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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Ben Banks

Fashion Sakala's Rangers no foul sparks split pundit opinions as Michael Beale told he's 'clutching at straws'

Michael Beale has had his say on the matter but it's not a clear call for the pundits.

The Rangers boss was left miffed after he claimed a foul in the build-up to Aberdeen's decisive second goal in their 2-0 win over the Light Blues. Liam Scales launched the Dons into a 1-0 lead before Bojan Miovski beat the offside trap to head home an excellent ball into the box by Leighton Clarkson.

But a foul on Fashion Sakala by Ylber Ramadani was called out on Sportsound by Pittodrie great Willie Miller and Rangers hero Kenny Miller as the incident unfolded, but it wasn't an opinion the Sky Sports panel of James McFadden and Kris Boyd were in line with post-match. Beale said on Sky: "I thought maybe in the build-up to the second goal there was a foul on Fashion Sakala. Ok, we don't get it and we have to defend the far post much better than we did.

Ramadani and Sakala at Pittodrie on Sunday (Sky)

"We're on the counter-attack and the ball is played. It's up to the referee, they're looking at VAR. I think they are looking at offside, I think they might be looking at the wrong thing. Look, I don't want to take anything away from Aberdeen."

But what did the pundits have to say? Here's what they had to say on the Aberdeen vs Rangers flashpoint.

Kenny Miller

"The Rangers players are livid. They are saying about a free-kick on Sakala in the middle of the pitch. I think there was, definitely, but I don't know if they will look that far back. But by the way, that's an incredible pass from Clarkson so it curls its way back towards Miovski's body. I do think it's a foul. It was a counter-attacking moment and they had two or three goes at him to try to stop Sakala breaking forward."

Willie Miller

"Miovski has got to drift off the shoulder of Davies and he gets that header, a quite incredible turnaround in this second half. There is a tug. Ramadani got himself in a poor position."

James McFadden

"It doesn't put him off, he continues, he plays a pass and it is a poor pass. He should play a better one in behind and once Liam Scales picks it up and goes back to the goalkeeper, you can't look at it with VAR. Michael Beale is suggesting they are looking at an offside and should be looking at that.

"They can't. It's not a red card and it is not that attacking phase of play. VAR gets a lot of stick but it is something they couldn't get involved in there."

Kris Boyd

"There is a little tug but it is not enough. Sakala has to do better with the ball through to Morelos. You can't go back and look at VAR anyway. It is another attack, that one is dead. What I would be worried about is Rangers' lack of picking up and marking.

"He is maybe clutching at straws. There is a little tug there, but Sakala is away and it is a poor ball at the end of it. It is not a foul."

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