Here’s the thing with Jack Butland. You can watch a Rangers game and come away thinking he’s been our man of the match, because he has pulled off saves that keep us standing. That part is undeniable. But it’s also possible to accept he’s having a better season and still feel he’s not quite the long-term answer.
The concern isn’t about shot-stopping. It’s about the bits around it. The moments that don’t look dramatic until they cost you, usually on the days when you can’t afford it.
Distribution that hands the ball straight back
For me, the biggest red flag is his use of the ball. Too often it’s the same pattern: a pumped long ball towards the centre-forward, the second ball isn’t won, and suddenly we’re defending again. That’s not just a goalkeeper issue, of course, but it absolutely feeds into our ability to control matches.
Rangers at our best should be about keeping territory, pinning teams in, and building attacks with some structure. If your keeper is launching it aimlessly and you lose possession instantly, you’re basically choosing chaos. Maybe it’s instruction, maybe it’s confidence, maybe it’s a lack of options. Either way, it kills tempo and invites pressure back on the back line.
Command of the box and sweeping behind
The other worry is how little protection the defence gets with balls over the top. When a line is pushed up, you need the keeper to be decisive. Not reckless, but assertive. If he’s glued to his line, centre-halves get dragged into awkward races and everyone starts panicking about what’s behind them.
That’s where these messy incidents come from, like the one where he and Tav end up colliding. It doesn’t need to be anybody “at fault” for it to be a problem. It’s about communication, claiming space, and taking charge early enough that it never becomes a scramble.
Upgrade now, not when it’s too late
This is where the summer question comes in. Rangers can’t keep clinging on until a player is past their best and then acting surprised when the drop-off arrives. We’ve seen that movie before with senior players, and it never ends well.
Butland might still have plenty to offer. He might even improve those aspects. Yet if we’re being ruthless about raising the level, goalkeeper is absolutely a position you can look at and ask: can we get someone who gives us saves and helps us dominate games with calmer, smarter play?
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