When is a stonewall penalty not a stonewall penalty? When it is awarded to Rangers of course, as was the case with Abdallah Sima’s on Saturday against Dundee according to James McFadden.
There has yet to be any pundit say that Aaron Donnelly didn’t pull the Gers forward and impede his chances of scoring but what we have seen is some incredible takes to try and justify not giving it.
Michael Stewart went as far as to say that it was a soft penalty for Rangers because Abdallah Sima was pulled down the way – work that one out – but, on BBC’s Sportscene James McFadden has gone one further.
Rangers penalty given bizarre James McFadden analysis
At every corner and set-piece, there will be pushing and shoving, almost every player does it and Ibrox at the weekend was no different.
But the directive is clear for the referees.
If a player is impeded or if a defender is making no attempt for the ball and continues to pull an attacker then it is a penalty.
Clancy had a shocker and it was clear that manager Philippe Clement wasn’t happy with him after the game.
However, this is what McFadden had to say about the penalty awarded to Rangers for the blatant pull on Abdallah Sima:
“I think when you see the full incident, both of them are at it for me. Sima and Donnelly, they’re both at it.
“It’s as soon as Donnelly goes down onto the knee you see the pull of the shirt and that’s what the referee is looking at but I think it’s six of one and half a dozen of the other.”
Let me get this right, what McFadden is saying, incredibly, is that he wouldn’t give a penalty for a player attempting to win the ball when a defender is on one knee and pulling them to the ground?
He even explains why the penalty is given.
Any other team than Rangers and James McFadden calls this as it is – a stonewall penalty.
For the third goal, Sima showed what can happen when he isn’t impeded when attempting to score with his head.
It’s strange for a former attacker to side with a defender committing such an obvious foul and it’s almost as if he wants the Rangers squad to be treated differently to others, I can only wonder why?
