There has been much debate about the incident of Emmanuel Fernandez’s disallowed goal. Rangers fans were predictably in outrage when this one was not given following a challenge between himself and Mitov. The header was an excellent one but there was a confrontation per se between the two before the ball ended up in the back of the net. But Kris Boyd thought something different.
VAR decision
VAR intervened and the goal was disallowed. The curious part for Rangers fans who were outraged by this was that Chris Sutton agreed with them. This was in itself a bit of a red flag.
Sutton and Boyd
Generally whatever Sutton says is mostly for trolling purposes. The further twist here is that Kris Boyd, the Rangers legend himself disagreed with Sutton. He believed that sadly the goal should not have counted. Ibrox Noise sides with that view.
The rules
This is not to say that it was not a legitimate goal and that it was a foul. But in the game’s rules today unfortunately it is. Goalkeepers are far too protected. They are ridiculously mollycoddled.
What the replay showed
It was pretty clear from the replay that Fernandez’s elbow beat the keeper’s arm away. It obstructed the goalkeeper’s catching of the ball. That is a foul.
Blame the rules
Whether you agree with the rules or not blame them not the referee. This was not VAR getting it wrong. It was not the referee being biased against Rangers. It was them enforcing the rules as they are set by bodies above them.
Final point
So yes Kris Boyd was indeed correct. We do not have to agree with the rules. But we have to abide by them. You generally know your case is flimsy if Chris Sutton is agreeing with you.