The 2-2 draw with Motherwell could have been even more humiliating for Rangers, with a controversial handball appeal from their assistant manager leaving fans in disbelief. Despite a late rally, the performance did little to inspire confidence as the gap to Celtic continues to grow, leaving many wondering how much longer Philippe Clement can remain at the helm.

Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland’s recent performances have been under intense scrutiny after a series of blunders, and his latest display against Motherwell did little to quiet the critics. Butland was fortunate not to concede a third goal, with a strike ruled out for offside. However, a second incident involving a push in the box sparked controversy, with Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell raising concerns over the decision at full-time. The Ibrox stopper’s errors continue to pile up, adding more pressure on Rangers as they fall further behind Celtic in the league.

Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell was left “flabbergasted” by the VAR decision that disallowed Tony Watt’s potential goal in the 2-2 draw with Rangers. During a corner, Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland struggled to deal with the delivery, flapping at the ball before inadvertently bundling it into his own net while battling with Watt. The goal was ruled out for a push, but Kettlewell was shocked by the decision, questioning the consistency of VAR after seeing similar incidents go unpunished. The drama added to Rangers’ already difficult afternoon as their title hopes continue to slip away.

VAR ruled that Tony Watt’s goal could not stand due to a foul on Rangers goalkeeper Jack Butland, with replays clearly showing Watt pulling down on Butland’s arm during the aerial challenge. Despite the goalkeeper’s shaky handling of the corner, the decision to disallow the goal was made after the VAR officials deemed there had been an infringement, much to the dismay of Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell, who expressed his disbelief at the call. The incident added to the controversy of an already frustrating game for both sides.

The VAR decision has left Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell incensed, with the decision to disallow Tony Watt’s goal at the heart of his frustration. Kettlewell voiced his disbelief after the match, feeling that the call was unjust given the nature of the challenge. The ruling only added to the bitterness of a match that saw Motherwell dominate at times but fail to secure a win, leaving Kettlewell fuming over what he saw as a pivotal and controversial moment in the game.

Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell was clearly upset by the VAR decision, questioning the fairness of the ruling after the disallowed goal. He expressed his disbelief, telling BBC Sport:

“I’m literally flabbergasted that’s now blown for a foul. For me, it’s complete overprotection of the goalkeeper, I think he gets it all wrong.

“Kettlewell continued by challenging the logic of the decision:

“The question I would ask is, if you actually look at the incident, Butland has a push out at Tony Watt to try and claim his space first. Tony then comes back leaning in towards the goalkeeper, which you’re absolutely allowed to do, it’s a contact sport.

“He further pondered whether Butland’s initial push should be considered a foul, adding, “Are we saying that the push from Butland starts to become a penalty? Is that a foul? If we’re deeming the bit that goes the other way, that’s where it starts to leave me really, really baffled with the whole thing.

“Kettlewell’s comments highlight his frustration with the way the situation was handled and the broader implications of protecting goalkeepers in such instances.

Rangers supporters are fuming over the decision to allow Motherwell’s opening goal to stand, particularly after a controversial incident involving Apostolos Stamatelopoulos.

The goal came after a defensive blunder by Rangers’ Robin Propper, whose header struck Stamatelopoulos’ arm before the striker slotted it home. Despite this apparent handball, the goal was allowed to stand after a VAR check, sparking outrage among the Rangers faithful.

A Rangers assistant was reportedly heard stating that it should have been ruled as handball, adding fuel to the fire in the debate. Many Rangers fans feel the decision was unjust and argue that had the roles been reversed, the goal would have been disallowed.

This controversy adds to the growing frustration surrounding the VAR system and its consistency, with critics suggesting that the decisions seem to vary too greatly depending on the team involved.

Rangers manager Philippe Clement chose not to dwell on the controversial VAR decisions following the 2-2 draw with Motherwell, maintaining his confidence in the system. Clement insisted he has full “trust” in VAR to make the correct calls, despite the growing frustration from fans over the inconsistencies in decision-making.

However, he did acknowledge that one of his assistants had informed the bench that the ball had struck Apostolos Stamatelopoulos’ arm before the goal was scored. While Clement refrained from making any further comments on the matter, his reluctance to engage with the controversy left many feeling that the Ibrox boss is taking a cautious approach amidst increasing pressure at Rangers.

Rangers manager Philippe Clement remained diplomatic when discussing the controversial incidents during the 2-2 draw with Motherwell, particularly the handball claim involving Apostolos Stamatelopoulos.“I didn’t see the images back, so I believe in the VAR that they’re going to make the right decisions,” Clement told Sky Sports. “I trust in that process.

I didn’t see it back. My assistant said it was a handball in the first half, but I didn’t see it back myself, so I don’t want to take any conclusion on that.”

Clement’s measured response highlighted his confidence in the VAR system, despite the frustration among fans and the ongoing scrutiny surrounding the club’s recent performances.