Qudus Salihu🚨 Rohl Considers Shock Tavernier Bench Ahead of Kilmarnock Clash 🚨
New Rangers boss Danny Rohl is reportedly weighing up the most significant decision of his nascent Ibrox tenure: dropping club captain James Tavernier for the upcoming Scottish Premiership fixture against Kilmarnock.The drastic action is a direct consequence of the catastrophic 3-0 defeat to Brann in the Europa League—a match Tavernier himself branded a “disgraceful performance.” The veteran full-back was singled out for criticism, notably being “found badly exposed” and “far too high up the pitch” for Brann’s opening goal, where he was described as being “nowhere to be seen” defensively.
The shambolic result in Norway, Rohl’s debut game, has amplified calls for serious change, and the German coach is under pressure to shake up a squad plagued by inconsistency. Tavernier, a long-serving figure often criticised for defensive lapses despite his attacking output, now finds his automatic starting spot under threat.While some reports suggest Rohl might consider a positional change for the captain, moving him into a right-midfield role, the sheer scale of the defensive failures against Brann makes a temporary benching a genuine, albeit drastic, possibility. With Max Aarons an option, Rohl must decide whether to make an example of his skipper or rely on his experience to navigate a must-win home game against a tricky Kilmarnock side.A decision to bench the captain would send a thunderous message that under Rohl, no player, regardless of status, is safe from accountability.
The spotlight will be intensely focused on Rohl’s starting XI as he looks to inspire a desperate response at Ibrox.
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