Steven Gerrard has backed his skipper, James Tavernier, as captured by RangersTV.
The right-back has faced a major backlash from sections of the club’s support following Thursday night’s Europa League defeat to Young Boys. Some have called for him to be dropped, with others claiming he isn’t deserving of the armband.
Tav made errors which directly contributed to both of the opposition’s goals, on a night to forget in Bern. Yet, Steven Gerrard, who acknowledged that ‘individual errors’ were the reason for the defeat, has backed his man.
Rangers fans should back off Tavernier, hints Gerrard
“James is the captain of this team for a reason,” said the manager, as captured by RangersTV. “He’s mature and he’s big enough to handle the criticism that comes his way. That’s one thing you’re looking for in your captain.”
“Football isn’t just about highs and praise and everyone telling you how great you are. It’s about setbacks and recovering from them and being able to handle the tough times as well as the good times.”
“He’s been absolutely fantastic for me, from a personal point of view,” Gerrard continued. “He’s been fantastic for his teammates and these supporters – he’s provided some incredible moments and some fantastic performances, so, we have to remember that as well.”
Verdict
It’s no surprise to see the manager come out in support of his captain. There was never any chance of him stripping Tavernier of the captaincy honour as a knee-jerk reaction to a bad performance, and he’s unlikely to drop him for Sunday’s clash against Hamilton.
His final comment is the most interesting of the lot, though.
It seems as though he was making a point of reminding the supporters of just how much Tavernier has offered during his time at the club.
His defending is never going to be world-class and he really struggled on Thursday night. It’s not as if he produces calamitous errors every week, though. Before the Young Boys game, he had been an ever-present in a back four who hadn’t conceded from open play for over a month.
What’s more, with 14 goals and 14 assists in the league last season, he contributed to more goals than any other player in the Premiership.
Quite rightly, Gerrard has taken the opportunity to suggest some fans should think of the bigger picture before bashing the skipper.
