Philippe Clement is never one to single out his individual Rangers players.
When he has done so, it’s usually in response to journalists but the focus has always been on the collective whether the club wins or loses.
One player however who Philippe Clement has only ever spoken about in glowing terms is undisputed Rangers number one Jack Butland.
But it was the Rangers goalkeeper who found himself at the centre of Celtic’s painful Scottish Cup winner when he fumbled a long-range shot into the path of Adam Idah.
It’s a moment which capped a terrible week for the Englishman but come full time Belgian manager Clement was in no mood for piling on.
Clement defends ‘unlucky’ Butland
Asked about Jack Butland following the defeat to Celtic, Philippe Clement defended the Rangers goalkeeper.
Claiming that there wasn’t much more the stopper could’ve done given the pace of the shot, the Belgian branded the goalie ‘unlucky’ come the final whistle.
Butland has been on immense form for Rangers this season and but for a string of world class saves at crucial moments, we might’ve been out of the running in several competitions before we were.
“No I don’t think (Butland could’ve done better),” said Clement. “It is a really difficult shot.
“Jack was in the rest of the game really good, and Joe Hart was really good.
“So, no. I don’t think. You can always say details and he should have pushed the ball to the side but this ball was really going like that. That is an unlucky moment.”
Bad week for Rangers goalkeeper
The comments from Clement came at the end of a particularly bad week for Jack Butland.
Not only had Rangers fluffed their Scottish Premiership lines but Butland was also left out of the England squad for Euro 2024.
Despite Gareth Southgate attending the Old Firm derby at Ibrox, the Rangers stopper failed to work his way into the Three Lions squad.
That’s despite a series of injuries in the position down south with Southgate preferring out-of-form Premiership duo Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal) and James Trafford (Burnley).
If Jack Butland can’t get in the England squad despite the injury situations of Nick Pope (Newcastle) and Sam Johnstone (Crystal Palace), then it’s quite clear he’ll never get in it whilst at Rangers.
With the Ibrox side closing in on a deal for Liam Kelly, the situation certainly brings into sharp focus the future of the keeper.
But in the meantime, any notion that Butland fluffed his lines v Celtic has been swatted away by Philippe Clement who branded the stopper indispensable only a few weeks ago.
