Jack Butland has had mixed performances at Rangers this season, and Kris Boyd has given his verdict on the English goalkeeper after a defining moment against Fenerbahce.
The Gers’ shot-stopper was culpable as the Gers lost 2-1 to Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership at Ibrox on 1 March.
Butland stepped up in the Europa League, though, pulling off some impressive saves as the Light Blues beat Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce 3-1 at the Ulker Stadium on Thursday (6 March).
While the former Manchester United ace can do much better, he has shown glimpses of his talent on the big occasions.
Butland knows he can do better at Rangers after impressive save v Fenerbahce
Butland must be aware that he hasn’t performed well on occasions at the Glaswegian outfit, Boyd says.
But the ex-Gers forward reserved special praise for the English shot-stopper for his game-defining save against Talisca in Turkey.
Boyd acknowledged the goalkeeper’s mistakes but believes the 31-year-old showcases his quality when needed the most.
The former Scotland international wrote in The Scottish Sun (7 March): “But Butland deserves a special mention for producing perhaps the big moment of the tie with his stunning injury-time save from Talisca. The critics have been on top of the Englishman in recent months after some mistakes.
“He was certainly culpable for Motherwell’s opener last Saturday, and there was even that mix-up which left Robin Propper injured on Thursday evening.
“Butland is an honest keeper. He will know himself when he doesn’t hit the standards he sets — nobody has to tell him. But his quality can’t be doubted, and he showed it again with that crucial stop in the final seconds.
“From the first angle, it looked like a top save. From behind the goal, it was even better. Talisca placed it perfectly. It was destined for the bottom corner — before Butland got down to turn it round the post.
“In the context of the two legs, that could be the defining moment for Rangers. In the big moment of a big game, Butland produced. That’s what top keepers do.”
Ibrox faithful frustrated with Butland
Butland has made some massive errors at Rangers over the course of the season as they find themselves in a hard place domestically.
The Gers arguably have nothing left to play for in Scotland after being knocked out of the cup by Queen’s Park, and they sit 16 points behind Celtic in the league table.
Philippe Clement’s time at the Light Blues was marred by inconsistent performances, and he was eventually replaced by Barry Ferguson on an interim basis at Ibrox.
Butland is not the only player culpable of running hot and cold at the Glaswegian outfit; that has been the case with most players this season.
Nicolas Raskin has been the Bears’ best midfielder, but even the Belgian national has struggled at times.
Hamza Iagamane, who broke onto the scene and became the talisman under Clement in his last months at Ibrox, has seen a dip in form recently.
Cyriel Dessers has shown his qualities with some crucial goals over the last few games, but the Nigerian striker is another star who fans have often been left frustrated with in the current campaign.
The Light Blues might ot have anything to play for domestically, but the players must turn up in Europe and try to make it as far as possible.
