Russell Martin Already Drops the Rangers Ball With His First Big Call | OneFootball

Today’s news that James Tavenier will indeed retain Rangers captaincy comes as something of a blow to the supporters who most definitely did not want the long-time failure to remain with the armband.

It was posited that Nico Raskin might be given it, and other players were contenders, but the new manager, Russell Martin, has affirmed that Tavenier retains his spot as leader, is a kick in the face to Rangers fans who wanted and expected any sort of change.

Historically, Rangers’ captains were always Alpha leaders. Even Lorenzo Amoruso might not have been the best captain, but he was a big guy with a big personality. The archetypal captain in recent years, we suppose, would be Barry Ferguson. Back in the day, a true leader. Whether he was completely popular for some of the things that he maybe did, we can’t be entirely sure. But he was a strong-minded individual who commanded respect on the pitch.

James Tavenier does not fit a Rangers captain. He never did. He was given the captaincy because Steven Gerrard didn’t know any better. At the time, it was the Warburton era which had just started to teeter. And at that point, Lee Wallace then became Kenny Miller, who then became James Tavenier. All as temporary captains, for whom the armband was being swapped between ad hoc.

When Gerrard came in, in 2018, it was Tavenier who had the band. There were very few Rangers fans who endorsed Tavenier as captain. But Gerrard went ahead and made him his man because he didn’t know any better.

Gerrard didn’t know the climate and Tavenier got the honour permanently. That was 2018. Here we are in 2025, seven years later, and he remains captain. And yet another loser manager, Martin, has affirmed that this man remains the captain. It would be safe to say that Ibrox Noise don’t endorse this. We certainly don’t endorse Martin.

He is not a Rangers manager on any level and anyone who says otherwise is just being completely optimistic and borderline delusional. This decision today only reassures of that. Tavenier, sure some might say, can’t just be dumped. But yes he can. Strong willed managers in the past have have displaced captains. So this is not unprecedented. Le Guin removed Ferguson for right or wrong. Advocat removed Amoruso for right or wrong. But no one seems to have the cojones to remove Tavenier.

Some have made the strange and curious argument that many managers have endorsed Tavernier which surely in itself endorses Tavernier. But three trophies in 15 years or whatever it is now, we’re losing count, does suggest that that endorsement is part of the reason why we are so poor. Tavernier has seen off so many managers and yet retains the armband. And while some fans make the argument that it doesn’t matter who the captain is, we’re sorry but it really does. So yes, here we go. Another loser manager continues with Tavenier and we can’t say we’re in the slightest bit reassured by this era at all.