Scott Arfield warns Ferguson against decision that could harm Rangers at Ibrox
Barry Ferguson has some big decisions to make in preparation for Rangers’ Europa League first-leg tie against Athletic Bilbao.
The Gers come into this game on the back of a 2-0 defeat against Hibernian on Saturday (5 April), a loss that served as a reminder that there is plenty of work to do in Glasgow.
More concerningly, it was a fifth straight defeat at Ibrox for Rangers, which doesn’t bode well going into a Europa League quarter-final on home turf.
Arfield fires Ferguson advice
It was a disappointing result for Rangers on Saturday as they fell to defeat again and the squad showed a low standard of performance compared to what they can reach.
One man who came under serious criticism for his performance is Jack Butland, who made another mistake which led to a Hibernian goal.
Although the goalkeeper has been a mainstay in the side since his arrival at Ibrox, under a host of different managers, his form this season has been clumsy at times.
| Appearances | Goals Conceded | Clean Sheets |
| 26 | 28 | 10 |
As a result of his poor form, there have been some calls for Ferguson to drop him for the game on Thursday (10 April) and bring Liam Kelly into the side instead.
However, Scott Arfield has warned the interim boss against making such a decisive call as he wrote in the Daily Record (9 April): “Barry Ferguson has some big decisions to make of course. There are people suggesting he has to drop Jack Butland and I get that.
“But this is not the time for me. It’s too big a call for a match like this and it could cause more harm than good to all concerned.
“There is an argument for Butland to come out of the team. He’s a quality keeper but he’s going through a tough spell. But I just feel his experience will be necessary for Bilbao and it’s a tough game to throw Liam Kelly into.
“I could perhaps see the thinking if Butland played tomorrow and then Kelly comes in for Pittodrie on Sunday. It’s just too big a risk for the first leg.”
Ferguson to stand by Butland
Butland has certainly not been up to the standards that you would expect from him at Ibrox for a while now but, as Arfield says, it would be a massive call for Ferguson to drop him for the Europa League tie and potentially damaging too.
Kelly has not shown enough in his performances to suggest that he would be ready to step up for such a big tie, and given the home leg is supposed to give an advantage, Rangers have to make use of this rather than taking silly risks.
Butland could definitely find himself dropped in Scottish Premiership action if he fails to perform, even if simply to give Kelly some minutes with little left to play for.
In the Europa League, the standards throughout the side have generally lifted and that includes the goalkeeper too, which means this could be a great opportunity for Butland to put things right and show that he is still able to do the job between the sticks for the Bears.
With John Souttar and Mohamed Diomande both suspended for the tie on disciplinary grounds, Ferguson is already going to have his work cut out for him when it comes to shifting the side around.
Therefore, some continuity is needed, and when this competition is the most important thing on the agenda, unnecessary risks are not worth taking.