Copyright glasgowworld
Rangers and Celtic return to action this weekend on Premiership business - but talking points are aplenty elsewhere. The Light Blues felt hard done by over refereeing decisions in defeat to Celtic in a Premier Sports Cup semi-final, and a defeat to Roma has only added to a despondent mood, amid a tough start to this season. They face Dundee at Dens Park before the international break. Celtic are rocked by injury concerns and are hunting for a new permanent manager, with Martin O’Neill set to lead the team as interim gaffer against Kilmarnock. Amid an ex-ref’s claim on Rangers and a former Tottenham star’s Celtic boss address, here are some of the latest headlines regarding both sides of the Old Firm. After Celtic defender Auston Trusty’s boot made contact with Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland’s head last weekend, without a red card, Rangers aired concerns over cup semi-final refereeing in a statement. Speaking on Sportsound, ex-referee Madden says Rangers were merely trying to big themselves up with their own fanbase. He said: “I think they are pandering to the fans. That’s all I think these club statements do. I think they need to be seen because of all the fan movements now. There’s an expectation, they want them to go and challenge the SFA, they want to see them have a voice and stand up for their club. I think it’s absolute posturing and pandering to the fans.” A statement read: “Club representatives met with the Scottish FA this evening to seek explanations for major decisions in the match, including the incident involving Jack Butland and Auston Trusty. Following that meeting, we remain unsatisfied with the explanation of the referee’s decision in that incident, the application of the Laws of the Game, and the VAR review itself, which we do not believe was sufficiently robust or thorough. “We recognise that refereeing decisions can impact both sides in a game, but too many important matches continue to be influenced by calls that are inconsistent and difficult to justify. These decisions have real consequences, determining results, impacting fans, and affecting the livelihoods of players, coaches and staff whose work is judged by outcomes on the pitch. The club has consistently raised issues as they have occurred with the Scottish FA, but we do not feel there has been enough change in how refereeing is being developed at the highest level. “We understand and share the anger among our supporters, who have grown frustrated at the repeated inconsistencies in major match decisions that continue to affect the club. For the benefit of our supporters and the wider game in the country, we will continue to hold the Scottish FA to account and expect them to lead meaningful progress that delivers lasting improvement.” Robbie Keane has talked over his links to the Parkhead hotseat. He was a player at the Hoops and featured prominently at the likes of Tottenham, now impressing as a manager at Hungarian side Ferencvaros. Keane said of the links: “I can't do anything about the speculation, but maybe it means I'm doing my job well here and that's the most important thing. I'm happy here. "I don't really want to react to every rumour, but I played football for many years and whatever club I played for, everyone would always talk about where I would go next. So I don't worry about it. I focus on one thing and that's Ferencvaros. "Look at the unity of the team and the relationship with the supporters here. After the full time whistle, the fans kept calling me over. It was impressive, it felt good and meant a lot.”
