Charlie Nicholas has told Rangers to get their priorities straight and focus on matching Celtic on the pitch instead of complaining to the SFA.
The Ibrox side wrote to the governing body demanding an explanation over Kevin Clancy's decision to chalk off Alfredo Morelos' first-half goal against their rivals on Saturday. Celtic went on to win the game 3-2 and the club revealed on Monday night they were "astonished" to hear back from the SFA who said they stood by Clancy's decision.
Most pundits agreed the decision to penalise Morelos for a push on Alistair Johnston was soft but in the end it was individual errors from Ben Davies and John Souttar, who gifted Kyogo and Jota gilt-edged chances which the Celtic stars took, that allowed their rivals to race into a 12-point advantage at the top. Rangers are now winless in three derbies this season and Nicholas, writing in his Scottish Daily Express column, says Michael Beale's team should be more focused on their own shortcomings than the referees'.
He said: "Rangers have written to the SFA to complain about Alfredo Morelos’s goal being chalked off against Celtic. If the Light Blues really want to make a real point then they should be concentrating all their efforts in trying to win the SFA’s flagship event - the Scottish Cup. Celtic face Rangers again at Hampden later this month in the semi-final. It is the final chance for Michael Beale’s side to end the season with silverware.
"Yes, I understand why Rangers have grievances from the weekend. I agree Morelos’ goal should have stood and Kevin Clancy shouldn’t have ruled his effort out at Celtic Park. Maybe if the goal had stood then Celtic might not have won but the score-line is out there now. That won’t change.
"You can write to the Scottish Football Association but what is it going to achieve? Just to tell officials or the VAR officials they got the decision wrong? It will achieve absolutely zero. The bottom line is that Rangers still can’t beat Celtic. If you go and beat them at Hampden then you don’t need to write letters to the SFA.
"The perfect response would be to beat Celtic because yet again, their rivals have not played well and won again. The strikers were the difference. Morelos had two big chances in the second half but he didn’t take them. Kyogo Furuhashi took his."
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