Danny Rohl still winces at the mention of James Tavernier's name. More than two months on from the former Rangers captain's chaotic Ibrox exit, the German admits he hasn't spoken to him since that fateful day.
The most emotional day at Ibrox
Wednesday 13 May – the date of Rangers' 2-1 defeat to Hibernian – remains the most emotional day of Rohl's entire spell in charge, not because of the result but because of what happened with his captain. Tavernier had spent a decade at Ibrox, leading the club to their 55th title and a Europa League final, but his departure was messy.
Sixty-six days have now passed, and Rohl, now in his new role at the Red Bull Arena in Salzburg, admits the pair still haven't spoken. “If we both look back, I think we'd change the situation. After 10 years at Rangers, to have such a goodbye – it was just so unnecessary,” Rohl said.
The Hibs game and a failed farewell
Tavernier's future had been a constant source of conjecture throughout the season. The Hibs match was supposed to be his big Ibrox farewell, but a poor performance in the Old Firm defeat at Celtic Park three days earlier, followed by an ankle complaint, complicated matters.
Rohl wanted Tavernier to enjoy his last home match and left him on the bench with the intention of giving him a cameo. But the captain announced at a team meeting that he wouldn't be coming to the stadium, creating panic among the Rangers hierarchy who had planned a pre-match presentation from legend John Greig. Tavernier eventually arrived very late but did not play.
“I tried to convince him to play those 10 or 15 minutes. Finally, he arrived very late but it wasn't the best way to say goodbye,” Rohl said. “Why did I do this at that moment? After three defeats I had to make a decision on what I thought was best for us to win the game against Hibs.”
Breaking up the leadership group
Tavernier was part of a leadership group including Jack Butland, John Souttar and Nico Raskin that had delivered only one League Cup in three years and seen off four managers. Rohl now admits that group had to be broken up to improve Rangers' chances of success.
“It's never easy to take your captain out and make a final decision. But after 10 years, I was the guy who made that decision,” he said. “Do I think that had to happen for things to change? Yeah, I think so. You change the mentality with new players.” Rohl pointed to new signings Dan Neil, Lawrence Shankland and Cammy Devlin as players who can help change the mindset.
No contact since
Despite their close relationship – Tavernier was a regular visitor to Rohl's office – the pair haven't spoken since that day. “I haven't spoken to Tav since. And it's sad because he was my captain, my trusted person,” Rohl said. “He was so often in my office and we spoke about line-ups and other things.”
Rohl also reflected on the Tynecastle defeat to Hearts, where he felt his side lacked resilience in the second half. “In the first half, everyone from Rangers asked for the ball. We played with freedom and enjoyment. But in the second half, when it came to resilience, we were doubtful in our performance.”
