Is the request for "clarification" working ?

[craig 5,199]

Before I start this is NOT an excuse for us losing today. I still felt we were comfortable up until the point that McCulloch was, in my opinion harshly, sent off. We were poor for the remainder of the first half but I thought we were probably the better team in the 2nd half even being a man short.

 

The real thrust of this though is that it seems to me, possibly through blue tinted specs, that any contentious decision since last season's cringe-worthy constant seeking of "clarification" from our oppressed "friends" from the East side of Glasgow has gone against us. That agenda has been driven not only by Celtic but also by a media more than happy to tag along for the ride.

 

Just one instance is the quite extraordinary treatment of Aluko who was deemed to have "dived" - even that one wasnt as clearcut as some would have us believe. Yes he went down easily but was it any more easily than the "injury" that Carey suffered today when he went down as if he was shot by a sniper from the grassy knoll ?

 

I wonder what will be deemed more newsworthy ? The manner in which the player went to ground with barely a touch (the same player who had went through McCulloch minutes earlier) or will we see a "McCulloch in violent conduct sending off" ? I reckon that little will be made of the harshness of the decision and neither will the St Mirren player be treated like a Leper due to simulation. Because, lets be honest, there was probably as much contact on Aluko as there was on Carey. But you wont read about it in the media that Carey "did one" on McCulloch.

 

I was also pretty sure that Carey had a FK given against him for a tug on someone in the 1st half (or was it a foul) and he escaped a 2nd red, whilst Goian received his marching orders for two tugs of the shirt (I am NOT saying Goian shouldnt have went, but where is the consistency ?).

 

Another reason that the agenda seems to be working is that, in the second half, Aluko got into the box and quite clearly received contact after pushing the ball past the defender, but he is now in the position that he has been branded a cheat and he felt he couldnt go to ground. Now, again it would have been a soft penalty, but there was as much contact on Aluko in that challenge as there was from McCulloch on Carey that saw the former see a red card brandished.

 

Then, over in the East End, apparently Celtic scored their opener 2 minutes into ONE minute of added on time... Interesting. Then at the end the commentators are openly wondering how there could be so much time added on when Celtic were floundering. Again, interesting. Why no complaints about the additional time at the start of the 2nd half ?

 

It just seems all too convenient that when there is a contentious decision right now that the benefit of the doubt seems to be going to whoever Rangers are playing against.

 

We have for long and weary taken the moral high ground in all of this and it seems that the overtly underhand tactics of Celtic, ably assisted by their puppets in the media, have found a way of ensuring that refs will see a 50:50 decision and base their decision on the colour of a shirt.

 

Am I being paranoid ? Quite possibly, but it does seem that we are not receiving our share of luck in refereeing decisions.

 

Or... it could just be that Scottish refs are shite. My money is on a combination to be fair.

[Danny 0]

You only notice the calls which go against you. No fan makes a deal of a break their side got.

 

Personally I think our refs are poor, but I don't blame them for today. We've been sliding for a long time and today was another symptom of that.

[juffery 0]

I don't think that Scottish refs are any better or worse than anywhere else. Plenty of honking decisions in the EPL, la Liga etc every week.

[BrahimHemdani 1]

I think that you are correct that Carey was fortunate not be sent off after receiving a yellow card but so was Davis for a bad tackle from behind late on. You can argue that both were soft decisions - but McCulloch and Goian were both rightly sent off. McCulloch realised that right away, when he put his head in his hands/shirt and Goian was caught out by players going past him and held them back, both automatic yellows these days.

 

I don't think there's a conspiracy against Rangers any more than there ever was one against Celtic.

 

Our refs are highly regarded in Europe, especially Thomson and Collum and (with the possible exceptions above) I found it hard to fault McLean today.

[54andcounting 0]

As like everyone else is saying, I agree with the red cards today, but the Aluko thing was ridiculous - if simulation is an automatic 2 game ban, then there should be around 10 players every week receiving a ban.

 

Is it simulation in the penalty box only? Surely not?

[BrahimHemdani 1]

As like everyone else is saying, I agree with the red cards today, but the Aluko thing was ridiculous - if simulation is an automatic 2 game ban, then there should be around 10 players every week receiving a ban.

 

Is it simulation in the penalty box only? Surely not?

 

That is a very good point, simulation is simulation wherever it takes place on the filed of play; but inside the box IS more serious because the object is to win a penalty, which most often results in a goal.

 

(Anyone know the percentages of successful penalty kicks for us, SPL, etc etc)

 

I also agree that a 2 game ban (the equivalent of 12 yellow cards) seems disproportionate compared with (one) yellow if the ref catches you at it; but it seems that the view from on high is if you actually succeed in conning the ref that is more serious than if you don't. But 12 times more serious doesn't seem right.

 

On the other hand you can't really argue that its the refs fault for not catching you at it (as many seem to have said); when you shouldn't be doing it in the first place. That's a bit like blaming the police for speeding motorists or successful burglaries.

[Zappa 0]

You raise some good points Craig, but I think it's just a combination of factors. We're half way through the season. Let's see how the rest of it pans out.

[GovanAllan 0]

Carey smacked Wallace in the face with a flying hand just after he put Jig up in the air. Now I don't thnk it was meant but I also don't think jigs was meant either so what's the difference.

[GovanAllan 0]

I think that you are correct that Carey was fortunate not be sent off after receiving a yellow card but so was Davis for a bad tackle from behind late on. You can argue that both were soft decisions - but McCulloch and Goian were both rightly sent off. McCulloch realised that right away, when he put his head in his hands/shirt and Goian was caught out by players going past him and held them back, both automatic yellows these days.

 

I don't think there's a conspiracy against Rangers any more than there ever was one against Celtic.

 

Our refs are highly regarded in Europe, especially Thomson and Collum and (with the possible exceptions above) I found it hard to fault McLean today.

 

Not saying its a conspiracy BH but you should read the tackles to cards ratio for the SPL last I saw Rangers where 7.5 tackles between yellow cards, Celtic were 13.5 the constant moaning and intimidation from the Bheasts is paying off.

[Zappa 0]

Not saying its a conspiracy BH but you should read the tackles to cards ratio for the SPL last I saw Rangers where 7.5 tackles between yellow cards, Celtic were 13.5 the constant moaning and intimidation from the Bheasts is paying off.

 

Ian posted those stats a few weeks back and they do seem very strange indeed!