BBC Sportscene pundit Steven Thompson has blasted Jon Flanagan after he elbowed Scott Brown in Rangers’ 2-0 win against Celtic at Ibrox on Sunday afternoon.
Referee Kevin Clancy only brandished a yellow card for the second-half incident after Flanagan, 26, appeared to thrust his elbow into the Celtic captain’s neck.
According to ex-Rangers player Thompson it was a clear sending off for the full-back and he is baffled as to how Clancy saw the incident but decided that it only merited a booking.
“He’s obviously seen it and has given a yellow card for it,” Thompson said on Sportscene [BBC iPlayer, 24:56]. “I can’t understand why he’s decided to give a yellow.
“It’s a blatant red card and stupid from Flanagan to do that at that time as well, especially with the discipline problems that Rangers have had in this fixture.
“To do something blatant as that in front of the referee, he was very lucky to get away with it.”
OPINION
Flanagan should have been sent off and Clancy could have easily given Celtic a penalty as it was not quite clear whether or not the ball had been put into play when the incident occurred at the corner-kick. Rangers have received some harsh decisions this season but they have also been let off on a number of occasions as well and Clancy was completely wrong to not send off the ex-Liverpool defender on Sunday. Steven Gerrard will obviously be pleased with the result but he should be furious with Flanagan because if he got sent off then the Gers might not have ended up winning so convincingly, if at all against a Hoops side that would have no doubt been fired up by the incident. It is something that Gerrard needs to stamp out of this side because there have been too many red cards this season and too many flashpoints similar to this one.