Rangers assistant manager Gary McAllister has played down the controversy surrounding Allan McGregor after he avoided a sending off for an ugly challenge on Aberdeen’s Lewis Ferguson on Wednesday night.
McGregor collected the ball at the feet of Ferguson in the Gers’ 4-2 win at Pittodrie, but appeared to stick up his leg and plant his studs into the player’s shin when it was completely avoidable.
It looks a lot worse in slow motion, McGregor was trying to hurt Lewis Ferguson. pic.twitter.com/KJ6MVOaZbH
— Robert Byers ??????? (@bobby_byers) February 7, 2019
Rangers have appealed against Alfredo Morelos’ red card in the same game for a clash with Scott McKenna, and McAllister suggests that the club’s stance on McGregor is exactly the same.
“We see Allan McGregor going and collecting the ball making himself small and compact,” said McAllister, as quoted by Rangers’ official Twitter account on Friday.
??GM: We see Allan McGregor going and collecting the ball making himself small and compact.
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) February 8, 2019
OPINION
Considering Madden failed to punish McGregor, McAllister was hardly going to come out and say that what the goalkeeper did was worthy of a sending off. It was clearly an incident that should have seen the Scotland international handed his marching orders and Aberdeen should have been awarded a penalty. However it seems that the Scottish FA are not going to punish McGregor for the incident, even though it was clearly reckless and endangered an opposition player – whether he meant it or not. It’s not the first time that the veteran has been lucky to avoid punishment this season and Steven Gerrard needs to clamp down on his behaviour as much as Morelos’. Rangers should cope without Morelos with Jermain Defoe proving that he can get among the goals in Scotland, but Wes Foderingham is a major step down from McGregor. Rangers’ bid for the title will be effectively over if both of these players are suspended for any lengthy period.