Rangers reaction: Perplexed manager, story behind supporter cavorting and Danilo 'limp' laughs
Flashpoint in St Johnstone’s defeat by Rangers did not go down well with Levein
Craig Levein will remember his return to Hampden - although not for reasons he will have wanted.
The St Johnstone manager has had his issues with referees in Rangers games in the past and was concise and to the point when he sat down at his press briefing after his side had been beaten 2-0 by Rangers in the last 16 of the Premier Sports Cup.
He wanted to know "what the f--- " had happened, specifically with regards to a moment in the 58th minute when Cyriel Dessers slammed Rangers in front. The goal was promptly chalked off for a foul by Dessers on defender Jack Sanders before being restored after referee Matthew McDermid was invited to review footage.
St Johnstone’s gripe was that McDermid had appeared to signal for a foul before the goal was scored, with some claiming he had even blown his whistle. The SFA later issued a statement backing McDermid, who they said had not blown his whistle until after the goal.
“Anybody help me with it?” asked Levein. “I didn’t speak to the referee, what's the point? I've been there a hundred times and I end up getting fined and then doubling my fine and then doubling it again.
“I thought it was a foul for us. I thought that Jack had been tripped by Dessers and that's why Jack was on the ground. And that's why Dessers still had the ball.
“So I thought there's no danger here. They're going to rule this out because Jack's been fouled. That was what I thought. Everybody stopped because of one or two things. Either they've stopped because they heard the whistle or they've seen the referee giving us a free kick.
“And then, of course, what makes it worse, because the players are then really frustrated, they say stuff to the referee and end up getting booked. I think the referee's made a mistake. That's what I think. I'd love him to come out afterwards and just say, 'look I've got that one wrong'.”
Rangers manager Philippe Clement extended some sympathy to his opposite number but stressed that his side “should have won 5-0 – or 5-1”. Rangers were indeed wasteful in the extreme but gave their fans inside a very desolate Hampden something to cheer after a trying period. The players made a beeline towards the supporters behind the goal after the final whistle and cavorted with them as if they had won the cup.
"It's something that was planned,” said Clement. “Because that group of supporters was there on Tuesday as well. And they stayed until the end of the game and stayed positive, to support the players, to support the club. So I think it's a normal thing from our side to show that respect towards them also."
Danilo’s long comeback from injury finally went up a notch. He was handed 45 minutes as well as a first start since a knee injury last December. The Brazilian striker understandably lacked sharpness and might, on another day, have had a hat-trick.
“It's a pity for him that he didn't score at a few moments,” said Clement. “But you see him growing week by week and he comes from very far away, even from a few days ago, because I get questions here about whether he was still injured, because he was limping. We had a good laugh about that the next day with Dani.”
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