Rangers fans have never been conspiracy theorists and it was Michael Beale, but Don Robertson, who saw most of the criticism head his way.
The man in the middle had a relatively easy game in charge but still managed to get the big calls wrong.
What won’t help Rangers fans is that two former referees have backed calls that Michael Beale’s side were hard done to and that Don Robertson cost Kemar Roofe another goal.
Rangers and Michael Beale hard done to as referee gets it wrong
Des Roache and Steve Conroy were both elite level officials in the SPFL and are well positioned to comment on the controversy.
Conroy’s opinion is particularly valid given that he has openly admitted to being a Celtic fan in the past.
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As part of the @BehindWhistles and @RefWatchScotland X page, Roache and Conroy were on hand to explain why Robertson got it wrong – going as far as to call it as “dreadful”.
The biggest issue is that the whistler called the incident right in the first instance and hadn’t made a clear and obvious error that needed the intervention of VAR.
Not only that, but Cyriel Dessers hadn’t committed a foul either.
Unlike Alfredo Morelos against Borussia Dortmund in 2022, Dessers doesn’t interfere with the Celtic players attempts to play the ball, he just gets his body between him and the ball.
Rangers dropped points because Michael Beale got his tactics wrong not because Don Robertson didn’t do his job properly.
It didn’t help though.
Scoring the opening goal would have given Rangers something to build on and encouragement that they could go into the international break in front.
A lack of a clinical edge and a referee not doing his job has put paid to that though.