Jack Butland heroics save useless 3/10 flop – Rangers player ratings vs Motherwell
Rangers somehow came away unscathed from a chaotic game against Motherwell to record a valuable 1-0 win.
A scruffy first half saw Rangers struggle to get a foot hold at Ibrox and took three Jack Butland saves, and one from Calum Ward from Djeidi Gassama, to keep the scores level.
Nico Raskin thought he’d broken the deadlock right after the restart as he passed Gassama’s cut-back home, but the goal was ruled out for offside with Youssef Chermiti continuing his Rangers struggles and deemed to be obstructing Ward from beyond the last defender.
Motherwell were able to get in behind Jayden Meghoma whenever they wanted throughout, while Chermiti and Mikey Moore somehow conspired not to score from a scramble in the box just inside the hour.
Just after Butland had made his fourth crucial save of the afternoon Rangers finally did go ahead on 67 minutes as Thelo Aasgaard tapped in the rebound as Gassama’s curling shot was kept out.
A chaotic finish saw the home side survive penalty appeals at the back and waste numerous break-away chances in attack, with the game somehow finishing with just a single goal and Rangers just about bouncing back from defeat by Hearts.
Jack Butland prevents embarrassing home thrashing
The Light Blues may have gradually turned the balance of the game in their favour but they were lucky not to have a mountain to climb by the time they woke up, and still allowed the visitors to threaten even after they were in charge.
If it weren’t for Butland in goal Danny Rohl’s men could easily have been 2-0 down early, and might have conceded a third before half time.
The Englishman wasn’t perfect with the ball at his feet but his shot-stopping on the day was the difference between points on the board and what could have otherwise been a heavy defeat at home that would have turned some very unwelcome spotlights on his teammates, and manager.
His value was most explicitly demonstrated when he kept out Callum Hendry’s smashed attempt from inside the Gers box with the game still goalless, with the ball heading into the top corner without an excellent save.
Aasgaard scored moments later to make the game look completely different to how it could, and probably, should have done.
An honourable mention must also go to Gassama going forward, who thought he’d assisted Raskin for the opener and then ultimately caused Aasgaard’s to be possible.
Jayden Meghoma a revolving door on the left
None of the back line were exactly outstanding and it was only heroics from Butland behind them that kept them from conceding multiple times.
But none should be more thankful for the goalkeeper having a great day than Meghoma at left-back, who may as well not have been there at times.
Unless he’d been tactically instructed by the coaches to only concern himself with what he could offer in attack to the detriment of his defensive duties it was difficult to see how to excuse the ease with which Motherwell worked their way into dangerous positions down his flank.
Rangers looked like they were playing three at the back early in the game as the then-dominant visitors regularly surged into huge open spaces down their attacking right.
A long ball over the top early in the second half had Meghoma trailing behind as Elijah Just ran clear to give Butland his most iffy moment as he came out of his area and was rounded only for Emmanuel Fernandez to get back in time.
On another day Motherwell would have taken advantage of the express lane they were afforded in behind Meghoma and escaped with the points, and probably should have done here.
Rangers player ratings vs Motherwell
Jack Butland – 9 – Man of the Match
James Tavernier – 6
Dujon Sterling (off for Souttar ’87) – 6
Emmanuel Fernandez – 6
Jayden Meghoma – 3
Connor Barron – 6
Nico Raskin – 6
Djeidi Gassama (off for Curtis ’87) – 8
Mohamed Diomande (off for Moore ’55) – 6
Thelo Aasgaard (off for Cameron ’87) – 7
Youssef Chermiti (off for Miovski ’77) – 5
Subtitutions
Mikey Moore (on for Diomande ’55) – 6
Bojan Miovski (on for Chermiti ’77) – 6
John Souttar (on for Sterling ’87) – 5
Findlay Curtis (on for Gassama ’87) – 5
Lyall Cameron (on for Aasgaard ’87) – 6
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