Rangers' Fernandez in new handball controversy... what happened this time?

Watch Dundee Utd v Rangers highlights

03/12/25

Two penalty decisions. One given, one not. And yet, a surprisingly calm Dundee United manager at the end of it.

United's 2-2 Scottish Premiership draw with Rangers had everything, from brilliant goals to last-gasp levellers, but much of the discussion will likely revolve around two key decisions in a frenetic contest.

Should the hosts have be awarded a penalty, and was Rangers' 98th-minute spot kick award the correct decision?

Emmanuel Fernandez and his hands have had quite the time of it.

Less than two weeks ago, the Rangers defender escaped punishment when a shot by Livingston's Tete Yengi struck his left hand inside the penalty box at Ibrox.

Play was allowed to continue and referee Ross Hardie was not summoned to the screen by VAR referee John Beaton. That game was poised at 1-1 at the time, with the hosts going on to win 2-1.

In the aftermath, Livingston fulminated and said the Scottish FA had conceded a mistake had been made and manager David Martindale revealed Beaton had phoned him to apologise.

And so to Wednesday at Tannadice. Dundee United are 2-1 up.

A long throw by Will Ferry loops into the Rangers penalty box, drops over the head of Bert Esselink, and strikes Fernandez's right hand.

VAR official Don Robertson will have had a look, but did not deem it worthy of calling referee David Dickinson over to the screen. Play on.

The IFAB rule states that it is an offence if a player:

"I've watched it back and the ball definitely does hit the defender's arm in the box," said a surprisingly measured United manager Jim Goodwin.

"In the early part of the season, that might have been given. I think the threshold has been raised and all of us managers are quite happy with that.

"It would have been nice to have been given it but I'd be disappointed if my defender was punished in that situation. I've got no blame to the officials tonight."

Given how incandescent Goodwin was with the officials after Saturday's draw at Kilmarnock, his change of approach was perhaps understandable.

But was the incident especially different to the one for which Celtic's Liam Scales was penalised against Hibernian on Sunday? Or Kilmarnock's Lewis Mayo against Celtic earlier in the season? Or even Aberdeen's Mats Knoester, also on Wednesday?

At Tanndice, Sportsound pundit Allan Preston said it was "clear as day".

And Sportscene panellist Scott Allan added that "anywhere else on the pitch, you could probably get that. We can't for certain know what is a handball or not, and that's the frustrating thing".

However next to him in the studio, Neil McCann said to give a penalty "would have been really unfair. There's no intent whatsoever. It's struck around the forearm, elbow area".

Penalty or not, the controversy was exacerbated by what happened next.

United's potential three points turned into one in the 98th minute after Ferry caught Rangers substitute Max Aarons, who burst across his blindside.

Was there enough contact? Referee Dickinson thought so and awarded Rangers the penalty. Again, Robertson saw no reason to query the on-field decision and Nedim Bajrami flashed in the penalty to earn the visitors a draw.

"If it's at your end, you're screaming for it," Allan said. "Ferry just doesn't see Aarons coming and once you give the referee that decision to make, it's very hard to get that overturned."

This time, McCann agreed: "I think if David Dickinson turns away and says it's just a coming together, VAR doesn't overturn it.

"I don't think there's a massive amount of contact. Whether he clips his boot or he doesn't, I'm not quite sure."

Perhaps Preston summed it up best.

"Very soft, but just a penalty. It's like an egg - hard or soft, it's still an egg and that's still a penalty."