James Tavernier has been branded "nothing special" by former Israeli international Maor Kandil, who has criticised Maccabi Tel Aviv's decision to sign the former Rangers captain.
Tavernier moved to Maccabi Tel Aviv last summer after an 11-year spell at Ibrox came to an end, linking up with former Rangers teammate Kenny Miller in Israel. The club have made the 34-year-old the highest-paid player in the country, and he scored his first Maccabi goal last month, netting the rebound from a saved penalty kick.
Pundit's Scathing Assessment
Kandil, a TV pundit who played for rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv, has delivered a harsh verdict on Tavernier's performances since his much-hyped arrival.
He said: "This is an opinion that people are afraid to express, but James Tavernier is overrated. They gave him a build-up here when he signed."
"But I don't see him taking on players one-on-one, I haven't seen a key pass from him, I haven't seen him make an important tackle, I haven't seen him make an assist."
'Bad Decision' by Maccabi Tel Aviv
Kandil questioned what Tavernier brings to the team, saying: "So what does he bring to the team? He's nothing special. I wish I could see it, but I don't see anything with him and I think it's a bad decision by Maccabi Tel Aviv to bring in Tavernier."
He added: "They could have signed Israel captain Eli Dasa and freed up a space to sign a different foreigner instead. Sorry, but I am just not seeing enough from Tavernier at the moment."
