Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland delivered a brutally honest assessment of his team's performance after a calamitous 2-1 defeat to AS Roma left their Europa League campaign teetering on the brink of elimination.
Costly Defensive Lapses Prove Fatal
The Ibrox side's European aspirations suffered a devastating blow as defensive mistakes gifted the Italian giants victory on Scottish soil. Butland didn't mince words when analysing what went wrong for Philippe Clement's side.
'We shot ourselves in the foot with sloppy errors,' the England international admitted. 'At this level, against opponents of Roma's quality, you simply cannot afford to give away cheap goals and expect to get anything from the match.'
Europa League Hopes Hanging by a Thread
The defeat leaves Rangers staring down the barrel of early European elimination, with their fate now largely out of their hands. The Glasgow club must rely on other results going their way while producing a near-perfect finish to their group stage campaign.
Butland's frustration was palpable as he reflected on what might have been: 'We had opportunities to take something from this game, but individual mistakes at crucial moments cost us dearly. The dressing room is absolutely devastated.'
What Next for Clement's Rangers?
The result represents a significant setback for manager Philippe Clement, who had been building momentum since taking charge. Questions will now be asked about Rangers' ability to compete at the highest European level, with defensive vulnerabilities exposed by Roma's clinical finishing.
As Rangers pick up the pieces from this damaging defeat, Butland's words echo around Ibrox: 'We need to learn from this quickly and show character in our remaining matches. The margin for error is now zero.'
