‘Barry Ferguson to axe Jack Butland v Real Sociedad as Rangers boss rages’
Barry Ferguson will be forced to make wholesale changes if Rangers stand any chance of advancing to the Europa League semi-finals.
The Light Blues welcome Athletic Bilbao to Ibrox on Thursday, 10 April, ahead of a two-leg quarter-final clash, with a tie against Man United or Lyon awaiting them in the next round.
However, following the Gers’ embarrassing 2-0 Scottish Premiership defeat to Hibernian at the weekend, few supporters will be expecting a positive result against a team fighting for a top-four spot in La Liga.
Jack Butland was hounded by Rangers fans after making yet another blunder in between the sticks, allowing Dylan Levitt to open the scoring from outside the penalty area with a tame effort.
There were limited signs of a fightback from Ferguson’s players, with Martin Boyle eventually doubling the visitors’ lead at Ibrox, handing the Gers an untimely defeat before a crucial European game.
Barry Ferguson leaves no stone unturned in post-match Rangers rant
Ferguson, who could be made permanent Rangers manager this summer, has been lauded for his no-nonsense attitude after the game, speaking openly and honestly with a frustrated fanbase.
Speaking to the media (5 April), he said: “Where do I start? How long have we got? A few home truths were said in the dressing room. That was not a Rangers team – miles from it.
“We started well. Again, another mistake means going into our shells and feeling sorry for each other. I demand a lot more from them and I don’t get it.
“You come into a place like this, a brilliant stadium, fans packed to the rafters and getting behind you… And we put on a performance like that. As you can hear, I’m fuming.”
Rangers boss’ comments scream bad news for Jack Butland
The manager clearly made reference to the goalkeeper’s horrendous error against Hibs, and having emphasised the word “another”, he appears to be losing patience with the former Stoke City man.
Fans have been begging for Liam Kelly to be given a chance in between the sticks, and with such an important game coming up, Ferguson cannot risk any more blunders behind the defence.
The shot-stopper has made several errors leading to goals, coming as a massive surprise after being Philippe Clement‘s most consistent player last season, but he is clinging onto the position currently.
| Jack Butland v Hibernian | Stats, as per FotMob |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Saves | 1 |
| Goals conceded | 2 |
| Hibernian’s xG | 0.52 |
| FotMob rating out of 10 | 5.3 |
Of course, with John Souttar suspended for the game, the likes of James Tavernier, Nico Raskin and Vaclav Cerny will all need to step up immensely if Ibrox is to be rocking by the end of Thursday night.
Ferguson has some incredibly difficult decisions to make ahead of the clash, especially when it comes to Hamza Igamane and Cyriel Dessers, but Butland can surely expect to be on the bench when the lineups are announced after the furious response of his manager last time out.
Ferguson’s presence appears to have inspired the players to generate some stirring fight-backs already in his short time in charge, at least demonstrating the sort of fight that had long since drained away under Clement.
But those results may have papered over the cracks and the former title-winning captain has clearly run out of patience.