Rangers secured a vital Scottish Premiership victory over Aberdeen at Pittodrie, though midfielder Cammy Devlin once again raised eyebrows with a moment of poor discipline that left pundit James McFadden stunned.
Entering Sunday’s fixture under severe scrutiny, Rangers had just suffered a humiliating exit from the Conference League. A 1-0 defeat to Jablonec resulted in a 1-1 aggregate tie, with Rangers ultimately falling on penalties and missing out on European competition entirely this season. That European failure came on the heels of dropping points in their opening two league fixtures.
Lawrence Shankland provided the decisive moment at Pittodrie, converting a powerful second-half penalty to secure a 1-0 win and earn Rangers their first league three points of the campaign.
Despite the positive outcome, the match was heavily disrupted by frequent fouls. Midway through the second half, Devlin picked up a completely unnecessary booking for a heavy tackle on Aberdeen’s Mitchy Ntelo, who was posing no immediate threat.
Analyzing the sequence for Sky Sports Football, McFadden expressed pure disbelief at the decision-making:
”Crazy, crazy from Cammy Devlin. He’s going nowhere Ntelo. Watch how heavy his touch is, he doesn’t need to make that foul.”
The reckless challenge fit a concerning pattern for the 28-year-old midfielder, who was suspended for the return fixture against Jablonec following a first-leg red card at Ibrox. Devlin has struggled to fully win over the Ibrox faithful, and moments like this continue to question his suitability as a regular starter.
For manager Derek McInnes, the victory offers crucial breathing room amid mounting pressure from supporters. Rangers were nearly forced to settle for another disappointing draw when Kevin Nisbet headed home late in the match, but VAR intervened to disallow the goal.
While the performance left plenty of room for improvement, the result gives McInnes a foundation to build upon as Rangers aim to get their domestic season back on track.
Mcfadden just comments what he wants to see.What about the disgraceful fouling by Aberdeen.Look at the list of bookings the diving.The foul on curtis should have been a straight red it was a leg breaker.Mcfadden we know is anti rangers and shouldn’t commentate on a rangers game get your green tinted glasses off .