'Absolutely no need' - McCann lambasts Rangers ace after what he saw him do in win v FCSB

Neil McCann berated James Tavernier for needlessly picking up a yellow card for Rangers in the 4-0 Europa League win against FCSB on Thursday (24 October).

The Gers survived an early scare when David Miculescu saw his goal for the visitors in the early stages ruled out for a foul before Tom Lawrence and Hamza Igamane scored either side of a Vaclav Cerny brace to secure a comfortable win at Ibrox.

Rangers were in complete control of proceedings following Lawrence’s opener, but McCann held nothing back on Tavernier live on BBC Sportsound [24 October, 8:28pm] as the captain earned himself a needless yellow card in the first half.

He said: “Zero complaints. There is absolutely no need. He actually put the brakes on, looks like he was about to pull out before lifting his leg. Tavernier needs to be careful now.”

James Tavernier cannot escape criticism despite Rangers win

While the yellow card had no significant impact on the result, Tavernier receiving a caution and putting his side under unnecessary pressure sums up his contributions as captain this season.

The 32-year-old has become somewhat of a scapegoat for Rangers this year and while some of the criticism is justified, other times it feels like a witch-hunt is being orchestrated against the full-back.

It seems only a matter of time before Tavernier calls time on his nine-year stint in Glasgow. He was the subject of intense speculation throughout the summer and is expected to be once again available in the market in January.

Ever since his shambolic performance in the 3-0 defeat to Celtic in the Old Firm derby earlier this season, there isn’t much the captain can do right at Ibrox, and perhaps the increased scrutiny and pressure has led to his decline.

Philippe Clement will worry little about the yellow card. He knows more than anyone the monumental significance of the win against FCSB as all focus turns to success in the Europa League.

The 1-0 loss to Kilmarnock has already seemingly all but ended any hope of challenging Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership with a six-point gap separating the sides.

But a deep run in the Europa League this year could salvage what is otherwise looking to be a campaign of failure at Ibrox. The resounding win over FCSB is a massive step in the right direction.

In other Rangers news, Scott Allan issues his Philippe Clement exit verdict at the Light Blues.

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