PHILIPPE Clement has been told he can silence unfair criticism of James Tavernier this season by resting the Rangers captain more often and deploying Dujon Sterling at right-back in his absence.
Tavernier suffered a slump in form towards the end of last season as the Ibrox club squandered a chance to win the William Hill Premiership and lost to Celtic in the Scottish Cup final.
Many of the Glasgow giants’ supporters called for the defender to be offloaded during the summer and were disappointed when, despite speculation linking him with clubs in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, he remained in Govan.
Former Rangers right-back Alan Hutton has sympathy with the Englishman – who featured in 58 games, more than any other outfield player, in all competitions during the 2023/24 campaign – and is pleased that he has not moved on.
Hutton argued that Tavernier, who will lead his side out to face Celtic in the opening Old Firm game of the new season at Parkhead on Sunday, would benefit from being removed from the front line on occasion and would produce more consistent performances if he was.
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"Knowing James quite well, I don't think the noise around his future will have affected him,” he said. “He's the captain and he takes a lot of flak at times, but he has been able to deal with it.
"When you look at all the experience Rangers have already lost in terms of the boys who have gone out the door [Borna Barisic, Connor Goldson, Ryan Jack and John Lundstram all departed], to then lose Tavernier as well they'd be losing a lot.
“I just think of everything he brings to the team. When you look at the goals, assists and everything else he brings to the team. Him not being there could be a huge blow."
"Tav is very robust. He's been that way for years, he very rarely misses games. He's that influential in games that it's probably difficult for the manager to leave him out. But we know Dujon is there.
“I actually like him in midfield, but apparently his favourite position is right-back. We'll see in the coming months. When you get a little older, that's maybe when you need to miss the odd game, certain cup games for example.
"Sterling is your guy to come in at right-back. When we signed him I thought that was his position, to challenge Tav or maybe even replace him if he moved on. As time's progressed, Sterling has proved himself very versatile in a number of positions. Being well and fit, I think he is the obvious support there."
Hutton, who has moved into punditry since retiring from playing and is now a regular contributor to Premier Sports’ coverage of Scottish and European football, is hoping that Tavernier can inspire Rangers to a shock win over Celtic at Parkhead tomorrow afternoon.
However, he feels that his old club will have to perform far better in the centre of the park this weekend than they did in their encounters with their city rivals last term to record their first triumph in the East End of Glasgow since way back in 2020.
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"For me it's the main difference looking at last season between Celtic and Rangers,” he said. "The amount of goals that Celtic got from their midfield and other areas, compared to Rangers in the same areas, was much higher.
"Tavernier was their highest scorer, and contributed plenty of assists as well, and that was from full-back. You expect high numbers, plus 10 goals or assists, from your midfield and your creative players.
"That's what Clement will be looking for this season. Can guys like Tom Lawrence get the numbers? He and others need to chip in with more goals for Rangers to compete for me."
Jefte, the Brazilian full-back who was brought in from Fluminense in his homeland in the summer, is set to start on the other side of the Rangers defence to Tavernier in the continued absence of Ridvan Yilmaz.
Hutton knows how difficult it is to play in the first team at his childhood heroes as a youngster having done so himself at the outset of his professional career in the early 2000s.
He has, though, been impressed with what he has seen of the South American so far this term and suspects there is more to come from him in the months ahead.
“With every signing, there's an element of risk,” he said. "Having not played in the league, you have to give him time to get used to it. They tried to get him in January, but it didn't quite happen. I think he is young. He's still got a lot to learn, especially defensively. Going forward is his forte.
"Coming on in the first leg against Dynamo [Kyiv in Champions League qualifying], he really got forward and was attack-minded. That helped Rangers a lot, getting balls into the box.
"I think the position is up for grabs and it's up to him to show the manager he's capable of doing it consistently. Hopefully he can do that, but we have to remember he is young and he is new to the culture here."
"I think it's about time Rangers really backed somebody,” he said. “I'm not saying they haven't in the past but this constant turnover every couple of years and then talking about a rebuild, it can't keep happening. You need foundations to build on and then work from there.
"Clement probably didn't see this transfer window going this way. I think he thought more experience would come in because a lot of experience has left that team. He's bringing players in for the future, but he also needs players in for the here and now. Hopefully that will come."
