There’s a pattern with Rangers conversations online and we all know it. When we win, folk move on quickly. When we lose, certain players get it tight, and the pile-on can be relentless. Tav is right in the middle of that, whether you think he should be or not.
He makes mistakes. Of course he does. Every player does, and in our league the margins are thin enough that one bad decision can become the headline. But it’s hard to ignore that some mistakes get magnified because of the name on the back of the shirt. If Rangers drop points, it feels like the same few lads are first in the firing line.
Criticism that only appears after defeats
The bit that grates is how selective it can be. When Rangers are on top, the conversation is about leadership, chance creation, set-piece threat, and how we’re squeezing teams back. Then a bad result lands and it becomes a post-mortem, with Tav’s role and output dragged into it from every angle.
It’s fair to analyse performances. Nobody’s saying players should be immune. But there’s a difference between analysis and scapegoating. If it’s only ‘a problem’ when we lose, that tells you something about how emotional the debate is, not just how football works.
What “lost possession” actually measures
A big part of the argument lately seems to lean on the “lost possession” metric, and this is where context matters. Sofascore logs a lost possession every time a player gives it away in their model. That includes plenty situations that look worse in the spreadsheet than they do on the pitch.
If a player takes a corner and the first header clears it, that’s a lost possession. If he attempts a pass that’s slightly overhit but we win it back a second later, that still goes down as a loss. If he plays the ball into a teammate and the teammate miscontrols it, that can still count against the passer depending on the action recorded. It’s not a conspiracy, it’s just how these data providers define events.
Now add in the obvious. Tav takes a massive share of our set pieces. More touches in high-risk moments means more opportunities for “losses” to be logged. That doesn’t automatically mean he’s careless; it can just mean he’s involved.
Set-piece responsibility cuts both ways
This isn’t even the debate about whether he should take every dead ball. That’s a separate conversation and you can have it without rewriting what the numbers say. The point is simple: if you’re going to use stats to judge a player, you need to understand what they’re counting and what they’re missing.
Because if we’re being honest, Rangers need calmer heads in these moments. Criticism is part of the game, but it shouldn’t turn into a ritual whenever the result goes against us.
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