Warnock hits back at what Sky host said about Motherwell v Rangers incident
Rangers cannot have any complaints about the referee not disallowing Apostolos Stamatelopoulos’ opener in the 2-2 draw with Motherwell on Sunday, according to Stephen Warnock.
Discussing some of the refereeing calls in the game at Fir Park on 29 December, former official Dermot Gallagher justified the decision to overlook the handball shouts against Stamatelopoulos in the leadup to his goal.
Sky Sports Scotland host Rob Wooton, though, thinks otherwise and insists that the goal should have been disallowed.
“He [Stamatelopoulos] almost caught it and showed it to all four corners of the ground, didn’t he? Let’s be honest”, Wooton said (30 December).
Warnock instantly hit back at Wooton and said: “That’s not handball. Where do you want him to put his hands?
“If he jumps there and he jumps like this [arms wide open] and it hits him, you go, ‘Fair enough’, but he jumps and sort of brings them into here [close to his body].
“Now, it hits there, I’m not saying it doesn’t hit his arm. Where do you want him to go?
“He is trying to make himself as small as he can and almost wants it to hit somewhere here. It’s not a handball.”
Philippe Clement cannot have complaints about Motherwell v Rangers incidents
The refereeing became a major talking point after the 2-2 draw between Motherwell and Rangers after the officials made a few big calls.
Apart from the Stamatelopoulos handball incident, the hosts had two goals ruled out for a foul on Jack Butland and offside in the second half.
Meanwhile, the Gers feel Lennon Miller should have been sent off for a reckless challenge on Oscar Cortes.
As for the handball incident, Neil McCann also thought the goal should have been disallowed.
Commentating the game on Sky Sports Football Live, the former Rangers man initially thought there was not enough to rule out the goal, but changed his stance upon viewing the footage again.
Gallagher and Warnock, though, have taken a different stance, insisting that Stamatelopoulos could not have done more to avoid putting his hands in an unnatural position.
Nevertheless, Philippe Clement, who is now under immense pressure ahead of Thursday’s (2 January) Old Firm derby at Ibrox, cannot have any complaints about dropping two more points in the title race.
In other Rangers news, Kris Boyd was surprised by what he saw the Light Blues players do at full-time against Motherwell.
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