This is why VAR may have left Lawrence Shankland controversy in Rangers loss vs Hearts
Rangers were woeful as they were beaten by Hearts at Ibrox, with Russell Martin and more refereeing controversy taking over.
Lawrence Shankland was linked with Rangers in the summer, but the striker stayed at Hearts and punished Rangers as he scored both goals in the 2-0 defeat.
The striker found the bottom corner in the first half before scoring the rebound from a penalty in the second, and Jack Butland could not prevent either goal.
There was controversy over both goals, and Martin was adamant that the first one should have been ruled out for handball, but the decision has now been possibly explained.
Neil McCann explains VAR decision over Lawrence Shankland
Shankland’s first goal at Ibrox was checked by VAR as there were accusations that the striker had handballed in the build-up play leading to his finish.
The ball appeared to ricochet off his arm at speed during a Hearts counter-attack after some poor defending by Nasser Djiga.
However, speaking live on BBC Sportscene on 13 September, Neil McCann explained why VAR potentially chose not to intervene and rule the goal out.
| Minutes | 89 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Shots | 4 |
| Passes | 20/31 |
| XG | 1.09 |
“That there looks as if it’s caught him on the armband,” McCann stated when viewing a close-up replay of the alleged handball.
“I don’t think it’s clear enough for VAR to overturn it when they looked at it, and I think that’s why the goal stood.”
Lawrence Shankland goal rightfully stood
While VAR harshly ruled against Rangers over a disallowed goal, there can be little complaint about Shankland’s goal despite Martin trying to deflect the blame to the referee.
The counter-attack saw the ball fly onto Shankland’s armband, above his shirt-sleeve, and this was not a clear and obvious handball.
The bigger concern for Rangers was the counter-attack itself. Djiga’s poor header gave possession to Hearts, and Mohamed Diomande just stopped tracking Shankland’s run when he got into the box, allowing him acres of space to finish.
These defensive mishaps and laziness highlight how poor Rangers are out of possession under Martin, and this needs to be resolved immediately.
The Rangers players are clearly not playing to their full capacity, and the difference in work-rate between the two sides was epitomised by Shankland’s determined running and Diomande’s lack of defensive tracking.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Rangers news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @ibroxnews247