- Rohl faces option between Tavernier and Sterling to start against Falkirk
- Tavernier experience and leadership is key
- Sterling scored in the victory over Dundee United
Danny Rohl and his Rangers’ squad travel to Falkirk this weekend in the final match before the split.
The onus is on the German to select the best starting line-up for every Rangers’ match.
The players he selects for each position are always scrutinised by the Ibrox faithful but even more so with six crucial games remaining in the title race.
One of the questions facing Rohl will be whether he starts James Tavernier or Dujon Sterling at the Falkirk Stadium.
James Tavernier
As club captain, Tavernier’s leadership and experience is vital and the importance of the 34-year-old to Rangers as the title race ramps up cannot be underestimated.
Every one of the final six matches will require players to step up and deliver in big moments and in that case, the defender has proven himself more than worthy of the jersey over the years.
In the 2-2 draw with Livingston, Tavernier was crucial in creating the path for Mikey Moore to slot in his equaliser.
This provides a reminder of the Rangers’ captain’s ability to exploit gaps in the defence and bombard dangerous crosses into the opponent’s box.
However, the signs are that Tavernier is becoming less and less of an automatic starter as he has only played the full match in two of the last five games.
This is most notable as he was benched in the Old Firm league match against Celtic and appearing after the 90th minute in the Scottish Cup quarter-final.
Dujon Sterling
The recent rotation of Tavernier demonstrates how Sterling has been pushing for minutes under Rohl.
Sterling was selected in favour of the captain against Dundee United and scored his first goal for the club in the 4-2 victory.
This means that Rohl has a player high in confidence and who will be looking to utilise that as a catalyst to improve his performances further.
It is hard to drop a player who has just delivered with the 26-year-old showing the first sign of his ability to add end product.
Having said that, unlike Tavernier, he does not have experience of delivering in high pressure matches, which is what Rangers require.
Sterling’s ongoing conditioning challenge and the plastic pitch at Falkirk could well be a factor on Sunday.
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The experience of Tavernier is unquestionable as is his leadership abilities as a captain.
This is why, as he has rotated between the two defenders, Rohl must still select the best player for the match.
Anything other than a win would be disastrous for Rangers at this stage of the season.
Therefore, Tavernier should start as he is the player who has demonstrated the capabilities to produce when it matters and when losing is not an option.
