Hearts manager Craig Levein has been left venting his fury over the performance of the officials as he was stunned Rangers’ Alfredo Morelos managed to escape without a booking in the Gers’ win over his side.
The Light Blues came away with all three points at Tynecastle thanks to goals from Connor Goldson and Alfredo Morelos in a six minute spell in the first half, securing a 2-1 win after a Gareth McAuley own goal had given the home side the lead.
While Scott Arfield was sent off, Levein was shocked not to see Colombian hitman Morelos punished for his performance, slamming the referee and his assistants for their display.
He told the Daily Record: “I read a quote from Neil Lennon a few weeks ago when they went to Celtic Park and he said, ‘We were playing against 12 men’ and that’s how I feel today. How Morelos stayed on the park, never mind got through the game without a booking, I’ll never know. Some of the decisions were abysmal.
“Actually, it was 13 men we were playing against – and the good thing is that Neil Lennon didn’t get any punishment. So, the referee was abysmal and we were playing against 13 men. That’s my view on it. It’s really good news there won’t be any punishment.
“There was one where he (Morelos) has smashed Christophe (Berra) and Bobby (Madden, referee) said to one of our players, ‘It’s all right, that’s just Morelos – he’s a bit silly sometimes’. Well, maybe I’ll tell our players to be silly because you don’t get booked for it. It was an abysmal performance.”
Opinion
Is this just sour grapes from Levein or does the Hearts boss have a point? The standard of refereeing in Scotland has come under more scrutiny than ever this season and Rangers will know exactly how their rival manager is feeling after being on the end of some dubious decisions – not least the Daniel Candeias sending off. Still, it would have come to a surprise not only to Levein but to everyone at Rangers not to see Morelos booked, as it has become something of the norm for the Colombian. His feisty attitude does see him toeing the line more often than not in games and he is usually given a couple of chances with fouls conceded, perhaps accompanied by a talk with the referee, before he is inevitably given a booking. That did not happen on Sunday when perhaps it should and considering how influential he is to the Gers, you can understand why Levein is unhappy. Another refereeing performance to contemplate for the officials in Scotland.