Tavernier and Goldson are Rangers legends in the wrong era as Philippe Clement demands 'perspective' from critics

They're the right men but is it the wrong time? When Philippe Clement looks at James Tavernier and Connor Goldson, he sees two Ibrox stalwarts in danger of being damned by circumstance.

When things are going well for the big Belgian’s Light Blues line-up, his skipper and vice-captain are often the leading contenders for praise. Yet when the chips are down, it’s the long-serving English duo who find themselves more often than not having to shoulder responsibility for their team’s failings, regardless of whether they deserve it or not. Clement understands these knee-jerk reactions stem from a desperation in blue hearts to see their club back at place where success is lasting, rather than the fleeting dalliances with silverware they’ve been served up in recent years.

But the Ibrox gaffer also believes that had Tavernier and Goldson been on the books at Ibrox when they could count of the likes of a McCoist, Laudrup, Gascoigne, Ferguson or a de Boer for back-up, their status as Rangers greats might not be quite as vulnerable to the supporters’ volatile mood swings.

“I think you need to take several things into perspective,” said the Ibrox gaffer. “This club got a massive blow 12 years ago, they had to come back a long, long way.

“Fans always refer to the best periods in the club, they always want that. This is a massive club and that is their reference. But it’s not something that comes falling out of the sky. There’s a lot of work necessary for that - and also money.

“This club has been growing, it’s growing now. I understand the expectations of the fans. They want the success as fast as possible, that’s expectation. So I think Connor and Tav have been unlucky to be in the wrong period in the club in that way.

“If they were