Rangers have far bigger problems than Jack Butland as Cammy Bell offers expert view on Kyogo Celtic derby goal
Cammy Bell has jumped to the defence of the Ibrox No1 and says he is one of their major assets
Celtic’s Kyogo Furuhashi scores against Rangers
Beleaguered Rangers boss Philippe Clement must feel like he’s got 99 problems.
But Cammy Bell insists his man in the sticks ain’t one. It’s recrimination time right now at Ibrox with everyone, including keeper Jack Butland, copping flak after Sunday’s disastrous derby defeat to Celtic. The former England man was beaten three times as Brendan Rodgers’ slick Celts stormed five points clear of Clement’s ragged Rangers. But it was the Hoops’ second of the day, a crisp, low Kyogo strike from 30 yards out which flew past Butland’s left hand, that has sparked this latest round of finger pointing.
Having been beaten into the same bottom corner by Dynamo Kyiv’s Oleksandr Pikhalyonok during Gers failed Champions League bid and a Robin Propper’s OG against Motherwell last month, as well as Adam Idah during last season’s 3-3 Old Firm thriller at Ibrox, there are fans starting to worry that Butland’s left-hand side is becoming a a major weak point in the Light Blues’ armour.
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But Bell has swatted away those claims, with the former Ibrox shot-stopper insisting it was a fleeting lose of positional sense that cost Butland dear at Parkhead. He told Record Sport: “For the goal on Sunday down to his left hand side from Kyogo, I don’t think he actually knew where he was, where his left-hand post was.
“I think he got lost in his box and so his positioning was out. I really don’t think that is one where you can say he was weak on his left-hand side. I just think it was down to poor positioning.
“He was just far too far over towards his right-hand post. Listen, you nit-pick at moments like this and go into the detail.
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“But Jack Butland is far being Rangers’ problem. In fact, for me he’s one of their major assets. He’s a brilliant goalkeeper and has shown that during his time in Scotland.
“Of course, when things start to go against you, there’s always question marks and folk ready to scrutinise things. But I think Rangers have got far bigger problems than worrying about Jack Butland.”
Cammy Bell
It says everything about the bleakness of the gloom hanging over Ibrox that even last year’s club player of the year, a man who was being talked about as the next to join Chris Woods, Andy Goram, Stefan Klos and Allan McGregor in the club’s list of legendary No1s, now faces the dreaded blame game.
“That’s just down to sheer frustration,” said Bell. “I’m sure Jack Butland will be as frustrated as all the fans. He had a brilliant season last year but even after that, I had some people ask me about the fact he had a couple of wobbles in pre-season.
“OK he wasn’t on top form in those instances but I think if you look back at the Hearts game on the opening day, he produced a couple of huge saves to keep a clean sheet at Tynecastle. He had another against Dynamo Kyiv over in Poland.
“So there’s been moments already this season where his class has helped Rangers and I don’t think there’s any blame to be assigned at Butland’s door. He’ll look at that Kyogo goal and know he was out of position. But that’s not something that he normally does so I think we can put that one down as a one-off mistake.”
The recent derby head to heads have become hugely one-sided in Celtic’s favour. Rodgers’ side have now won five of the last six Glasgow showdowns and drawn the other. Gers haven’t beaten their bitter rivals since May last year and even that was a dead rubber after then Parkhead gaffer Ange Postecoglou had watched his team wrap up the title.
You have to flick back to the April 2022 Scottish Cup semi-final to find the Light Blues’ last meaningful Old Firm victory and then search another six months beyond that for the last time they triumphed in a league clash, when Steven Gerrard was still in charge.
Clement has now had five cracks at Rodgers’ side without success but insists there’s no major gulf between the teams. Bell, though, believes the Belgian is miles out with that claim.
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“I think the talk of a gulf between the teams is fair,” he confessed. “What Celtic have done is got themselves a settled squad. The guys who’ve been there a while now all have the experience of what is required at a big club.
“Look at Nicholas Kuhn. He’s a different player to the one who was here last season. Yes it’s taken him time to adjust but now he’s flying and as a result, Celtic just look streets ahead of Rangers. It’s going to be interesting to see how the rest of Celtic’s new signings settle.
“It’s the same for the guys who have come into Rangers late in the window but to be honest, I do see a gulf in quality between the squads. It was a struggle on Sunday. There was such a big difference between the two teams on the pitch.
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“The intensity that Celtic played at, the quality they had on the ball, it was just far superior to what Rangers could produce. Rangers had a couple of promising moments early on but they couldn’t take them. Celtic on the other hand were just very ruthless. They were in total control for most of the game.
“It was a difficult watch and there were moments where I thought it could have ended up being more than three. There were some positives for Rangers. Connor Barron has had a good start to the season there and I thought he pe
rformed well again.
“But it’s going to take others in that team time to adjust. Celtic just have so much strength in depth with guys playing at the top of their game. Meanwhile, Rangers just look a good yard off Celtic.”
