Yesterday, I wrote about the leadership qualities of key Celtic players, from Scott Brown to Callum McGregor, and the traits our managers look for in new signings – determination to win, a strong team ethic, and a willingness to go the distance.
I also mentioned Dave King’s recent comments, where he’s been busy mouthing off again, this time in support of James Tavernier. Now, I think Tavernier is a poor footballer and an even worse captain. But once you make someone the leader of your team, removing that armband becomes a tricky business. Doing so can shatter the player’s confidence in the manager and risk destabilizing their relationship with the coaching staff.
King isn’t trustworthy – he’s a notorious liar, and a crook. But he isn’t stupid. He’s always had a kind of base cunning and a certain species of smart that allows him to navigate his way through the many reckless, petty, and vindictive things he’s done over his years at Ibrox. King recognises the damage the criticisms from the stands are doing to the guy as both a captain and a player.
His comments are being interpreted, by the hacks, as a criticism of just the fans, but I don’t think that they are. I believe King’s latest comments are also a dig at the coaches and the way the club is treating Tavernier. And it’s not a good look, is it?
Everyone knows Tavernier was meant to leave in the summer. The club expected, and perhaps even solicited, a bid from Saudi Arabia – specifically from Steven Gerrard’s club. They genuinely believed some team over there would offer a fortune to take Tavernier off their hands.
But those of us who live in the real world saw that for the fantasy it was. And yet, it’s obvious they believed something like that was on the cards. This belief prompted those early stories about Jack Butland being given the captain’s armband even before Tavernier had left the building.
We said at the time that this was foolish because until Tavernier left, he was still the captain and had every right to expect that he would remain so. It’s clear there was pushback from Tavernier’s side over those stories. The club had to reassure everyone that Butland would only take the captaincy if Tavernier left. But there’s evidence they were planning to do it regardless. Tavernier’s resistance, backed by his allies in the dressing room, caused the club to back down.
Butland, having expected to be named captain, was left frustrated. He sought assurances from the board rather than the manager, indicating he didn’t trust the manager to keep his word, and that suggests that the decision had not only been made prior to Tavernier getting a move but communicated to Butland in clear language.
This left them with two unhappy players instead of one. It is a classic of bad man management. It was one incident amongst many pointing to a problem with Clement’s unique style.
It didn’t help Tavernier, though; it was merely a stay of execution. He knew from that moment the club couldn’t wait to see the back of him and was determined to move him on. Over the summer, he was offered to various clubs, but none bit, and he stayed – likely against his own will and certainly against the manager’s.
Recent stories have surfaced about him being offered to clubs in Turkey and the UAE, where their transfer windows are still open, but no bids have been forthcoming.
It would amuse me to see him leave in the next two weeks, which would further weaken their team, but I doubt any club will make a move. And here lies the crux of the problem: Tavernier knows what’s going on, and so does King. King’s recent comments, praising Tavernier’s “successes,” seem aimed at a wider audience than just the fans.
He’s criticizing the board and the manager for ostracizing a player they still need to get through to January when they can enter the transfer market again with whatever funds they can scrape together.
It’s a futile and self-defeating strategy to put so much pressure on your team captain and make him feel unwanted. It’s clear that both the boardroom and the dressing room are in turmoil. Even if we don’t see Tavernier as a great leader, there are players in that dressing room who might. They must be shocked to see a club Hall of Fame member and their best player from the last campaign being pushed out in such a shabby way. If it can happen to him, it can happen to anyone.
King has called this behaviour “the opposite of loyalty.” That’s how you know this is more than just a message to the fans; it’s a shot across the bows of those at the club, reminding them that Tavernier has given them the best years of his career. Why treat him this way? There’s something oddly admirable about King stepping up for him here, even if it is self-serving. After all, King was instrumental in bringing Tavernier to Ibrox and making him captain.
Part of this is fear-driven. Tavernier is still a big player for them – he scores, he assists, he works hard. Even if he isn’t the best footballer, he’s one of the best they’ve got, and they’re going to need him. King knows that if you make a player feel unwanted, you risk losing his commitment and effort.
So, part of King’s stance is self-interest. But part of it is also the realization that this approach doesn’t help the club in the future. There were ways to handle this that didn’t make it look personal, vindictive or unprofessional.
Compare this to how Celtic handled moving on some of our own players.
Brendan Rodgers, for instance, dealt with Mikey Johnston’s departure with class and maturity. It was done without any acrimony, with both sides understanding the situation. That’s what competent management looks like.
At Ibrox, they haven’t done things with any sophistication or grace. There’s no goodwill in these decisions, no sense of an honest conversation about the future. It casts a dark shadow over how Philippe Clement and others at the club manage their players.
Every club has to move players on, sometimes even those who’ve given great service. But you do it in a way that preserves relationships and allows for a dignified exit.
Tavernier is still there, still a key player, and yet he feels like someone who’s been treated poorly and without any recognition of what he’s put in. He knows he’s not wanted or appreciated, not by the manager, and not by the fans. Even King – a blowhard, a crook, a charlatan – knows you have to treat people better than this, especially if you still need them to perform.
When you find yourself on the wrong side of a situation like this with a man such as Dave King, you have to ask just how far from rational behaviour and accepted norms you’ve strayed.
Clement seems arrogant enough not to care, a stance he could very easily come to regret.
Isn’t Captain Disappointed due a testimonial this season?
Does that cost the club anything to put on?
A full house and not a penny to them?
If that is, so then you have it the nail in the head why this guy is being shown the door.
It’ll be interesting to see how The Sevco Huns react on their forum to King’s comments as they sure as Hell do not take very well to criticism of any sort whatsoever…
He does seem to be hanging about like a bad stink which is unusual as I certainly hope never to be hearing any Celtic related issues from Ian Bankier, Brian Quinn or John Reid nor any other ex Celtic chairmen after they have vacated office for sure…
Perhaps he wants the chairman’s chair once again and perhaps tempt Gerrard back as he will be pure ragin that they won the square root of fuck all, court cases as well as on the field of play, in his disastrous reign as chairman at Liebrox…
But even Gerrard wouldn’t touch this with a barge pole the mess they are (hilariously) in !
I think Tav is the human sacrifice to satisfy the lust for blood letting down in Edmiston Drive. The board have gone all in on the Maneken Pis, so have to find another way, other than binning him, to calm the irate bears.
Hence, bin the captain.
It gets a high earner of the wage bill. It allows them to make Butland captain. It doesn’t make them a better side but it shows the fans that they care. What they care about is the bottom line. Bennet et al have accepted that they have to run the club within their means. (Not what the bears want to hear) They cannot afford to bin another management team. There are no rich “bear” investors willing to pump (even if it was allowed) their cash into the club. The board cannot be sacked because they are the shareholders (& the debt holders) So while the fans can rage, ultimately they are impotent. Bennet can run the club as he sees fit. It will take a very long time for that club to get into a position of genuine challenge to us. From our point of view, the best thing that could happen would be for them to be forced to bin the Belgian. Yes they would be losing a poor manager but they would also be saddled with another hefty payout which can only add to the debt. It is only when they rid themselves of that huge mill stone of debt which hangs around their neck that they will ever have a chance of putting up a challenge to us.
That is why they are so keen to hang on to the Belgian. That is why they are willing to offer Tavernier as the blood sacrifice to quell the hoardes.
Apparently Tavs had offers but why take a pay cut. He has a contract that will see him earn another £3.5-4m if seen to the end and then most likely retire at 34.
If true he seems to have bought a million pound pad in Glasgow, that should show his intent.
If he was younger and hungrier I think he would get out of Ibrox but he seems happy to honour his contract and why not.!
He will be a weak link in their defence for another couple of seasons imo OR stick another big earner in the B team.
Be great to see King Jet in and cause all sorts of havoc trying to get his investment back. There would be endless material for you there James.
I know people will argue, Tavpen is not a defender. He is a good player going forward.
He should be playing wing back as part of an attacking midfield.
Do not know the stats, taking his pens out, he scores a few goals as a defender.
Been saying it for years, John. You wonder how some managers get into the job in the first place when they can’t see something as obvious as that.
No arguments from me John – I’ve being saying he should be a right sided attacking midfielder (arguably winger) for years. He’s scored something like 60 (non-penalty) goals – that’s phenomenal for a full-back !! How Warburton, Pedro, (Murty x 2), Gerrard. GVB, Beale and now Clement haven’t spotted to push him much further forward and play a natural RB in defence is beyond me (but thank goodness they haven’t).
We might rip the proverbial out of his defensive abilities (or more accurately lack of them) but he has been their single biggest threat against us for nearly a decade and if we’re honest we dread seeing them being awarded a free kick against us 20-25yards out.
Even more baffling is Clement’s decision to ask him to stay further back to try and cover Maeda which basically weakens them twice over lol! TavPen cannot deal with Maeda either pace wise or positionally and then by not going forward they lose their most potent crosser of the ball – the longer Clement stays in charge the better it is for us – he’s clueless. He talks a good game (at times) but his management skills in general and man-management in particular are rank rotten 🙂
I’ve thought for some time now that the reason their fans dislike Tavernier as a captain is that he’s not a snarler with veins of hatred bulging out of his neck, like others I don’t need to mention.
I might be torn apart for this but he seems like an ordinary decent guy who just happens to be making his living out of playing football. They seem to want a wee Baz or an Ian Ferguson or Alex Rae, that’s the type of thug they relate to as it mirrors their own obsession of hatred towards anything or anyone outwith their bubble of supposed supremacy over us lesser mortals (in their eyes).
I once carried out a mini-project when I moved from Greenock to Renfrew. I joined the local snooker club and made some pretty close friends there, some Celtic and some Rangers supporters. I decided to attend a Celtic v Motherwell and a Rangers v Motherwell match with those supporters, starting off at their supporters clubs, and was quite amazed at what I witnessed. The differences were in the feelings in the environment: absolute hatred in one camp and a calm optimism in the other. At the matches the Celtic fans knew all the Motherwell players by name and commented on any good moments of their but the Rangers fans didn’t know a single opposition player and were completely scornful of anything they tried to do.
It looks like a horrendous environment to play football in, and again I’ll probably be ripped apart but I actually feel some sympathy for James Tavernier.
A very interesting post indeed Danny and all I can say is Thank The Lord that I wasn’t or never became one of them…
I live in a mixed area with us and them amongst many other clubs’ supporters and while there are a few ‘ok’ ones on their side they can be cnuts when they are all together…
The thing is that you cannot reason with them even if you are a million percent correct in your arguments…
They cannot debate and just put their hands over their ears and say ‘La de da de da de day” –
And I then just reply calmly – 1-0 to The Clachnacuddin ! (Who don’t win much) But this one does very very easily v Sevco fans which frankly ain’t much of an honour as they aren’t very difficult to defeat in debates !
No Hunsville Harmony.
“I just can’t get enough”