Philippe Clement addressed the position of James Tavernier during the pre-season trip to Holland. Since then, the captain has been the topic of conversation on more than one occasion as supporters once again question his capabilities and his future.

Tavernier was replaced by Dujon Sterling on Sunday as Rangers sought to find a route to the League Cup final. Tavernier watched on as Clement's side completed the comeback against Motherwell. Will he be sitting behind his boss come kick-off against Olympiacos on Thursday evening?

Sterling is viewed as the natural successor to the skipper. Here, the Rangers Review looks at the dilemma that Clement faces. Does he back his captain or does he replace him?

Joshua Barrie

As the Rangers Review commented on Monday it felt significant that James Tavernier was substituted with Rangers chasing a winner on Sunday - how rare that has been during nine years at Ibrox. Especially considering it was only this time last year that the right-back scored the goals to send Rangers into the Premier Sports Cup Final and win the trophy. Uncharacteristically Tavernier found the stand and not the back of the net when presented with an excellent chance soon after the break. His only goal of campaign so far was a penalty against Dundee during the previous round. 

The decision on the day, alongside replacing Cyriel Dessers with Danilo, was vindicated. Dujon Sterling is a right-back Rangers have never played in true position. The 24-year-old, who recently signed a new deal at the club, has overcome an injury issue that extended a disrupted start to the season across the month of October. Recent substitute appearances have shown the former Chelsea man look far more like his usual energetic self. 

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On the basis of form, especially considering Tavernier’s diluted attacking impact of late, there is no doubting who brings more energy and defensive assurance out of the two players. Sterling’s physical abilities next to Vaclav Cerny would likely further improve the Czech winger’s prospects. He has the legs to go around or make runs inside and spells playing on the right-wing have Sterling well versed in the rotations and runs expected down that side. Although spells in the middle of the pitch have been largely successful, Clement himself conceded the need for Sterling to play in one, set position as opposed to covering across the pitch. Indeed there’s a recognition internally that to maximise Sterling’s sell-on value down the line a spot at right-back is necessary. 

(Image: Rob Casey - SNS Group) Tavernier has not been as bad this season as some would make out but neither should his role be a given. It’s taken Clement three months of the season to rotate his captain who would benefit from fewer games and, looking at him in the past few weeks, less of the spotlight. Against Lyon in the Europa League recently the defender was replaced after well and truly losing the battle up against - Fofana. With Neraysho Kasanwirjo likely to be required at centre-back due to a general lack of speed otherwise in that area and Nico Raskin’s re-emergence busying the No.6 area, right-back is the most obvious area to play Sterling considering the options elsewhere, the optics in that area and the player’s qualities. 

That's not to say Tavernier can’t or won’t play a role across the campaign. With double game weeks common at Rangers and Sterling’s durability over the course of a season still to be proven, a shared position makes sense. But when facing Celtic and Daizen Maeda next month at Hampden there can be no excuse for Clement if Tavernier again loses the battle with Sterling, a far better-suited profile for that particular venture, not utilised. While former Ibrox defender Alan Hutton had accused Sterling of appearing 'uninterested' during the warm-up at Hampden on Sunday, the Englishman is the type of character who allows his talking to be done on the pitch. Sterling is understood to have been, naturally, frustrated at points of the season due to his lack of playing time but retains a strong relationship with Clement, who gave him sustained first-team opportunities last season.

Tavernier remains the Rangers captain and the share of blame held by others in his legacy is a discussion that should take place in hindsight. So often it’s been the 33-year-old who’s carried others and the share of big moments provided can’t be forgotten. Neither can the current optics, however. Clement needs fans on board and if able to replace Dessers with Danilo and Sterling with Tavernier for the majority of matches going forward not only will his team be younger and brighter, better equipped to provide variety and legs to his game model, but it will also suggest to those watching on that loyalty his is not stronger than logic. 

Chris Jack

It was a question that had no right or wrong answer. Yet it was one which Philippe Clement knew was likely to do more harm than good regardless of what he said. In a no-win situation, the Belgian opted for a safety-first approach and played the query with a straight bat.

James Tavernier finds himself in the crosshairs of the Rangers support right now. It is certainly not the first time, and it will not be the last time. A player with a historic league title and a European final on his record – as well as more than 100 goals from right-back – has a unique relationship with the fans. Clement was perhaps wise to the current situation on Sunday.

“I'm not going to speak about individual players today, Clement said when asked why Tavernier had not been able to hit the heights of last season. “I'm not going to do that.”

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In the aftermath of a Hampden win that perhaps saved his job as manager, Clement wanted to focus on the positives. He needed the narrative to be about the chance of winning the League Cup, about the mentality and quality his side had shown to overcome Motherwell.

Clement would have known how an answer about Tavernier would have been received. He had, after all, seen the reaction just days previously after the captain expressed his belief that his levels had not dropped and moved to quell suggestions that he is on a downward trajectory.

“I felt I have been pretty good this season,” Tavernier said when asked how he would judge his form this term. “Obviously there has been a bit of a dry spell, if you want to say, in goals but I am trying to create as many chances as possible and try to reduce as much as we can going against our goal.

(Image: Alan Harvey - SNS Group) “Physically I feel really good. I feel I get stronger and stronger all the time. It is nothing new for me to play 60 games a season. I can do that physically, I can put that demand on myself. It is just about me making sure my football is right and the demand on myself so it can reflect on others.”

At some point, Clement will need to address the Tavernier question in a fuller, deeper manner. Tavernier cannot be asked to play as regularly as he has in previous seasons over the coming months. He looks like a player and a person that needs a break and Clement must do the best thing for Tavernier and for Rangers and take him out of the firing line. If Tavernier’s decline must, like every player at some stage of their career, be managed at present then it should be done in a manner that continues to give him a chance to contribute rather than hurtling towards an abrupt end to his Rangers career.

Give him the matches against Olympiacos and Hearts off. Give him the break to recharge mentally and physically. And give Dujon Sterling a chance to prove that he can be the successor at right-back and was worthy of a new long-term deal at Ibrox. As it stands, supporters still don’t know how good Sterling is or how good he can be. But they would rather watch him learn on the job, to an extent, than watch Tavernier make the same mistakes without any of the upsides at present.

Tavernier has answered his critics before and he can do it again so it would be wrong to completely write him off. But he needs help and he needs Clement to make a big call. Dropping the captain is a decision that always resonates more than any other player but no individual is more important than the collective and no place can be given on sentiment rather than form.

Clement’s next words on Tavernier will be indicative and interesting. His next actions will arguably speak louder. He cannot dodge the Tavernier question any longer.