Glasgow Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor will miss the next two games at Ibrox.
Barry Ferguson told PLZ Soccer that Allan McGregor told him that he was focusing on protecting himself in the challenge that resulted in the Rangers goalkeeper receiving a two-game ban.
McGregor attracted some criticism following the Gers’ 4-2 win away at Aberdeen when he caught Lewis Ferguson on the shin as he came off his line to collect a ball on the edge of his box.
No action was taken at the time, but the SFA have since handed the goalkeeper a two-match ban that will rule him out of the games against St Johnstone and Kilmarnock over the next week.
Barry Ferguson was always going to have an interesting opinion on the incident given that McGregor is a former teammate and the Dons star is his nephew. And he suggested that he has some sympathy for the Gers goalkeeper after speaking to him about the challenge.
“I bumped into Allan on Sunday and I asked him,” he told PLZ Soccer. “We were talking about and, I’ll be honest with you, I looked in his eyes and asked: ‘Did you mean it?’
“And his words were: ‘Look Baz, I’m coming out to protect myself’. Previous goalkeepers I’ve worked with would always come out and try and protect themselves.”
Given that Alan Power avoided punishment for a challenge on Ryan Jack this week, it is no surprise that many Rangers fans are furious to see McGregor reprimanded.
It is quite easy to argue that there is too much inconsistency in the process. And the cases involving McGregor and Power arguably highlight that, especially considering how confident Ferguson appears to be that the Gers ace did not intend to injure his opponent.
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