Thompson blasts BBC Sportscene footage of Rangers incident vs Dundee – ‘I’m not having it’
Rangers saw their frustrating start to the new Premiership campaign continue when they were to a 1-1 draw by Dundee on Saturday.
Russell Martin’s side have been largely excellent so far in their Champions League qualifying campaign, but they have struggled to find their feet domestically, with a pair of disappointing draws the only thing to show for their efforts so far.
Martin is now the first Rangers boss since Graeme Souness to have gone winless in his first two league outings, and the 39-year-old will be desperate to secure his first Premiership win as quickly as possible.
Given the circumstances with Nasser Djiga’s sending off, the Gers did well to battle back and salvage a point, but they would certainly have been hoping to claim all three at the start of the afternoon.
Thompson thinks Gassama ‘threw himself’ for Rangers penalty
James Tavernier’s stoppage-time penalty rescued a point for Rangers, who had largely dominated proceedings without creating an abundance of chances.
This was concerningly similar to their performance against Motherwell on the opening day, where they toiled away in possession with little reward in terms of goalscoring opportunities.
| Stat | vs Dundee | vs Motherwell |
| Goals | 1 | 1 |
| xG | 2 | 0.83 |
| Shots on Target | 5 | 5 |
| Big Chances | 1 | 1 |
| Touches in Opposition Box | 46 | 33 |
| Possession | 76% | 62% |
The skipper’s penalty came from Djeidi Gassama, who is rapidly establishing himself as the go-to man to produce big moments for the Govan outfit.
Gassama got beyond his full-back and was brought down near the byline, which prompted referee Don Robertson to point to the spot and hand Rangers a late lifeline.
The decision was looked at by VAR, but was ultimately upheld, and Tavernier stepped up and converted with ease.
However, former Gers striker Steven Thompson made it clear that he doesn’t think the referee made the correct call, on Saturday’s edition of BBC Sportscene (10 August, 49:50).
“I’m not having it. I don’t think it is (a penalty),” Thompson said.
“I think Gassama plays for it; he feels contact and then throws himself.
“Yes, there’s a bit of contact between two players in the box, which you’d expect, but he feels it and throws himself to the ground.
“I’m surprised that VAR agreed that was a penalty kick.”
Martin needs first win vs St Mirren
The Rangers fans already showed signs of turning on Martin in the draw with Dundee, in what was a concerning 90 minutes for the new boss.
His substitutions were booed, and those who were present inside Ibrox at full-time certainly made their feelings known.
- Martin’s appointment was not with a particularly positive reaction
- His side appear on course to reach the play-off round of Champions League qualifying
- Rangers have gone winless in their first two league games for the first time since 1989
The 39-year-old will be delighted with what his side have produced in Europe so far, but their Premiership campaign is ultimately still the priority, and Rangers have left a lot to be desired so far.
Martin’s appointment has been controversial, and while it looked as though the Champions League results would buy him some time, the positivity from them will quickly wear off unless things improve on the domestic front.
The Gers now have to wait until 23 August to play St Mirren in their next Premiership outing, but it will be vital that they get three points, or the early pressure is only going to increase on the boss.
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