Keith Hackett: Controversial footage shows big Rangers incident vs Dundee United was wrong
VAR should have intervened when Rangers were awarded a penalty at the death against Dundee United, according to a former FIFA referee.
Nedim Bajrami had to score from the spot in the 98th minute for Rangers to draw 2-2 at Tannadice on Wednesday night.
Jayden Meghoma‘s stunning long-range strike had cancelled out Zac Sapsford’s opener, but Amar Fatah’s 66th-minute goal looked to have taken the points.
Dundee United wanted a penalty for handball against Emmanuel Fernandez when the ball hit his arm from a throw in but it was waved away by referee David Dickinson before the late drama.
Keith Hackett disputes Rangers penalty award
Dickinson did blow his whistle deep into stoppage time when Max Aarons went down in the area from a challenge by Will Ferry.
The Rangers full-back had just got to a loose ball first in the box after Djeidi Gassama had headed it back into the danger zone from the byline.
However, former head of the PGMOL and ex-Premier League referee Keith Hackett didn’t feel that a foul had been committed and says the video assistant should have stepped in.
Speaking exclusively to Ibrox News he said: “This is not a penalty kick for me. Both players are making a genuine attempt to play the ball.
“I would have liked to have seen VAR intervention to enable the referee to have the opportunity of having a review of this incident.”
Late escape can’t mask latest missed opportunity for Rohl
Rangers may not have been beaten but a point is little use when Celtic appear to have righted the ship with five wins on the trot to eat up the gap to leaders Hearts.
Whatever opportunity might have been afforded the Light Blues with the disruption caused by Brendan Rodgers’ exit may already have disappeared, with Danny Rohl’s side dropping four more crucial points in the space of three days.
- Four wins from Rohl’s first four in the league
- Two draws since
A dismal goalless draw at home to Falkirk at the weekend were the first points dropped in the Scottish Premiership since the German had taken over, so immediately following that up with another draw, and one that will give the “penalty to Rangers” crowd plenty of new ammunition should have alarm bells ringing at Ibrox.
The European campaign was already dead on arrival when Rohl came in, and his first Old Firm derby in the Premier Sports Cup semi final ended in familiar defeat.
Rangers will have a huge eye on the January transfer window to fix the mess created earlier this year but a nine-point deficit to the Hoops already is starting to look ominous.
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