Forget Diomande And Raskin: Rangers Must Replace Jack Butland in January

Forget Diomande And Raskin: Rangers Must Axe ‘Disastrous’ Star And Buy Replacement In January

Phil is an experienced sports journalist, editor and content creator with more than nine years of experience in the industry.

This includes working for Football London, talkSPORT and Football Insider before returning to Give Me Sport in October 2025.

Phil is also an avid Middlesbrough fan and content creator. He runs Bonkers For Boro With Phil Spencer on YouTube, as well as hosting a weekly radio show on The Red, dedicated to Middlesbrough FC.

His first book was published in 2022, titled: “Everybody Round My House For A Parmo!” about Middlesbrough’s Carling Cup win in 2004 and the two-year adventure in the UEFA Cup under Steve McClaren.

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Rangers’ clash against Hearts on Sunday afternoon proved exactly why Danny Rohl needs to strengthen one key position in January. The Gers fell to a 2-1 defeat against the Jambos at Tynecastle in a costly blow for their Scottish Premiership title hopes. It means that the Glaswegian side are now 12 points behind Hearts, albeit with a game more to play.

A number of players failed to impress in Edinburgh, most notably en Mohamed Diomande and Nico Raskin, who left fans hugely frustrated with their ’empty jersey’ display. However, the afternoon was even worse for one star who endured an afternoon to forget.

Jack Butland Lets Rangers Down Again

While he wasn’t the only poor performer at Tynecastle, Jack Butland played a huge part in Rangers’ defeat against Hearts. With the Gers already 1-0 down, Butland endured a moment to forget as he allowed a Lawrence Shankland effort from a tight angle to squeeze through his arms and into the back of the net.

Jonny McFarlane, Head Of Sport at Newsquest Scotland, took to X after the incident and said: “Butland, no matter how well he’s playing, will always make three or four howlers a season. That’s a huge mistake at his near post to let that Shankland shot through him.”

In 90 minutes, Butland made just three saves, conceding two goals and was directly responsible for one goal. He completed just 64% of his passes and just 22% of his attempted long balls.

Rangers Need A Goalkeeping Upgrade

After Let’s Talk Rangers described his display as a ‘disaster’, Butland could find himself increasingly vulnerable at Ibrox. While he’s been a reasonably consistent performer at Ibrox this term, the 32-year-old has also been responsible for a number of errors that haven’t aided Rangers’ cause in the slightest.

While bolstering their outfield options may seem like a priority, a new goalkeeper would breed newfound confidence into a team who look way off the pace at the moment.

Sitting 12 points behind league leaders Hearts now, it seems like a tall order for Rangers to push themselves back into title contention, particularly given their inconsistent form. If they can enjoy a strong January transfer window, they may find themselves in a position where they’re able to compete again next term.