Former Celtic captain Tom Boyd described James Tavernier as a “very, very poor defender” and claimed his only attribute is his ability from set-pieces.
Rangers skipper Tavernier netted a scorching free kick on the stroke of half-time during Saturday’s derby defeat at Parkhead as he hauled Michael Beale’s men level after the visitors fell behind to Kyogo’s opener. The full back headed home a second for the visitors late on to give them a glimmer of hope after Kyogo and Jota had both scored to give the champions a two-goal cushion.
But prior to nodding home Borna Barisic’s cross, Boyd delivered a damning verdict on the 31-year-old who has now scored 100 goals for Rangers since joining from Wigan Athletic nine years ago. Boyd is a firm favourite with Hoops legions due to his passionate co-commentary on the club’s own TV channel and the way he wears his heart on his sleeve. And as he described Tavernier’s free-kick, the 57-year-old Treble-winning captain said: “The only way they would get back into this game was with set pieces because in open play they’ve been virtually non existent. It’s certainly a great free kick.
