Jack Butland set for Rangers heartbreak despite Player of the Year accolade
Jack Butland had an evening to forget as Rangers lost 3-2 to Motherwell in the William Hill Premiership on Sunday.
While most players disappointed at Ibrox on 26 April, the English goalkeeper started poorly, setting the tempo for the game.
The shot-stopper’s distribution in the first half was arguably abysmal, kicking the ball out of play or straight to opposition players, which constantly put the Gers under pressure.
Lukas Fadinger opened the scoring for the Steelmen in Govan and the 33-year-old could have certainly done better to stop the shot from going in the back of the net.
Danny Rohl has relied on Butland since his appointment in G51, but despite some impressive performances and winning the Players’ Player of the Year award for the 2025-26 campaign, the German manager may soon look for a replacement number one.
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Danny Rohl has clear weak link at Rangers
Rohl is a modern-day manager with a clear philosophy that includes putting teams under pressure out of possession and dominating the ball.
The German head coach’s style of play can be most effective with a goalkeeper who’s comfortable with the ball at their feet, something Butland showed he clearly isn’t against Motherwell, with just three of his 17 long balls accurate, as per Sofascore.
In the 3-2 loss, the shot-stopper had a passing accuracy of 62 per cent and lost possession 14 times, which in turn forced the Gers on their back foot.
| Statistics | Jack Butland |
| Total saves | 2 |
| Goals prevented | -1.99 |
| Accurate passes in opposition half | 3/12 (25%) |
| Touches | 44 |
| Fouls | 1 |
The Englishman also had a goals-prevented rating of -1.99, indicating that he conceded almost two more goals than he should have at Ibrox.
There’s no doubt that Butland has saved the Glaswegian outfit on occasions, but his inconsistency has been a complaint for fans since last season and Rohl may have to break the goalkeeper’s heart in the upcoming transfer window by asking him to leave.
Danny Rohl reunion on cards at Ibrox
Rohl could reunite with Pierce Charles at Rangers in the summer, with the Sheffield Wednesday shot-stopper on their wishlist.
The Northern Ireland international broke into the Owls’ starting lineup during the German manager’s spell at Hillsborough and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him emerge as a priority target for the Gers in the coming months.
Charles has shown great potential in South Yorkshire and he may be ready to take the next big step in his career by moving to Ibrox.
Butland has had his moments in Govan, but it may be the right time for the Glaswegian outfit to move on and find his successor.
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