'Excuse me' - Chris Sutton attacks Rangers amid aftermath of controversy in loss v Celtic

Chris Sutton has attacked Rangers for claims that they were robbed of a trophy against Celtic last Sunday. The former Hoops striker says that if... The post 'Excuse me' - Chris Sutton attacks Rangers amid aftermath of controversy in loss v Celtic appeared first on Ibrox News.

Dec 21, 2024 - 13:00

'Excuse me' - Chris Sutton attacks Rangers amid aftermath of controversy in loss v Celtic

Chris Sutton has attacked Rangers for claims that they were robbed of a trophy against Celtic last Sunday.

The former Hoops striker says that if they want a replay then every cup final with a controversial decision must be played again, including the 2003 League Cup final which was played between the same two sides.

He also slams Gers for conceding three goals in the penalty shootout defeat in the Scottish League Cup final on 15 December with the score 3-3 after 120 minutes.

Sutton wrote in the Daily Record on 21 December: “There’s been some hysterical reaction to Sunday’s Premier Sport Cup Final with some people even saying the match should be replayed.

“I’d be all for it. In fact, perhaps I should dig out my boots and we can have another go at the 2003 Celtic v Rangers League Cup Final. Remember John Hartson’s goal that was ruled out for offside when he was about 25 yards onside and Rangers went on to win the trophy? Let’s do that again. In fact, if we are going to replay finals for refereeing mistakes, we might as well have another bash at just about every final in history.

“That’s how daft an idea it is. Rangers won’t take much comfort from Willie Collum coming out and admitting the VAR officials made a mess of the controversial penalty call.

“There’s been a narrative that they were robbed at Hampden and they played really well. Excuse me, didn’t they concede three goals? And against a Celtic team that wasn’t really firing on all cylinders?

“Are we handing out more moral trophies again because Rangers didn’t get pumped? This isn’t the Ibrox club I came up against. They are using the big decision as a crutch, when in reality they finished second best to Celtic once more.”

Rangers have been on the receiving end of a number of horrible decisions

A replay of the recent Scottish League Cup final would establish a dangerous precedent where any club feeling wronged by a refereeing decision could demand the same.

This would lead to potential chaos in football, with matches being replayed frequently based on controversial calls, undermining the finality and integrity of the game.

However, Gers have faced a series of contentious decisions, which they argue have unjustly influenced outcomes in their matches.

The accumulation of these errors, particularly in high-stakes games, gives them legitimate grounds to voice their concerns.

If Rangers do not challenge these decisions, it might encourage a continuation of such officiating mistakes without accountability or improvement.