James Tavernier has been lambasted for falling out with Danny Rohl and leaving the Rangers squad ahead of the Hibernian clash on Wednesday.
The Light Blues have plummeted to irrelevance so much that a fourth consecutive league defeat and a bust-up between the manager and the captain have rather gone under the radar, with the penalty controversy in Celtic’s 3-2 win at Motherwell dominating the headlines.
Nevertheless, the way things unfolded at Ibrox leaves Rangers with a bigger headache than before, after title hopes crumbled into chaos in less than three weeks.
Is Danny Rohl’s treatment of James Tavernier a sackable offence?
He did not start Tavernier in his final Ibrox game…
Tam McManus hits out at Tavernier over Ibrox antics
Rohl and Tavernier falling out ahead of what would have been the latter’s final Ibrox appearance as a Rangers star perhaps sums the state of the club perfectly.
While the departing captain is yet to break his silence on the situation, the manager has attempted to explain what went on behind the scenes.
Speaking after the game, Rohl admitted that he found the situation strange, as he thought he was on the same page with his player, who he claimed had fitness concerns.
Nevertheless, the fanbase appears split on the situation, with many criticising the German tactician for refusing to start Tavernier in a dead-rubber match.
Tam McManus, though, is among those who believe the right-back was at fault.
In his view, the 34-year-old’s decision to defy his manager and walk out of the stadium was shameful.
McManus wrote on X: “Shocking behaviour, i.e., Tavernier.”
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What Rohl said after Rangers loss v Hibernian
Considering how things panned out, it remains to be seen if Tavernier will feature in the Gers’ final game of the season against Falkirk on Saturday.
All eyes are now on what the defender will say about the situation, but it is also worth noting what Rohl said after Wednesday’s match.
Shedding light on the incident, he said: “For me, it was strange today, I didn’t expect this like it was. On Monday, I got a call from the medical department to say that Tav was not available and that he needs an injection on Tuesday.
“Because I thought this was maybe his last chance to play at home, I gave him a call. The call was then OK, I convinced him that he can move this injection maybe later. He said OK, he will be available for today.
“Yesterday, we were in contact. Finally, and it is also my job to make decisions, who starts and who is a sub – I made my decision. I was very transparent with him. I wished that he get some minutes.
“When you think about a start or not a start, this is exactly my decision because this is the reason why I am the manager. Finally, he didn’t accept that he would not start today, and then he stayed away from the team. That is the story.”
However, the truth is Tavernier clearly thought he was fit to start against Hibs, and it is hard to see the sense behind Rohl’s decision, especially considering it was a dead-rubber fixture anyway.
It all appears shameful, as Rangers could have certainly done without such controversies at this point in the season.
