Rangers stuttering start to the season is perfectly reflected in the form of skipper James Tavernier.
The 31-year old was our top goal scorer via the usual method but was also guilty of given the ball away and resorting to previous bad habits of throwing in crosses from deep.
On the surface of it, the Rangers captain had a decent game against Servette, however, James Tavernier will soon be looking over his shoulder with Dujon Sterling waiting for his chance.
Rangers struggles sees James Tavernier pressure
The signing of Sterling in almost any other position makes a lot of sense.
The former Chelsea player is at a good age with good experience in England’s lower leagues and is used to being at a club where expectation is everything.
Before the summer window opened, few Rangers fans would say that right-back was an area of concern and that James Tavernier and Adam Devine needed someone else to compete with.
Sterling is too good to sit on the bench and almost instantly blocks Devine’s pathway to the first-team given that he is just a couple of years older.
The 23-year old also had other offers so why would he move to Rangers if he wasn’t going to get a fair crack at a regular place?
Against Servette, Rangers huffed and puffed but, after the first-half, struggled to make any real impact with James Tavernier being particularly wasteful.
In total, he lost the ball 15 times against the Swiss outfit and as the game went on there were more and more crosses being swung in with hope rather than desire.
Dujon Sterling, by his own admission, concentrates first and foremost on defending so, in a team where the full-backs are so important to the attack and where the captain is in his position – when is he going to play?
If Michael Beale truly wants a fresh look to his Rangers team, playing Borna Barisic and James Tavernier will always see us play exactly the same way that we have in recent years.
The manager has a choice but, either way, Tavernier has to sharpen up or Sterling will have his shirt.
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