Jack Butland: Rangers are still in title race – but must start closing gap soon

Jack Butland believes Rangers still have William Hill Premiership title aspirations but admits improvement in performances has to be immediate.

The Light Blues finished Saturday night 11 points behind leaders Celtic after coming from behind to draw 1-1 with Dundee United at Ibrox earlier in the day.

Jim Goodwin’s men were held up by traffic problems on their way to Ibrox which eventually put the kick-off back 55 minutes before the visitors took a first-half lead through striker Sam Dalby.

Frustrated Gers fans booed their side off at the interval but they levelled in the 66th minute through a well-worked goal from winger Vaclav Cerny.

Rangers did close the gap behind second-placed Aberdeen to eight points after the Dons lost 2-1 at St Mirren but Celtic moved three points clear at the top with a thumping 4-1 win over Hearts at Tynecastle.

Butland was asked if he still believed Rangers were in a title race and the 31-year-old goalkeeper replied: “People might not think that. You won’t catch us not thinking that.

“The reality, we know what it looks like. We know we need to perform better if we want to be in a title race.

“By no means are we out of it, but we’ve given ourselves way too much to do at this point.

“We need to start closing that gap and performances like that aren’t going to help us.”

Pressure intensified on manager Philippe Clement but Butland insists everyone at the Govan club has to “stick together”.

He said: “It’s part and parcel of it. It’s on all of us. If you’re not winning at Rangers, it’s on all of us.

“Ultimately, the manager faces that and he has to face that more than any of us, but it’s on us all.

“We’re not going to be pointing fingers. We’ve got to stick together.

“Completely understand the fans’ frustration, rightly so, they turn up and support us everywhere we go.

“Horrible conditions, great conditions, whatever it may be, they expect to see more. That’s not just on the manager, that’s on all of us.”

There is no respite for Rangers who travel to play Nice in the Europa League on Thursday night and Butland is looking for an uplift in form.

He said: “That’s the reality of it. If it’s not today, it’s the next game, and it needs to happen. We’ve done it at times, and at times it’s not enough.

“I’m not going to go into excuses. I’m not going to make excuses for anyone and anything. It’s just got to happen.

“It’s got to happen. I’m sure you’re sick of asking the questions, we’re sick of having to answer them, but we’re putting ourselves in a position to have to answer them.

“Performances and results are the only way it’s going to give those fans encouragement.”

Butland insists the demands at Rangers need to be recognised and recognised quickly by the squad.

He said: “I hope so. I hope so. It’s something that we try and reinforce all the time.

“If the building and the training ground aren’t reminders of the success, then I don’t know what can be.

“It’s not like any other club. It’s a special place, and it demands it all the time, day in, day out, from us all.

“That’s what it needs to be. I think for most, it’s been there the whole time. Others, if they haven’t learned it, they need to learn it quick.

“That’s on guys like me, and everybody, to step up and do better, because that’s what the shirt deserves.”