Frustrated Gers star names 'best player on pitch' v Dundee Utd in staunch Ibrox title defence
11/24/2024 11:00 AM
Jack Butland has been facing the media after Rangers' disastrous 1-1 draw with Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership.
The Rangers vice-captain wore the armband on yet another day of droped points for the Ibrox club as they slip 11 points behind Celtic in the Scottish Premiership table.
Butland has already rejected the suggestion a better second half softens a woeful first 45, whilst the Rangers goalkeeper gave a frank and honest interview with the post-match press.
Now, Jack Butland has been refusing to give up the ghost in the Scottish Premiership title race, insisting the Gers do have 'quality' and can still make a fist of it this season.
The Rangers goalkeeper also named a surprise pick for Man of the Match in the game, claiming a Dundee United counterpart was 'the best player on the pitch' at Ibrox.
Dundee Utd star was 'best player on pitch' v Rangers
"There's lot of encouragement," said Butland. "I know when you say something like, given where we sit (it's frustrating).
"We have the tools. We have pieces like (Ianis Hagi and Danilo) that are fantastic players that have been out, come back, injuries and whatnot, other people to come back as well.
"There's bright sparks there. Even the lads that did come off at half time and the lads that played the whole game, whatever it may be.
"There's enough there but we need to show it more often.
"The game then becomes like that and they have quality, and in the end play a part in a really good goal and what ultimately should've been more goals.
"But for putting ourselves in a difficult position and Jack Walton making some fantastic saves today, he was probably the best player on the pitch, it ends up being a difficult day.
"We created enough in the second half but we can't be putting ourselves in that position as often as we are."
Jack Butland not giving up Rangers title ghost
Rangers' title ambitions are wilting by the game as the club fall even further behind leaders Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.
Whilst the Rangers management and squad aren't saying it, we will. It's an insurmountable gap and, given their current form, Celtic will be champions again this season by a sizeable margin.
That's a sentiment that isn't lost on Jack Butland, who acknowledges that the rest of Scottish football isn't giving him and his teammates a hope of winning the title.
But the Rangers goalie insists that if performances improve, everything is still to play for, even if for the first time this season title glory is technically out of the Ibrox side's hands.
"People not might think (we are in a title race)," said Butland. "You won't catch us not thinking that.
"The reality we know what it looks like and we know we need to perform better if we want to be in a title race.
"By no means are we out of it but we've given ourselves way too much to do at this point and we need to start closing that gap and performances like that aren't going to help us."
