Rangers probe SFA for answers – but were they hard done by?

Rangers have asked the Scottish FA to explain Auston Trusty’s dismissal during the Ibrox side’s 3-1 League Cup semi-final defeat at Hampden.

Prior to this controversy, head coach Danny Rohl had previously preferred to concentrate on his team’s “outstanding” response to losing to 10 men.

With Celtic already leading 1-0 at half-time, Thelo Aasgaard was sent off shortly before half-time, but Rangers fought back and won 3-1 over their city rivals in extra time.

The Norway midfielder was widely believed to be entitled to dismissal, but some surprised that Trusty and Anthony Ralston didn’t follow him in later incidents.

Right-back Ralston handled the ball, conceding a penalty, while Trusty was already on a yellow card, and he hit Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland on the head with an errant boot.

According to Rohl, “It is not my position to speak about decisions,”

After working their way back into the semi-final, there was, however, an air of what might have been in the Rangers’ dressing room at Hampden.

We had the impression that we could defeat them, even with just 10 men, Rohl said, and we are struggling with this.

We put a lot of effort into it, played a lot of good football, and were brave in the second half.

We had our moments and we were in a more offensive posture. I believed the equaliser was deserved because we were not just sitting back.

“Then you enter extra time and lose 2-1, but even then, we had two chances when we had one against one.”

Since Russell Martin’s replacement, Rohl has won four games in the league, with Brann’s Europa League and now Celtic’s other losses.

The German, however, notices positive trends.

He claimed that “our response to the red card was outstanding.” However, with 10 men and my team working hard, it is a long time, 55 minutes, and then extra time.

Former Scotland internationals Billy Dodds and James McFadden both believed that Celtic’s centre-back Trusty was fortunate to only receive a yellow card just before the break when his boot struck Butland.

Dodds said on Sportsound, “He just rakes his studs across Butland’s face.”

If he had been sent off, “you would have really leveled things up,” he said, “and you would have been wondering what might have happened.”

Dodds also believed that James Tavernier should have scored the penalty that James Tavernier scored just nine minutes before normal time from Ralston should have received a second yellow card for the handball.

The former Rangers forward claimed that he threw himself to intentionally block the ball. Nick Walsh, I don’t believe, covered himself in glory.

He continued on Sportsound, “It contributes to the end result, but he shows as a manager he knows what he’s doing.”

He clearly has a lot to work with because he faced hardship and he was successful in putting attackers in midfield.

Dodds, who was previously on the Ibrox coaching staff last term, thinks there are indications Rohl “has the players onside.” McFadden has already seen progress under the former Sheffield Wednesday manager.

However, issues persist as they play Roma before moving on to domestic action, 14 points adrift of Celtic and Hearts, who are currently in the lead.

At Hampden, Wolverhampton Wanderers center-back Nasser Djiga, who was on loan, was constantly exposed, and £8 million striker Youssef Chermiti once more struggled to perform.

Dodds claimed that “they didn’t start well.” They were pinged back, but because of how much better their second-half was, does he now go back to a four?

“When you are focused and have to defend one-on-one situations, Rangers can do it against Celtic because you have to be so focused,” he asks, “does he keep with a five to be more secure, or does he go back to a four because it shows that.”