Dermot Gallagher has weighed in on a controversial moment during the clash between Hearts and Rangers at Tynecastle.
Rangers secured a relatively comfortable 3-1 victory over Hearts, extending their lead over Aberdeen to an impressive 18 points, though they remain 13 points behind Celtic.
The win was aided by two own goals from Jamie McCart and a strike from Vaclav Cerny, but it wasn’t without its share of drama, particularly in the latter stages of the match.
Rangers controversy v Hearts:
With the score tied at 1-1, Hearts believed they had a strong case for a penalty when James Wilson appeared to be fouled in the box by Clinton Nsiala. However, referee John Beaton dismissed the appeals and allowed play to continue.
Former Premier League referee Gallagher acknowledged that Beaton’s view of the incident was obstructed, making it difficult for him to award the foul. He also suggested that the incident didn’t meet the threshold for VAR intervention.
Speaking on Sky Sports Ref Watch [17 February], Gallagher said: “The referee, if you see his starting position, we can’t see him in the picture because he’s way behind after being caught on the break.
“Whether he thinks it’s a foul or not, we can’t tell because the player is between. There is a little push there. Is there enough to give a penalty?
“We can see the referee coming into the picture there. He’s got what I call a ‘down the barrel view’. He can’t see that. It goes to VAR and they will say ‘Well, it doesn’t meet the threshold’.”
Philippe Clement survives another game at Rangers:
Despite a season that looks unlikely to yield any major success, Philippe Clement remains in charge at Ibrox.
A surprising 1-0 defeat to Queen’s Park ended any hopes of domestic silverware, leaving the Europa League as Rangers’ only remaining chance of glory this season.
Given the team’s struggles this campaign, success in Europe seems improbable, especially with Clement still at the helm.
For now, the Rangers hierarchy appear to be delaying any decision on Clement’s future until the end of the season, at which point they will face a significant choice.
Given the disappointing nature of Rangers’ campaign, the decision may ultimately be a straightforward one.
