In the aftermath of a fiercely contested Glasgow Derby, a statement from Rangers has continued the meltdown four days on due to the handball incident involving Celtic’s Alistair Johnstone. The episode has sparked a wildfire of reactions, with the Rangers camp expressing deep dissatisfaction with the VAR decision made by Willie Collum.

During the match, a critical moment unfolded as Johnstone was accused of a handball in the box. The incident was reviewed, and the decision was made: no penalty. This call has since been dissected by, with some replays suggesting that a penalty could have been the right call. However, the plot thickens, as acknowledging the handball would have required revisiting an offside in the build-up, nullifying the penalty advantage for the Rangers.

In a statement via Record Sport, the Rangers have conveyed their frustration, emphasising a consensus from a meeting with Scottish FA officials that the decision was incorrect. They highlighted the absence of any discussion regarding the potential offside during the handball decision and criticised the quickness of the VAR judgment. This keeps with what we’ve been told, the offside was not part of the decision because Willie Collum decided it wasn’t a hand ball. Had he decided it was a penalty, he would have then checked the attacking phase, the offside would be picked up and no penalty would have been awarded.

The Rangers’ meltdown since the defeat has been nothing short of dramatic, with their argument seeming to be that they were robbed of a penalty opportunity for 20 seconds, even if it was destined to be overturned. The headlines and media reactions have added fuel to the fire, painting a picture of chaos and discontent.

This looks like a solid attempt by the Ibrox club to make sure they get a penalty next time out.

This is a club that cannot concede they lost to the better team. It’s all a bit pathetic.