Jack Butland, of course, was the one who had to shoulder most of the blame as Motherwell consigned Rangers to a third straight Ibrox defeat and ruined Barry Ferguson’s homecoming on Saturday.
Andy Halliday, the boyhood Rangers fan lining up against his former club in the heart of the Motherwell midfield, turned his back and began jogging towards the centre circle once Butland had come to claim a visiting corner.
So Halliday did not even see the goal which put Kevin Wimmer’s side ahead with just nine minutes on the clock. In fact, he wouldn’t see it until half an hour after full-time on Saturday afternoon.
And when the veteran midfielder finally did witness the latest Rangers defensive calamity with his own eyes, Halliday was left with rather mixed feelings. Delighted to be part of an upwardly-mobile Motherwell side putting relegation fears behind them with a second Ibrox victory in two years, but also baffled as to how the club he loves so dearly could once again contrive to concede a goal in such bizarre circumstances.
Cyriel Dessers started the clown show off with a poor touch which gifted possession back to Motherwell. Then, the much-and-understandably-maligned Robin Propper was caught ambling absent-mindedly out of his own penalty area, thus playing the visiting attackers onside. Gordon Dalziel hammered the ‘terrible’ Propper as Rangers gifted Kilmarnock a 2-0 lead as well a few days earlier, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep the faith with the former FC Twente captain.
To cap it all off, Butland then spilled a weak shot at the feet of a grateful Luke Armstrong.
A mistake reminiscent of his stoppage-time blunder to gift Celtic the Scottish Cup trophy a year ago. A mistake which has many Rangers fans clamouring for Liam Kelly to take Jack Butland’s place, starting with Thursday’s Europa League last-16 clash against Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.
Andy Halliday baffled by Rangers errors as Motherwell win at Ibrox
“There is a catalogue of errors within it,” Halliday says. “Dessers with his initial touch on the breakaway. I think Robin Propper’s role in the goal is horrendous, especially for a guy of his experience and his age. Going out the box playing two players onside…
“I never actually saw the goal until 5.30. I was jogging back thinking Jack Butland is just going to put his hat on it! I think it’s one of those goals that I can only imagine the amount of households collectively watching that goal saying; ‘I would have saved that’.
“Because, when I saw it, I couldn’t understand it! As soon as I’ve seen the shot, I’ve turned round and ran back to defend what I thought was going to be a counter-attack.
“For a guy who was exceptional for Rangers last year – and he was exceptional – I cannot believe how poor a season he’s having with some of the errors he’s made.”
Jefte makes life all too easy as Motherwell ruin Barry Ferguson’s homecoming
Only a few months back, Butland was just about everybody’s pick when asked to name the stand-out shot-stopper in the Premiership. But a truly abysmal run of form since Christmas – he gave away a penalty in a loss to St Mirren and then put through his own net at Old Trafford – means a man nailed on to the Rangers teamsheet not so long ago can no longer be quite so secure in his starting role.
The same can maybe said of Jefte. Another who has cost Rangers dear with some bizarro blunders in recent weeks.
Former Gers full-back Alan Hutton is urging Barry Ferguson to drop Jefte in Istanbul, with the versatile Ridvan Yilmaz the most likely candidate to take his place.
Jefte was caught high up the pitch as Tom Sparrow very nearly doubled Motherwell’s lead. And his positioning to leave Sparrow free on later in the half – this time the Motherwell midfielder did finish – will have left even Under-10s coaches shaking their heads in disbelief.
“He narrows up but, because he doesn’t check his shoulder, he then goes to step out to the ball,” Halliday explains, Jefte square on and almost positioned at centre-half as Sparrow again popped up on the right.
“It’s a simple ball inside and then Tom ends up one-v-one.”
