Rangers: Clement reveals reason he removed James Tavernier

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·4. Oktober 2024

Rangers: Clement reveals reason he removed James Tavernier

Rangers manager Philippe Clement has directly addressed the subbing of James Tavernier, a player he hadn’t previously subbed as Rangers boss aside as a late late change.

The under-pressure boss was asked on the surprise removal of Rangers captain at 63 minutes, and used a bizarre reason as the cause:

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“Everybody can be replaced. Tav has played already a lot of games so not much to say about that. And Nana showed also last couple of weeks that he can be a really good replacement, and he’s defensively very solid so those are normal things. On the other side, players were changed. We’re going to play more than 60 games this season, so it’s impossible to play all these games. So in every good team in the world, our players change and sometimes start on the bench. It’s normal, whoever it is.”

So apparently 11 matches into the season the rules have changed, and having overplayed the captain up till now, suddenly Clement changes his mind and reckons the guy needs a rest?

As opposed to just not starting him to give him a ‘night off’?

Clement’s reasons (for anything), and comments (on anything) just get odder and odder and less and less consistent.

Yes Tav ‘needs a rest’ but he’s needed a ‘rest’ for seasons – he’s been completely untouchable, including by you, and the reason you removed him last night was him having a shocking match. But then he’s had many of those before and still not been removed.

Clement refuses to admit it was tactical, instead using predictable guff – we’re only surprised he didn’t claim the lad was injured.

Chances of James Tavernier being benched for the weekend?

We’d love the odds on that one…