Rangers unlucky not to get penalty in 1st half v Dundee Utd – BBC Sportsound pundit
Giovanni van Bronckhorst could be forgiven for feeling aggrieved at not seeing Rangers given a penalty in the first half against Dundee United.
Charlie Mulgrew’s clearance for the home side hit fellow defender Ross Graham on its way out of the penalty area and it looked stonewall.
Rangers players and fans appealed profusely but nothing was given by the officials despite the obvious contact with Graham’s arm.
BBC Sport pundit Derek Ferguson couldn’t believe a spot-kick wasn’t given by referee Bobby Madden as he too thought it was a certain penalty.
“That looks a penalty kick to me. It hits his arm,” Ferguson said, as quoted on the BBC Sport website. “Bobby Madden will maybe come out with the excuse that his arm wasn’t out-stretched, but where was the ball travelling to, was it a Rangers player?”
Graham went on to score the opening goal from a corner after half an hour to give Dundee United a surprise lead at Tannadice.
Stonewall
It was incredibly surprising to see Madden not point to the spot for the offence and even more surprising that no officials seem to contest it.
The referee could have been forgiven for having his view obscured by the onrushing Rangers player in his eye line but the linesman should have had a clear view at it.
Referees can sometimes be too singled out in decisions but the linesmen and even fourth officials need to remember that they can make a decision on fouls too.
They might be best placed to make that decision so leaving everything to the referee is a cowardly stance to take.
It would have been the perfect way to settle the nerves for Rangers who were perhaps a little slow to start after their stunning 4-2 win away at Borussia Dortmund on Thursday.
van Bronckhorst won’t be too worried at not getting the decision as they grew into the game to dominate the majority of the half.
In other Rangers news, Aaron Ramsey’s absence from the matchday squad has been revealed along with an update on his fitness for the return leg against the Bundesliga side.