James Tavernier under fire amid Rangers fan ‘abuse’ | OneFootball

We’ve been contacted by a lot of fans about this, and having been rather quiet on James Tavernier and his position at Rangers, Ibrox Noise will now finally cover this topic, a topic we must admit has become controversial.

James Tavernier, Rangers captain, unfortunately has fallen into the trap of a hero outstaying his welcome so long he’s become the villain.

The fandom and goodwill that he enjoyed for a very long time has as good as dried up, along with his goals, and the right back is now on the receiving end of some real vitriol.

Some are calling him Captain Cowardice, some are demanding Ibrox Noise slaughter the man for his conduct lately – we’re not going to do that. If you want us to outright abuse a Rangers captain you’re probably more eastern-inclined.

Do we like him? No, we have never liked him, and we don’t apologise for that one bit – he never fit in as a captain, was a farcical (and lazy) choice by Steven Gerrard and no manager since has had the backbone of a Paul Le Guen (for right or wrong) or Dick Advocaat to relieve a captain of the armband. Unless you count the farce of Lee Wallace having it taken from him after the Murty/board nonsense.

Gerrard, Pedro, Gio, Beale and Clement were all far too weak to appoint a serious and proper captain, instead going with what was there and trying to avoid upsetting the apple cart.

A poor move which hasn’t helped Rangers at all.

Tavernier grew an ego, and became untouchable.

However, despite how we feel about him, which is that his Rangers race was run seasons ago (he should have moved on after 55 or Sevilla), we will not condone abuse of him.

We agree rightly that fans are unhappy, and he is a target, but he’s also a person, and confronting him with abuse isn’t really helping.

That said, the infamous abuse isn’t really as much as it’s being suggested as – the angry fan who has been used here in all the headlines just said ‘**** off’.

Not very nice, and not overly supportive, but no more industrial language than is seen inside a football stadium when striker X just missed an open goal.

It is a bit more personal when it’s in your face ‘outside your place of work’ of course, but, sadly, this has been coming for Tavernier who has been living a charmed life at Ibrox, way beyond what he had any right to do.

As for his own conduct, it’s being claimed he threw ‘you’re not real fans’ back at these guys – and he’s got every right to say that. Most of them haven’t been fans for as long as he has even been at the club!

If you give, you must expect to take some digs back, and Tav, apparently, gave some back.

But it does, sadly, point to a point of no return now – Tavernier is running on empty, and he will be praying the Turkish window comes to his rescue and gets him the exit from Rangers that he wants now.

He doesn’t want to be at the club any more, and fans mostly don’t want him at Ibrox any more either.

It’s best that the relationship ends before it actually truly gets ugly.

No one wants that. Ask Todd Cantwell.