Nick Walsh found himself at the center of controversy once again as Rangers suffered a 2-1 defeat to Motherwell at Ibrox on Saturday.
Barry Ferguson watched as his Rangers side fell to the loss in the Scottish Premiership, with Cyriel Dessers scoring a second-half consolation goal.
Dessers believed he had netted the equalizer, but Danilo was ruled offside, despite uncertainty over whether he made contact with the ball. After the assistant referee raised his flag, VAR upheld the decision, with Michael Stewart suggesting that the technology would have backed the decision if Danilo had been initially judged onside.
Keith Hackett noted that it’s better to have a questionable offside decision than a questionable goal, agreeing with the disallowance of the goal. Hackett, an ex-FIFA referee, emphasized that, in the absence of clear evidence, the original decision should stand.
“The key issue for the officials, including VAR, is whether the attacking player deliberately played for the ball and whether there was contact,” Hackett told Ibrox News. “Given the doubt over deliberate play and contact, I would have expected the goal to be ruled out for offside. In my view, a doubtful offside is preferable to a doubtful goal. The right decision was to back the assistant referee’s call.”
Ferguson has had a tough time with one of the most fragile Rangers squads ever seen at Ibrox. There’s a lack of fight or determination to string together consistent victories, with the team buckling under the slightest pressure — which is truly shocking.
Rangers’ Last Five Results:
1 March: Motherwell (H) L 1-2
26 February: Kilmarnock (A) W 4-2
22 February: St Mirren (H) L 0-2
16 February: Hearts (A) W 3-1
19 February: Queen’s Park (H) (Scottish Cup R5) L 0-1
Arguing over a potential goal that would have only earned a point against Motherwell sums up the current state of affairs. These are the kinds of teams Rangers should be dominating with ease, but that’s simply not happening, and the club seems on track for another season of mediocrity at Ibrox.
Rangers controversy examined as ex-FIFA referee reacts to what Michael Stewart said
