to expand...

1. It doesn't stop Klopp and he seems to be doing ok.
2. You genuinely believe Gerrard is remotely interested in them? No successful manager should give two proverbials what the mhedia say, they're totally irrelevant.
 
Jimmy Jazz said:
Also the fact Candeias hardly played in the second half of last season when Tavernier was in great form means it's complete bollocks.
Click to expand...

He hasnt cost goals due being out of position, or by getting beaten easily, or being out muscled etc.

It's just stupid mistakes, when he is in possession! 3 of his high profile mistakes recntly have been by giving the ball away needlessly.

He needs to sort that out, and get back on track.
 
Valley Bluenose said:
There’s a difference between being a Sandy Jardine level right-back and the best option we currently have. Right now, none of our other options comes close to Tav in terms of what they bring to the team - even with his current run of mistakes. Which he will, I forecast, come out the other end of.
Click to expand...
I don't think Tav has been great going forward either this season. He's simply hit a slump in form for the first time in four seasons.
He'll be back, but at the present time he needs protected.
 
Bigbluebear said:
He hasnt cost goals due being out of position, or by getting beaten easily, or being out muscled etc.

It's just stupid mistakes, when he is in possession! 3 of his high profile mistakes recntly have been by giving the ball away needlessly.

He needs to sort that out, and get back on track.
Click to expand...

Correct, there's definitely something affecting his confidence just now which Gerrard and the coaching staff need to help him shake.

Yesterday's mistake in particular just screamed of someone low in confidence, the lack of execution he got on the header is uncharacteristic of him.

That said, I also don't buy into the idea he goes into hiding or that he's shiting himself going into recent games, as has been suggested on here. If you actually watched him yesterday he still wanted to get on the ball plenty which isn't a sign of someone who is scared.
 
wilso10 said:
Correct, there's definitely something affecting his confidence just now which Gerrard and the coaching staff need to help him shake.

Yesterday's mistake in particular just screamed of someone low in confidence, the lack of execution he got on the header is uncharacteristic of him.

That said, I also don't buy into the idea he goes into hiding or that he's shiting himself going into recent games, as has been suggested on here. If you actually watched him yesterday he still wanted to get on the ball plenty which isn't a sign of someone who is scared.
Click to expand...

"Hiding" is the very last thing he can be accused of. He always wants on the ball. I think that then causes him to try to hard though when he has made an error.

I wondered if he got caught in 3 minds what to do with that yesterday and just made a total arse of it. Head to Goldson, head to McGregor or just clear it. Or maybe a communication mix up with Goldson. Who knows. Either way it was a terrible error.
 
wilso10 said:
Correct, there's definitely something affecting his confidence just now which Gerrard and the coaching staff need to help him shake.

Yesterday's mistake in particular just screamed of someone low in confidence, the lack of execution he got on the header is uncharacteristic of him.

That said, I also don't buy into the idea he goes into hiding or that he's shiting himself going into recent games, as has been suggested on here. If you actually watched him yesterday he still wanted to get on the ball plenty which isn't a sign of someone who is scared.
Click to expand...
A pronounced dip in form has led to the confidence issue.

I don't think there's any more to it than that.
 
PMB1872 said:
Agreed Virgil. That has to be binned. Far too much travel.
Click to expand...
The travel isnt the problem. Every player has the right to represent their national team when they want. The problem is SG insists in starting him when he has plenty of other options available. He should have been rested and kept fresh for the porto game
 
Edd 1872 said:
The mistakes are worrying but I'm one for backing someone going through a tough patch, he's been pretty reliable the whole time he's been here and needs support not getting hung out to dry
Click to expand...
The mistake re the goal on Sunday,I can live with,everybody makes mistakes, unfortunately for Tav,his,usually cost important goals.i think the bigger problem is his general play.on Sunday,he continually hit the first man.maybe he needs rested,(not dropped) but,can we gamble on an untested Polster,at a crucial time of the season.December is going to be a really tough month.
 
Jingle64 said:
The travel isnt the problem. Every player has the right to represent their national team when they want. The problem is SG insists in starting him when he has plenty of other options available. He should have been rested and kept fresh for the porto game
Click to expand...
If he sees him as an integral part of his first XI and we are paying his wages, it’s very much a problem.
 
There is no doubt it would make it more difficult to do. It's a big decision to drop the club captain but they're no beyond it happening. I guess it's more because the gaffer feels he's better in the team over the other options. However, I would still very much like to see Polster given a go at right back and give Tav a couple of games off.

It could also be a case of working out what gets Tav back to being one of the better players on the pitch. There is no doubt having Candeias in front of him made a massive difference to his game. We don't have Candeias in the team any more and nobody like him in the squad really.

For me Tav does deserve a spell out of the starting 11. However, I guess it's just a difficult decision for Gerrard to make for various reasons.
 
Jingle64 said:
The travel isnt the problem. Every player has the right to represent their national team when they want. The problem is SG insists in starting him when he has plenty of other options available. He should have been rested and kept fresh for the porto game
Click to expand...


League is priority, so I see why he played on sunday, but he's miles off form. Needs a lengthy break and a spell on the bench to recover from the burnout. In serious danger of overusing him and him breaking down much like McCulloch did toward end here.

Wouldn't be in team on thursday for me.
 
Tpol_rfc said:
Ojo isn't the captain and should have been dropped well before now so it's not exclusive to the captain.
Click to expand...
I'm beginning to think Ojo must have something in his loan contract saying he has to play x number of games for us. I can't thing of another reason why he's still in the team.
 
muttley said:
I'm beginning to think Ojo must have something in his loan contract saying he has to play x number of games for us. I can't thing of another reason why he's still in the team.
Click to expand...


because Ryan Kent, Barker and Jones are/were injured and nobody else can play the wide left forward role.
 
He is 28 at the end of this month meaning he should be at his professional peak and not requiring a 'rest'. Any 'rest' would be interpreted as 'dropped' which would not be good for his confidence and make him a target for opponents (if he isn't already).
 
muttley said:
I'm beginning to think Ojo must have something in his loan contract saying he has to play x number of games for us. I can't thing of another reason why he's still in the team.
Click to expand...

Injuries mate. With Kent and JJ unavailable we’ve been thin on options recently.

If he’s still making the starting line up now that Kent’s fit, I’ll start to worry more. Unless of course he knuckles down and shows a bit of fight and hunger.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Latest posts

Back
Top