NafisaRangers may have walked away from Ibrox with a precious 1-0 advantage over Jablonec, but one incident from the night has already sparked a fascinating debate inside the club.
The Conference League play-off first leg looked set to end with Ryan Naderi’s second-half strike giving Derek McInnes’ side a comfortable advantage heading into the return fixture.
Instead, the closing stages turned into a nervy affair.
Rangers were forced to defend their narrow lead with ten men after Cammy Devlin was shown a straight red card following a VAR review.
And what happened immediately before and after the decision has created an intriguing contrast between the midfielder’s reaction and the manager’s post-match assessment.
Because while Devlin appeared completely convinced that he had been fouled and was expecting Rangers to receive a penalty, McInnes later gave an altogether different interpretation of what had happened.
Devlin’s reaction leaves Rangers fans stunned
Devlin had only recently entered the match when he became involved in the incident with Jablonec defender Jiri Slama.
The Rangers midfielder appeared to believe he had been brought down inside the opposition box and immediately appealed for a penalty.
Slama remained on the ground following the collision as referee Marian Barbu stopped play.
From Devlin’s reaction, it appeared he was expecting the VAR check to determine whether Rangers should be awarded a spot-kick.
The television cameras then captured a remarkable moment.
Rather than receiving a penalty, Devlin discovered that the review was actually examining his own challenge.
He turned towards the officials, visibly confused, and was heard asking:
«“What happened?”»
The midfielder appeared genuinely baffled by the decision as the referee eventually produced a straight red card.
For Devlin, it was seemingly the complete opposite of what he had expected.
He believed he had been the player fouled.
VAR and the referee believed he had committed a serious foul.
And that is where the story gets particularly interesting.
McInnes’ verdict was completely different
While Devlin’s reaction suggested that he felt there was little wrongdoing on his part, McInnes was far less sympathetic when asked about the incident after the game.
The Rangers manager admitted that his initial thought had also been that his side would receive a penalty.
But after seeing the challenge again, his opinion changed dramatically.
«“At first, I thought it was going to be a penalty to Rangers. But there is no debate about the decision. Devlin was trying to buy the foul.”»
McInnes then delivered the line that has left the incident open to further debate.
«“When you see the stills, it looks a red card all day long. It was far from ideal.”»
That assessment is difficult to square with Devlin’s reaction on the pitch.
The midfielder was not acting like someone who believed he had just committed a red-card offence.
He appeared to be waiting for confirmation that Rangers had been awarded a penalty.
Instead, he was sent off.
A viral moment that tells its own story
The footage of Devlin asking the officials what had happened has quickly become one of the most striking moments from the game.
It provides a completely different perspective from the manager’s post-match explanation.
Devlin’s body language suggested confusion and disbelief.
McInnes, meanwhile, effectively said there was no argument once the incident was viewed properly.
The manager even suggested that Devlin had been attempting to “buy the foul” — a phrase that will undoubtedly attract attention given the midfielder’s reaction.
It does not necessarily mean McInnes and his player are involved in a genuine dressing-room dispute.
But their interpretations of the same incident could hardly be more different.
Rangers were forced to suffer after the dismissal
Whatever Devlin believed happened, his dismissal left Rangers in a dangerous position.
The Ibrox side had finally taken control of the game after a frustrating opening period, with Naderi breaking the deadlock early in the second half.
But the red card completely changed the dynamic.
Jablonec suddenly had a numerical advantage and Rangers had to concentrate on protecting their lead rather than searching for a second goal.
McInnes’ team ultimately survived.
But the 1-0 scoreline means the Czech side remain very much alive in the tie ahead of the second leg.
And Rangers will now have to make the trip without Devlin.
McInnes sends warning after controversial moment:
The Rangers boss did not hide his frustration at the situation and immediately highlighted the importance of keeping eleven players on the pitch.
«“We need to take the good from the second half into the second leg.”»
Then came his warning:
«“It is important that we keep 11 men on the park.”»
Those words will inevitably be viewed alongside Devlin’s dismissal.
Rangers cannot afford another disciplinary problem when they travel to the Czech Republic, particularly with only one goal separating the teams.
The manager knows that his players will need to show considerably more composure if they are to finish the job.
Was Devlin simply convinced he was right?
That is the fascinating part of this whole saga.
The footage does not prove that Devlin was deliberately trying to deceive anyone, nor does it establish that he was knowingly attempting to win a penalty through simulation.
What it does show is a player who appeared genuinely surprised when the decision went against him.
McInnes saw it differently.
His “trying to buy the foul” comment suggests he believed Devlin had initiated the contact and attempted to make the most of it.
So while there has been no confirmed public bust-up between the pair, their contrasting reactions have created an obvious storyline.
Devlin appeared to believe Rangers should have been awarded a penalty.
McInnes believes there was “no debate” that his own player deserved to be sent off.
And that remarkable contradiction has turned one of the biggest moments of Rangers’ 1-0 victory into a talking point that could continue long after the final whistle.
Nafisa
