Death and taxes are said to be the only two certain things in life you can depend upon. Except it’s fast-becoming old hat in the world we now live. No, gone are those good old days of just expiration of the human condition and the powers that be demanding payment from your hard-earned wages. For we can now count theRangers getting a penalty to that small, yet accurate list.
This truism within Scottish footballing circles is so well-known, even those outside have started to catch on to how the rules go inside our parochial little land. Those statistical analysis buffs amongst us have already debunked the myth that it’s just an anomaly or that “these things tend to even themselves out” and since the introduction of VAR back in October 2022, one club has benefited tremendously from decisions.
Phillipe Clement, since he has come into Scottish football, has been aided consistently and openly by the officials operating the VAR technology, which has kept his side afloat in the title race. They received another decision yesterday from Andrew Dallas on VAR, when he sent the referee, Matthew MacDermid, to the monitor to look again at a potential handball by one of the Ross County players during a bit of chaos in the home side’s penalty area.
As is always the case, the referee duly obliged and theRangers were once again gifted another way out of trouble in a Scottish Premiership match. Thankfully, the Staggies managed to hold on and claim a thoroughly deserved three points against a team that looks as if it’s on its last legs. There was very nearly a sting in the tale however, as that dubious penatly call could have seen Clement’s side get a lifeline when they didn’t merit a thing from that fixture.
We often complain about these decisions when they win through poor officiating, so it’s only right we highlight it when they lose. Earlier in the match, Connor Goldson was up to his old tricks and used his hand to make contact with the ball, in an instance not all that dissimilar for the penalty call that Andrew Dallas conviently flagged from the VAR room. It’s a quite remarkable run now that Clement and his team are on, having been awarded 17 penalties in 24 games since he took over at Ibrox.
Let’s play Spot the Difference…
📺It was given after a VAR check for handball.
Watch the decision here ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/rJn86oZMHZ
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) April 14, 2024
Ross County with a penalty shout for a handball by Goldson.
Not given.
Referee not asked to look at the screen. pic.twitter.com/fDcF5wSD3A— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) April 14, 2024
Paul Gillespie
Yet another let off for theRangers where Dallas is selective in what he sees but more importantly what he chooses not to see. Yet another SFA appointed official who should never be allowed anywhere near any football match. VAR technology in theory is sound but its interpretation by match officials that’ s questionable at best and at worst manipulated through loyalty to one particular team??
Agree 100% but we have only ourselves to blame by putting up with it ,we had a first class opportunity to call the cheats at the sfa and ref committee out at Rodger’s hearing but we accepted a one match ban from the dugout , it will never change unless we do something about it , doesn’t seem like our board have the fight in them to do that
Nothing that we haven’t known for years but thanks to VAR they can have no excuses or denial of their bias , VAR hasn’t yet stopped their cheating but it certainly highlights it and puts it in the spotlight for ALL to see , Hail hail .
Knowing something and doing something about it are two different things. All the SFA’s talk about VAR and clarity is exactly that, All meaningless talk