In a perfect world, Philippe Clement would have competition for places all over his team so that, when Rangers line up, they are always at their strongest.
Unfortunately, the manager doesn’t have that luxury and has frequently had to put square pegs into round holes in almost every position.
There is one regular starter who can count himself lucky to be holding onto his jersey with Philippe Clement sure to have a decision to make for Rangers in the near future.
Hearts shocker sees Rangers role question for James Tavernier
In Dujon Sterling, the Gers boss has a player who is universally loved by the support – truly, the rarest of things.
The 24-year old’s physicality, attitude, athleticism and quality on the ball makes him a consistent and standout performer in any position he plays.
There can’t be many players who, in one season, played at left-back, centre-half, defensive midfield and right wing in the Old Firm derbies.
Even Craig Moore wasn’t used to that extent by Walter Smith.
There is one question being asked though – if he is that good out of position, how good could he be in his natural one of right-back?
Obviously, that role is currently reserved for the skipper and Clement has already praised his on-field deputy:
“I am happy with Tav, he was the first player I talked with, that’s normal when you come into a building and you know the fire is going on.
“I wanted to see how to stop it as fast as possible so I wanted all the information, it’s normal to speak first with the captain.
“He was really open and honest about all things in the club, dressing room and himself also.
“He feels good also, there is a divided leadership with several players who take responsibility but they have a really good connection together.
“If you’re all alone you can be alone in the desert, now he has a few lieutenants around him that help also and are very influential. It’s important to have that.
“If I see how they are playing now compared to four months ago we cannot speak about a beginning because that was the beginning. There is a lot of room for progression.
“It’s clear they all are growing in these past couple of months without exception.”
Is Father Time catching up on Tavernier?
The problem is that James Tavernier is showing signs of decline.
Against Hearts, he lost possession 21 times, won three out of 10 ground duels and just one out of four aerial duels, according to Sofascore.
It was not his finest hour, and it is becoming a real concern with doubts about his ability to lead the team going forward.
He might well be able to cover the same distances as he used to, however, there is a sharpness that is missing.
Kenneth Vargas tortured the Gers number two at Tynecastle and it was almost embarrassing how easy the Hearts winger got past him for his side’s second goal.
A goal eerily similar to the one lost at Parkhead when John Lundstram fired into his own net.
Sterling, on the other hand, is a nightmare for opposition forwards.
The former Chelsea player has shown that he can contribute in the final third and there are plenty of other players who can take free-kicks and corners.
They might not score them quite as consistently, but there are more pressing concerns now.
Rangers can’t score three goals every week to win games, and Jack Butland can’t do it all on his own.
The Scottish Cup final might come too soon, however, next season is another story and Philippe Clement will want to play his best players in their best positions.
If Tavernier was in decent form, it wouldn’t be a debate, he isn’t and the manager has a big call to make when pre-season kicks off.
