NafisaThere is still plenty of anger surrounding Rangers’ dramatic defeat to Hibernian at Ibrox, but the result itself is no longer the only thing dominating the conversation among supporters.
What happened during the first half has continued to attract attention long after the final whistle, with one decision in particular leaving Rangers fans questioning how the incident was ever turned into a penalty.
Derek McInnes’ side were desperate to get their first Scottish Premiership victory of the season after opening their campaign with a draw against Dundee United.
Instead, they were left empty-handed once again after Hibs produced a late winner to secure a 2-1 victory in front of a frustrated Ibrox crowd.
There were plenty of things for McInnes to address afterwards.
Rangers struggled to create enough going forward, the team once again looked short of attacking inspiration and Youssef Chermiti was forced off on a stretcher with what appeared to be a worrying knee injury.
But before Hibs eventually snatched victory through Callum Wright in added time, the game had already been shaped by a controversial moment involving Vanja Dragojevic and Jason Kerr.
And that is where the anger surrounding referee Don Robertson really began.
Rangers were still level when a cross was sent into the penalty area and Dragojevic became involved in a physical battle with Kerr.
At first, there appeared to be very little concern from the players around the incident.
There was no obvious appeal from the Hibs players.
There was no immediate indication that Robertson believed a foul had taken place.
Play continued.
Then VAR intervened.
Robertson was sent across to the pitch-side monitor to review the incident, and what followed left the Rangers players and supporters stunned.
After looking at the footage, the referee changed his decision and awarded Hibs a penalty.
Josh Campbell stepped up and calmly converted, giving David Gray’s side a 1-0 lead.
The reaction inside Ibrox was immediate.
Rangers supporters could barely believe that what appeared to be a routine tussle between two players had resulted in a spot-kick, particularly when both players appeared to be holding one another.
And the controversy did not disappear after the match.
Instead, it grew.
Several former players, pundits and former referees have since questioned whether the incident was strong enough to justify VAR intervention in the first place.
Former FIFA referee Keith Hackett was among those to offer his assessment, pointing out that it was difficult to determine which player was actually responsible for the contact.
“Both players are holding onto each other so the judgment of an offence could have gone either way,” Hackett said.
That assessment summed up the frustration perfectly for many Rangers supporters.
The argument was not simply that Robertson had made a poor decision.
It was that the original incident appeared so marginal that VAR should arguably never have become involved.
Michael Stewart was also highly critical of the decision as it unfolded, questioning why VAR had intervened when the contact appeared to be part of a normal battle between two players.
Alan Hutton described the penalty as “soft”, while Tony Docherty similarly questioned whether the officials had become unnecessarily involved.
Andy Halliday also acknowledged that Dragojevic had his hands on Kerr but argued that the Hibs defender was involved in the contact as well.
Even Scott Brown, despite criticising Dragojevic’s positioning, admitted that he did not believe the incident should have resulted in a penalty.
That has inevitably led to another question.
Could Don Robertson now face consequences for the decision?
For Rangers supporters, the hope was that the Scottish FA would take a serious look at what happened and potentially remove Robertson from upcoming fixtures.
However, there has been no confirmed announcement that the Scottish FA has suspended Robertson.
That is an important distinction.
Despite the widespread criticism, there is currently no verified evidence that Robertson has been handed a suspension or disciplinary punishment specifically because of the Rangers-Hibs penalty.
The controversy can still be reviewed internally, and referee performances are naturally subject to assessment, but criticism from supporters and pundits does not automatically mean an official will be suspended.
For Rangers, that may be an especially frustrating reality.
The penalty undoubtedly changed the mood of the game, but McInnes knows his team had opportunities to take control themselves.
Miguel Chaiwa’s own goal eventually brought Rangers level, giving the home side renewed hope.
Yet instead of pushing on to find a winner, Rangers were punished in the most painful fashion when Wright’s deflected effort found the net deep into stoppage time.
The result left McInnes still searching for his first competitive victory as Rangers boss after three matches.
A draw with Dundee United was followed by the Europa League defeat to Jagiellonia Bialystok before Hibs inflicted another setback at Ibrox.
That means the pressure is already beginning to build.
McInnes has repeatedly spoken about needing more players, particularly in attacking areas, while Rangers have also suffered from injuries at crucial moments.
Chermiti’s situation could make matters even more complicated if his knee problem proves serious.
So while the penalty decision has become an easy target for supporters searching for an explanation, Rangers cannot afford to allow the controversy to distract from the bigger problems within the squad.
The Scottish FA may ultimately review Robertson’s performance, but unless an official announcement follows, claims that the referee has already been suspended would be premature.
For now, the only certainty is that the decision has left a huge amount of bitterness behind at Ibrox.
Rangers wanted a statement victory in their first league game of the season at home.
Instead, they walked away with another defeat, another injury concern and another refereeing controversy to debate.
And with McInnes still trying to build his Rangers side, the last thing the new manager needed was for his difficult start to be accompanied by another major talking point surrounding the officials.
Whether Robertson faces any consequences remains to be seen.
But judging by the reaction from Ibrox, Rangers supporters certainly have not forgotten the moment when the referee pointed to the spot.
Nafisa
