‘I wouldn’t be surprised’ – Ferguson says Clement could axe ‘outstanding’ Rangers player v Celtic | OneFootball

Philippe Clement needs to make some bold calls about his team selection when Rangers face Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup final on Sunday at Hampden Park.

Ibrox legend Barry Ferguson suggests that Gers skipper James Tavernier could be axed by the Rangers boss for this massive clash.

The 33-year-old defender has struggled against Daizen Maeda in Old Firm battles, and Ferguson says that Dujon Sterling is likely to start ahead of him.

Tavernier was “outstanding” in the 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at Ibrox in the Europa League clash on Thursday, and Kris Boyd feels there’s no way Clement can drop his skipper against the Bhoys.

Ferguson wrote for the Daily Record: “James Tavernier represents an obvious dilemma because the skipper is looking back to his best and he came up with another assist the other night for Igamane’s opener.

“But, as much as he offers going forward, it does feel like this might be the time for Clement to try something different in terms of limiting the damage Daizen Maeda does to Rangers down that right hand side.

“For that reason, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Dujon Sterling get the nod at right back because, physically, he might give Maeda something different to think about.

“Yes, that would take something away from the attacking side of the team but with Hagi, Danilo and Igamane up the other end of the pitch Rangers should still be able to impose themselves upon Celtic and give them plenty to worry about at the back.”

Huge selection dilemma for Philippe Clement ahead of Celtic v Rangers

Ferguson has a valid point here. If we look at past records, Tavernier has struggled against pacey wingers, and Maeda has troubled him a lot of times.

From that perspective, it makes sense to start with Sterling, who is physically strong and more solid at the back than Tavernier.

However, Rangers should not only look to stop Celtic, but they also need to create chances of their own as well. Sterling will hardly provide an attacking threat, and losing Tavernier means losing a huge attacking outlet at the same time.

It was Tavernier who provided the assist for Hamza Igamane’s opener in the previous game. He has struggled for regular game time this season, but even then, he has managed two goals and four assists in 12 Scottish Premiership games.

Boyd has rightly said that Tavernier appears to have found his best form once again, and Clement can keep faith in the veteran defender.