Rangers: BBC pundit reacts to recent controversy involving Fabio Silva
Neil Lennon has issued an admission on the Fabio Silva penalty call which created controversy after the Rangers v Motherwell clash.
Gers ended up losing the game 2-1 at Ibrox on Saturday but James Tavernier’s penalty in the 60th minute restored parity in the contest for the time being.
However, there were claims that Motherwell defender Stephen O’Donnell, who clearly made contact with Silva, did not commit a foul inside the penalty area.
Speaking to PLZ Soccer Show, Lennon, a BBC pundit, said at 10:04: “Sometimes when you slow an incident down it looks far worse than what it is sometimes it is what it is it’s a red card or it is a penalty I just think the interpretation of the law sometimes confuses me and then when you’re making a debate of it they can twist the words or the ruling to whatever way they want for the outcome to be the correct one.
“I did think in the end it was sort of two going in for the challenge and O’ Donnell has caught Silva and it almost looked as if Silva had fallen into him, but when you see it again it looked like a penalty.
“Sometimes they get some of these big decisions incredibly wrong.”
Rangers were rightly given the penalty for a foul on Fabio Silva
This one was a clear penalty as O’Donnell made contact with Silva, impeding his progress and preventing him from making a legitimate attempt on goal.
The contact was sufficient to warrant a penalty according to the rules of the game.
However, Lennon’s point about the inconsistency of refereeing decisions is valid.
Referees’ interpretations of fouls and penalties can vary greatly, leading to confusion and debate among players, managers and pundits.
If referees applied the rules consistently across all matches, there would be less room for controversy and debate.
Inconsistencies in decision-making undermine the integrity of the game and can have significant consequences for the outcome of matches.
This discussion undoubtedly highlights the need for clearer guidelines and more consistent enforcement of the rules by match officials to ensure fairness and transparency in football.
In other Rangers news, John Bennett is now forced into Gers developments after a recent £67m Celtic revelation.
For more Rangers news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.