Interim Rangers head coach Barry Ferguson has spoken out about the crucial error made by goalkeeper Jack Butland during Saturday’s disappointing 2-0 loss to Hibernian. The English shot-stopper allowed a seemingly innocuous strike from Dylan Levitt to slip through his hands and give the visitors an early lead. The error proved costly as Hibernian doubled their advantage in the second half, handing Rangers their fifth consecutive home defeat.
Butland’s mistake followed a similar misstep the previous week, where he spilled a soft shot at Dens Park into the path of Joe Shaughnessy, who capitalized on the error to score.
Speaking after the match, Ferguson addressed the mistake, confirming that he had spoken to Butland. “I’ve said to Jack, it’s a bad mistake,” the caretaker boss revealed. “He understands that.”
Ferguson made it clear that changes are on the horizon, particularly ahead of Rangers’ upcoming Europa League quarter-final clash against Athletic Club. “You will see some changes [on Thursday vs Athletic Club]. That’s why you carry a squad,” he explained. “If people make mistakes, if they’re off it, if they’re not running as much as I think they should, then they’re not going to play in my team.”
Reflecting on the defeat to Hibernian, Ferguson admitted the visitors showed more desire, saying, “I watched that Hibs team, who I thought wanted it more than us. And it hurts me to say that, but it is what it is.”
The interim coach emphasized the need for improvement, stating, “It’s my job now to go in and try and come up with a scenario that that won’t happen going forward. And I’ll tell you something: I’ll work hard at doing it. And I’ll make sure I do it.”
As Rangers prepare for Thursday’s Europa League showdown with Athletic Club at Ibrox, Ferguson acknowledged he had not yet fully assessed the Basque side but is aware of their quality. “Honestly, I’ve not watched them because I’m very much game to game,” he said. “But listen, I watch all types of football. I know they’re a quality team. But again, these are the games where you don’t need to really motivate people, because you’re in Europe. It’s a different kind of atmosphere. That doesn’t concern me.”
With a critical European tie ahead, Ferguson is determined to ensure Rangers bounce back and find a way to restore form in front of their home crowd.
Why is it,we can’t play on domestic front yet when it comes to europa league totally different,do the players have a switch on them,yesterday was absolutely disgusting.