BBC pundit. Billy Dodds spots Rangers moment that was ‘sad to see’ as James Tavernier ‘happy’ to be subbed.

When the long-serving right-back won today’s semi-final at Hampden, BBC analyst Billy Dodds felt bad for him.

As the Rangers skipper battles for form, Billy Dodds believes James Tavernier was happy to be substituted against Motherwell.

Dujon Sterling took the place of the 32-year-old Ibrox defender in minute 67 as the Gers looked for a game-winning goal at Hampden. As Philippe Clement’s team rallied to secure their spot in the Premier Sports Cup final against Celtic, Nedim Bajrami finally scored in the closing minutes.

Although Tavernier, who is currently in his testimonial year, has been unstoppable throughout his Rangers career, Clement has already hooked the goal-scoring right-back this season. Dodds, a former striker, expressed sympathy for the long-serving player today and believes Tavernier is having a serious crisis of confidence as he finds it difficult to handle the mounting demands on him.

“I think his confidence is shot to pieces,” he said to BBC Sportsound. I believe he recognises his poor performance and feels the strain of being captain. Even if he hasn’t got as many goals or assists moving forward, we all know that defence isn’t his strong suit. When he did manage to move forward today, the crowd was on him and the crosses ended up in the goalkeeper’s hands.

“As you can see, he’s not feeling well right now, and he appeared to be relieved to be off the pitch today. I’ve never seen him so psychologically ill. When he came off today, it was depressing. He was aware that it was time, and he didn’t protest or express displeasure at being replaced.

“Tavernier has had stick throughout his time at Rangers and he’s dealt with it well,” concurred fellow commentator Steven Thompson. The things he depends on in his game, like assists, goals, and driving runs, aren’t happening as frequently now that he’s a little older and has lost some of his speed.

“I believe it’s more evident than ever this season. Since no player is undroppable and may be dropped just because he is captain, I believe the manager may be giving you a hint about what is ahead. He is far from done; he can still perform well on the pitch, but not to the same degree as he has in the many years he has spent with Rangers.

“It impacts a player more than anything else when their confidence is lost. You overthink things, feel exhausted, and have trouble making decisions. That isn’t helping him at all, and I believe he has a little bit of it right now.”

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