Where do you start if you wanted to revolutionise Scottish football? The number of teams in the top flight, the TV deal, the structure of reserve or academy football? The list is endless, but near the top is the treatment of players like Rangers own Todd Cantwell by referees.
The Gers playmaker has been fouled more times than any other for the Ibrox outfit despite having two mid to long-term injuries this campaign, one of which was caused by a clumsy tackle that went unpunished.
Scottish refereeing needs a reset in terms of training and consistency, it also needs to be brought up to the standards that Rangers see on the continent, when players like Todd Cantwell are protected – a point that the player himself has made.
Rangers talisman Todd Cantwell makes thinly veiled referee dig
Philippe Clement has spoken already about losing players to tackles and bout having them kicked off the park, and he is right.
Look at Ross McCausland, it looks like he is going to be carrying an injury until the end of the season now because of Dan Casey’s challenge at Ibrox that saw the young winger unable to continue.
Speaking at the time, the Rangers manager was clearly unhappy:
“These kind of tackles are just too dangerous for the game and you lose good players so I think it is a task also for the referees to protect the game and to protect players because this is too dangerous.”
Every week, Todd Cantwell is subjected to this type of treatment and seems to get more yellow cards for remonstrating than opponents do for the initial challenge.
When asked about the physicality of the Scottish game, he said, via The Scotsman:
“I think some of the tackles and some of the decisions are questionable. I have always found from my personal experience that the first tasty tackle should always be booked because it sets the tone and shows ‘you are not getting away with that’.
“The problem that I struggle with is the consistency of that because sometimes the tackle will be booked instantly and sometimes it won’t.
“Mine don’t tend to be yellow cards. It tends to be a yellow card for me if I am on the other side.”
How do Scottish referees need to adapt?
He’s right, there is still a strange phenomenon in the Scottish game that sees players get the first one free.
It’s not just the blatant ones like Casey’s either, it’s the professional fouls like pulling a player back that seems to equate to an immediate yellow if the offender has a Rangers shirt on but not when it is the other way around.
Just stick to the laws of the game, don’t let emotion or the scoreline or the David v Goliath nature of the occasion affect judgement – is it too much to ask?
Rangers have been without too many players due to traumatic injuries, look at Danilo, he’s missed most of the season due to two incidents that were typically Scottish.
The game is changing and we are being left behind, is it any wonder SPFL teams struggle so much on the rare occasion that they qualify for European football – it’s not the ‘90s anymore.
