Walter Smith warns referee over very dangerous decision
Rangers strikers Nikica Jelavic and El Hadji-Diouf were booked for diving by Thomson with Smith particularly upset by Jelavic’s yellow card.
The Croatian was booked for a theatrical tumble following a challenge by Thomas Rogne with Smith furious by the decision.
“It’s dangerous for a referee to do that, very dangerous,” the retiring Rangers manager said. “If it had been in the other penalty box, I don’t know.
“I just felt a wee bit aggrieved that Jelavic got booked because he gave a penalty and then he booked Jelavic.
“He must have thought himself there was something in the decision to give it in the first place.
“So it was strange, especially when there was a similar incident at the other end of the pitch.
“I don’t know why he changed his mind. He told the players he changed his mind. There was a handball in the second half of the game.
“I would prefer to talk about winning rather than referees but I thought that was a very strange one.
“I said before when Celtic were mounting their campaign at the start of the season that if your team is good enough they will win.
“Regardless of a refereeing decision in today’s game, we have come out of it as good enough to win the game.
“That’s how I have always approached it and that’s as it should be but it doesn’t stop us complaining if there is something wrong.”
Following last Sunday’s 2-1 win over Kilmarnock Smith said that he was fed up talking about penalty decisions.
On Thursday after Rangers Europa League ko from PSV Eindhoven he said: “However many officials they have now, they’ve all missed what was a clear handball.
“I know the extra linesman behind the goal was on the other side of the hand the player used, so it was difficult for him.
“But you would think if they have covered all the options it should have been a penaty.
“That would also have meant a red card and could have changed the game.”
In the closing minutes Rangers had another penalty claim with Smith adding: “When Madjid went down it was another clear penalty.
“Apart from that, the ref didn’t have much to do, but you have to look at the penalty situation.”
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