James McFadden and Kris Boyd clash live on Sky Sports on first-half penalty not given to Rangers at Dundee United
James McFadden and Kris Boyd clashed over the decision not to award Rangers a penalty for handball in the first half at Dundee United.
Charlie Mulgrew cleared a ball in the Tangerines box into his teammate Ross Graham’s arm early in the match but referee Bobby Madden ignored claims for a penalty and waved play on.
The potentially guilty party then went on to head the hosts into the lead when Graham out-muscled Filip Helander to score, and despite Joe Aribo’s wonderful equaliser in the second-half, Gers were ultimately frustrated into dropping more points in the title race as the game finished 1-1.
The two Sky Sports pundits argued over the decision at half time with Boyd saying: “Not every handball is a penalty kick in the box, but it has travelled a long way. I think there’s time to get your hand totally out of the way.
“There’s no doubt it hits his hand. It’d be interesting, I’ll say it again, if VAR was in Scottish football what would happen?”
McFadden sitting next to him jumped in with: “No penalty for VAR.”
“Well I knew you would’ve say that,” responded Boyd.
Three-time Motherwell man McFadden made his argument against a penalty: “No it’s not, because his arm’s not out. It’s by his side, he’s trying to move his arm out the way. It’s not an unnatural position, he’s not made his body bigger”.
Ex-Ger Boyd argued back: “So if it’s by his side why does he need to pull it away? If it’s a natural position you can just leave it!”
The two did agree on one thing however as McFadden insisted: “If that was in the other box you’d be saying the same.”
“100%” came the Gers man’s reply.
Missed opportunities
As a situation created without any involvement from the Light Blues attackers it certainly looked like there was enough there for a penalty award.
It was the kind of handball that any team conceding a spot kick for it would be feeling extremely unlucky, but probably not arguing too heavily.
That didn’t stop the two former Scotland internationals finding plenty to argue about on it, and for what it’s worth Derek McInnes sided with McFadden in the end.
It was the kind of game where Gers needed a bit of luck in a situation like that, as there were not at their full attacking sharpness.
Unlike the blistering 4-2 victory in Dortmund on Thursday, and perhaps because of it, they only managed to get three attempts on target out of a massive 29.
And with Fashion Sakala also unlucky not to be given a penalty in the second half it was an afternoon of missed opportunities for Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men, with both themselves at fault and arguably the officials.
The Ibrox men were left ruing more dropped points as Celtic secured a late victory over Dundee.
In other Rangers news, McFadden could not believe a Light Blues attacker didn’t find a winner during one late incident.