Rangers have received criticism from Michael Stewart and Steven Thompson following their 2-1 defeat to Motherwell in Scottish Premiership action on Saturday.
On March 1, the Gers managed only one goal from Cyriel Dessers, which was insufficient to overturn a 2-0 deficit after 30 minutes of play.
This leaves the Light Blues 16 points behind Celtic at the top of the league, with interim manager Barry Ferguson no doubt wondering where to go from here.
Tavernier performed poorly in the Rangers’ loss.
While it was not thought that Rangers would entirely reinvent themselves following Philippe Clement’s dismissal as manager, there was a chance that the Gers might improve their form under a new management.
However, another loss, this time at the hands of Motherwell shows there is still plenty of work to be done at Ibrox if things are going to take a turn for the better going forward.
Although it could have been an afternoon of celebration for Tavernier on his 500th appearance for Rangers, the result and his performance specifically no doubt put a dampener on any celebrations.
In the build-up to Motherwell’s second goal, the experienced defender was guilty of giving away the ball far too easily which then gave the opposition the space and opportunity to get forward and score.
On Sportscene (1 March), Thompson made a candid observation: “Second goal, pretty much another defensive failure actually. But this is extremely bad for Rangers, isn’t it?
Stewart quickly agreed, concentrating on the Gers captain specifically, saying, “Yeah. Look, they are the architects of their own demise here. “Tavernier with a poor concentration ball.”
Rangers need a significant turnaround.
It hasn’t been an easy season in Glasgow, but the players, as well as the former manager, must accept some responsibility, particularly experienced players like Tavernier, who simply need to perform better.
You have to feel for interim boss Barry Ferguson a bit as he has definitely got a very big job on his hands trying to improve things at Ibrox this term and that is only set to increase with Europa League action up next.
The only area where Rangers still have anything to play for is in Europe with the title race well and truly over and having been knocked out of the domestic cups so there is pressure to perform.
There have been questions over whether Ferguson is the right man to guide the Rangers to European success this term but it cannot be underestimated how important it is, regardless of the manager’s experience.
This means that, despite a difficult day against Motherwell, guys like Tavernier have no excuse not to stand up and use their expertise to help them and their team succeed.
There is a reason the captain has made 500 appearances, but he must also show supporters why and help restore pride in his Rangers squad.
