Domestic football returned with a bang at the weekend and, just as quickly, so did the narrative that big, bad Rangers get all the refereeing decisions in Scottish football, almost as if Celtic get none at all.
We all know that this isn’t true though and the most recent fixtures have proved what we already know, if Philippe Clement is to win the league, he will have to do it the hard way with a squad far from his choosing.
Rangers late penalty call against Aberdeen was one that was entirely justified, it was a clear and obvious miss by Nick Walsh so why is that decision, and not the almost identical penalty in Celtic’s draw with Motherwell and a clear red card not the talking point?
Rangers penalty call deflecting from lucky Celtic referee breaks
What should be the focus of attention, is how referees consistently seem to miss Rangers players being fouled in the penalty box and VAR has to intervene, instead though, it is about how we have “benefitted” from a correct call.
If Barry Robson has any complaints, he should aim them at Stefan Gartenmann who thought it was a good idea to pull Connor Goldson’s shirt.
Which was exactly the type of foul that Calum Butcher committed when he was adjudged to have pulled back Mikey Johnston at Parkhead.
It was a penalty, if it was a similar incident involving Rangers you’d be screaming for one, Celtic got the penalty they deserved – if anything though, it was softer.
But there has been no outcry over the award – and rightly so, because it is the perfect example of VAR in use as it was at Pittodrie.
What is frustrating, is the lack of attention being shone on Greg Taylor for a tackle that was high, late, reckless and endangering an opponent, ticking pretty much every box for a red card.
It was a decision that left Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell fuming:
“And I am looking at Blair Spittal’s shin, he has a huge gash halfway up from a challenge from Greg Taylor, who I don’t think is a dirty player, he is a very good player.
“There doesn’t seem to be any look at that, it’s a yellow card. People think we are insane by criticising and saying is that one not worth a look?
“I looked at the challenge again and I think it’s a bad one.”
Put it this way, had a Rangers player committed it and got away with it, we’d never hear the end of it, after all, look at the treatment Todd Cantwell is getting.
You’d think he was the only player to have dived in the SPFL this weekend, and we all know he wasn’t.
It’s almost like there is a potentially pivotal Rangers v Celtic game on the horizon….
