adminDanny Rohl hinted at frustration over two specific incidents following Rangers’ 3-1 loss at Celtic Park, though neither moment appeared as controversial as the post-match noise suggested.
The Rangers boss highlighted Yang Hyun-jun’s equaliser and Alistair Johnston’s second-half tackle on Mikey Moore. Online, away fans quickly voiced anger over Benjamin Nygren’s positioning for Celtic’s first goal and whether Johnston deserved more than a yellow card. But examined calmly, both flashpoints seem fairly weak.
Yang’s goal came from sharp one-touch work in the box after Luke McCowan and Arne Engels sliced Rangers open on the right. Nygren stood near Jack Butland as Engels fizzed the ball across, but the goalkeeper was never truly in a position to save it.
Yang met the delivery cleanly from close range, and Butland was already wrong-footed by the speed and angle of the pass before the shot was taken.
Nygren didn’t block Butland’s movement, and the keeper’s reaction gave no hint his view was meaningfully impaired. Officials reviewed the goal and let it stand without lengthy debate.
The Johnston incident also looked fairly ordinary in real time. He caught Moore late during a tense spell midway through the second half, and referee Nick Walsh quickly showed a yellow card.
It was a clumsy challenge, no doubt, but Johnston wasn’t reckless or out of control, there was no wild lunge or excessive force. Moore got straight back up, and play resumed without any extended treatment or VAR push for a sterner punishment.
Rohl took care not to directly criticise the officials afterwards. He told Sky Sports: “I never look for excuses, but what I heard, maybe there is an offside, maybe there is a red card, but maybe there is a decision-making on the pitch, I’m not the manager to attack in public the refs.”
What proved far more decisive was what happened after Celtic drew level. Once the hosts found their rhythm, Rangers struggled badly to withstand the growing pressure.
Callum McGregor began to dictate possession, Kieran Tierney repeatedly drove Celtic forward, and Daizen Maeda’s movement between the lines became increasingly hard to contain.
By the end, Rangers were pinned deep for long stretches and looked exhausted from chasing the ball. That, far more than any refereeing talking point, determined the outcome.
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