Chris Sutton immediately reacts to Rangers penalty controversy vs Falkirk

Rangers must surely have had a slight scare in the first half against Falkirk on Wednesday.

The Gers have travelled to Falkirk Stadium on 2 September, with Derek McInnes making two changes to his starting lineup by bringing in Nicolas Raskin and Kosta Nedeljkovic.

Having won just one of their opening three games in the William Hill Premiership, the Light Blues can't afford to drop more points.

Having taken the lead early on, Falkirk made penalty claims against the Ibrox at around the half-hour mark after the ball hit Olwethu Makhanya's hand twice.

A VAR review did take place, but the officials seemed to agree with the on-field call of no penalty.

Home fans in the Falkirk Stadium were convinced they should've had a spot kick and Chris Sutton weighed in on it.

Should Falkirk have had penalty vs Rangers?

Rangers were defensively solid for the most part in the opening 45 minutes.

The backline of Nedeljkovic, Emmanuel Fernandez, Makhanya and James Penrice were hardly troubled by John McGlynn, and it was the former Aston Villa man's error that unfortunately led to an own goal.

While the ball did appear to hit Makhanya's hands twice, the first came after a deflection and another from a close-range effort.

Sutton didn't think there was anything unnatural about the South African defender's actions and claimed that penalising the centre-back would've been harsh.

Speaking during commentary on Sky Sports, Sutton said, "The first one, Makhanya's left arm, committed to the challenge. I don't know whether Falkirk are appealing for the first one or the second. But seems like a natural movement. It would've been harsh."

How Rangers now have clear plan under Derek McInnes

At the start of the season, the several formation and tactical changes from McInnes had left Rangers fans frustrated.

Supporters can now see a clear plan from the Gers and it involves being more direct.

Ivor Pandur chose to go long on occasions in the first half against Falkirk, with Lawrence Shankland clearly his intended target.

The ex-Hearts skipper has three willing runners to play in behind the Bairns' defence in Minsu Kim, Findlay Curtis and Djeidi Gassama.

When playing short, the goalkeeper and the defenders have gauged the Falkirk players in before quickly moving the ball forward.

Shankland's opener in the eighth minute came from precisely that.

McInnes' ideas are slowly starting to take shape at the Glaswegian outfit, and it will be interesting to see how they evolve.