Dermot Gallagher reacts to controversial Rangers incident in 3-1 win v Dundee live on Sky Sports
Dermot Gallagher has suggested that the officials were right to award Rangers a penalty and send Jose Cifuentes off in the Light Blues clash with Dundee.
Philippe Clement’s side ran out 3-1 winners at Ibrox on Saturday 9 December, but were made to work hard for the three points in the second half after Cifuentes was shown a red card late in the first half following a VAR review.
While Rangers have decided to appeal the Ecuadorian midfielder’s dismissal, Gallagher believes that Cifuentes deserved a red card and also believed that Kevin Clancy was correct to give the Gers a penalty for a controversial foul on Abdallah Sima.
Discussing the penalty incident on Sky Sports (11 December) he said: “He just grabs hold of him too long. It is very apparent in the Premiership that anything like this is being penalised every week.”
Offering his verdict on Cifuentes’ red card, he said: “I think it is the way he has come in. He has almost stretched to make sure he gets on top of him. I think it is a red card. I don’t think there is any need to do that whatsoever.”
Mixed bag
Gallagher seems to be of the opinion that the two controversial decisions evened themselves out during the clash between Rangers and Dundee, with both teams getting one contentious call given their way over the course of the clash.
While the foul on Sima in the build-up to Rangers’ penalty had very minimal contact, there was enough contact between the two players for a penalty to be awarded when compared to the other decisions that have been made over the course of the Scottish Premiership season.
However, the red card for Cifuentes seems a little less cut and dry as the Ecuador international has caught Amadou Bakayoko but doesn’t seem to have shown any malicious intent to actually harm the Dundee forward.
But in the modern game, players need to be careful about how they enter challenges as it doesn’t take much contact these days to be given your marching orders. If Gallagher believes a red card was a fair call, it seems unlikely that the Gers will be able to overturn the decision via appeal.
In other Rangers news, Keith Jackson has made a new prediction involving Cyriel Dessers ahead of the clash with Real Betis