Referee Kevin Clancy and his VAR team may have made a huge mistake in the most recent Rangers game after Alfredo Morelos’ goal was controversially disallowed.
What’s the latest on VAR and Rangers?
In the Scottish Premiership on Saturday afternoon, the Ibrox outfit took on their biggest rivals Celtic away from home in what turned out to be a thrilling match.
The home side opened the scoring through Kyogo Furuhashi before James Tavernier pulled the scores level with a superb freekick.
However, the same man struck again for Celtic before Jota made it three and Rangers could not complete a comeback even though Tavernier scored once more to see the game finish 3-2.
However, things may well have ended much differently had referee Clancy not intervened when Morelos looked to have scored from a corner.
As footage shows, the Rangers man volleyed in from close range after outmuscling Alistair Johnston but the goal was ruled out.
Was it a foul on Johnston by Morelos?
Referee Clancy noticed the possible infringement and reacted quickly to blow his whistle before the striker could even really begin celebrating what would have been the opening goal of the game.
But the replays show that Johnston was essentially pushing Morelos just as much as he was being shoved, so it seems rather harsh to punish one and not the other.
The VAR team of Nick Walsh and Daniel McFarlane, however, – was no reason to overturn the referee’s decision. And so this has left the Ibrox club furious.
Indeed, it has since been reported by Sky Sports that Rangers will now write to the Scottish FA for an explanation as to why this first-half goal at Celtic Park was disallowed.
Manager Michael Beale certainly didn’t hide his frustration after the game either, as he told the press: “There are one or two decisions that I think have gone against us, so I’m a bit disappointed with that.
“Certainly, in terms of the goal Alfredo scores first half, their boy [Johnston] isn’t trying to play the ball and if you look at Alfredo’s shirt and the number on his back it’s twisted round to his left shoulder. That would prove that both were at it.”
