Rangers are on the verge of relinquishing their ‘World’s Most Successful Club’ tag as Celtic’s Scottish Cup victory draws the green side of Glasgow level on major honours.
In a tentative affair, Rangers and Celtic looked to be heading to extra time at Hampden only for Adam Idah to react quickest when Jack Butland fumbled Paolo Bernardo’s long-range effort in the 90th minute.
The match was overshadowed by yet another questionable Old Firm VAR decision which went in Celtic’s favour against Rangers.
With referee Nick Walsh now firmly at the centre of a post-match inquest, Rangers are counting the Old Firm legacy cost of the refereeing in this fixture once again coming down favourably on our rivals.
Celtic beat Rangers to lift Scottish Cup
As a spectacle, the first Old Firm Scottish Cup Final in 22 years failed to live up to the stunning 3-2 Rangers win back in 2002.
In a scrappy match distinctly lacking any real quality, Celtic were certainly more threatening in the early period but Rangers defended resolutely.
Over the course of the game Rangers developed a stronger foothold and looked the more likely side to make the breakthrough in the second half.
But once again the Ibrox team failed to recover from a major set-back.
Whilst the decision to rule out Abdallah Sima’s scrappy opener has raised serious questions over the application of VAR in this fixture, Philippe Clement’s team couldn’t bounce back from the match-spinning moment.
Celtic, who have been more ruthless in this fixture since the exit of Steven Gerrard, end the season on a high with a Premiership and Scottish Cup double which brings their trophy haul to 118 and rubs salt in Rangers wounds.
Whilst this is another major blow to Rangers supporters, fans will now look forward to a summer rebuild even if there remains big questions hanging over the state of Ibrox.
Philippe Clement is yet to prove that he can get one over on Brendan Rodgers and doesn’t retain the ultimate confidence of supporters after a title collapse.
Whilst the Belgian did claim the League Cup, Rangers dropped points in six of their final ten league matches and Clement is now four games without an Old Firm victory as manager.
Several leaders in the Rangers squad have also let the team down for the final time with fans expecting a clear out and a change in direction this summer.
‘Patterns of VAR assist-ance’
Rangers, who have suffered more than any other club at the hands of incompetent refereeing this season, had a scrappy Abdallah Sima goal ruled out when Nick Walsh and the VAR team adjudged Nico Raskin to have shoved Joe Hart.
Whilst the incident was certainly minimal, Raskin was being grappled by Greg Taylor at the same time and could’ve easily been given a penalty.
Not that the so called ‘push’ – at least when you compare an earlier shove on Dujon Sterling by Celtic defender Liam Scales – was enough to justify ruling the goal out.
These are big moments which the referees have got to get right and it’s not the first time it’s cost us this season.
Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers looked to have won the ball from Gustaf Lagerbielke in the first Old Firm game of the season, only for a Kemar Roofe goal to be ruled out when VAR pulled the game back for a foul.
Rangers have also had a Cyriel Dessers leveller in the eventual 3-3 Ibrox draw with Celtic ruled out by VAR when Tom Lawrence was softly adjudged to have fouled Tomoki Iwata at the other end of the pitch.
And that’s before we get on to the Willie Collum Alistair Johnston Abdallah Sima handball fiasco at Parkhead.
For a club which is apparently orchestrating a conspiracy of Masonic proportions, Rangers really can’t get anything right at the moment.
These are big calls which are continually going in Celtic’s favour and at some stage we’re going to have bring the not only the competency but the intentions of the game’s whistlers under scrutiny.
There’s a feeling that referees are actively looking to rule Rangers goals out in this fixture, whilst Celtic are benefitting and this continuous intervention is swinging tight matches in their favour.
