Derek McInnes blasts ‘Nasty’ challenge on Scott Wright in Rangers v Malmo
Derek McInnes has defended the referee for not sending off Malmo’s Niklas Moisander in their 2-1 win over Rangers on Tuesday.
In the second half of the Champions League qualifier in Sweden, Scott Wright was wiped out by a high and strong challenge by the Malmo defender.
However, he avoided a red card and although McInnes feels it was a strong challenge and may have been a sending off if VAR was involved, it was the correct call.
“You’ve seen this down south when it turns to VAR and it sometimes looks worse when you look at it and look at it again,” said McInnes on Premier Sports on Tuesday after the match.
“Personally, I don’t think it is a red but it’s a nasty challenge. I think Scotty sees it and rides it just about. But those types of challenges just down the road, we’ve seen that and the referee looks at it back at VAR, they can be a red card.”
Alan Hutton then added: “It looks dangerous every time I see it. When your studs are high and it’s forceful, you do run the risk of being sent off.
“At first glance I said orange, but after seeing it again and again, you could pick up a red for that.”
Definitely a red
Was it high? Yes. Was it out of control? Yes. Was it a dangerous challenge to Wright? Absolutely yes.
We’re absolutely baffled as to why Moisander was not sent off for the challenge and a red card could have played a major role in the outcome of the game.
Steven Davis’ late goal gives the Gers a lifeline going into the second leg at Ibrox but an extra boost would have been played a good chunk of that first leg against 10 men with a player also set to be suspended for the next meeting.
Wright rode the challenge well, as McInnes said. But that should not take anything away from how reckless it was and how it could have seriously injured the former Aberdeen player.
We’re really disappointed McInnes hasn’t hit out stronger at Moisander.
Wright is his former player and he’s also an ex-Ger. Instead, he’s tried to sit on the fence, which really isn’t a great look when someone could have been seriously injured.
At least Hutton was a bit more emphatic with his verdict.
In other Rangers news, there was also a moment of controversy in the first half in Malmo.