Alves concern about 'unacceptable' behaviour on pitch

[ian1964 10,724]

The Rangers defender says something needs to change because they want to play football.

 

Rangers defender Bruno Alves has hit out at some of the "unacceptable" behaviour he has witnessed on the pitch in Scotland, saying something needs to change.

 

The 35-year-old's side lost 2-0 to Motherwell in the League Cup semi final amid many heated battles across the pitch.

 

Fabio Cardoso suffered a broken nose when he was elbowed by Ryan Bowman and Alves himself escaped punishment when he kicked out at goal-hero Louis Moult.

 

Managers Pedro Caixinha and Steve Robinson were also sent to the stand as tempers frayed on the touchline.

 

It left Alves angry that referee Steven McLean allowed Motherwell to play such a physical game and speaking after the defeat he admitted it's an area of the Scottish game that concerns him.

 

"I'm very disappointed for what happened on the pitch," he said at full time."We are always trying to play football, I do not like to speak about the referees but they can't allow this kind of behaviour. It happens too many times and I'm really concerned about this.

 

"After this kind of behaviour anything can happen but this is not football. I like physical contact and to play hard but this is too much and it's not good behaviour."This is not acceptable. I don't want to find excuses for when we lose but today I'm really disappointed with this.

 

"I'm sad because we lost the game but I'm sad about what happened. Fabio broke his nose, what more can happen?"We came here to play football. We like when it is fast and confrontational but that was too much. Something needs to change because we want to play football."

 

https://stv.tv/sport/football/1400491-alves-concerned-about-unacceptable-behaviour-on-the-pitch/

[RANGERRAB 3,678]

Someone within Rangers, not Alves, needs to take yesterday's refereeing performance to task.

 

Seek a meeting with the SFA for an explanation as to why teams are being allowed to get away unpunished with blatant thuggery against us. Are referees being told to be lenient against us? If so why?

 

We've seen this in the games against Hibz, Ross County & yesterday against Motherwell so far this season. It cannot go on.

[cooponthewing 1,139]

I mentioned this in the match thread yesterday Rab. I’m glad Alves has said something but it’s not enough. Fans won’t do anything either. It’s ostrich time again. We had everyone exclaiming “never again and if it happens once more” after Beaton and Hibs.

 

Since then there have been others culminating in yesterday’s performance on a par with the Beaton carve up. Too many Bears, on and off this forum, want to stick their head in the sand.

 

Alves and the team are perfectly entitled. If they feel their safety is at risk as officials in Scotland are facilitating a campaign of on field assault against Rangers players. If Alves brings this up, people outwith these shores will pay attention. Totally agree with you re the clubs duty of care.

Edited October 23, 2017 by cooponthewing

[Frankie 8,570]

Unfortunately, right message, wrong messenger given his own silly behaviour yesterday.

[cooponthewing 1,139]

Unfortunately, right message, wrong messenger given his own silly behaviour yesterday.

 

I don’t blame anyone for being frustrated yesterday. I also remember pointing out, not for the first time, the overseas players looking at each other in disbelief. This is such a corrupt backwater that the officials won’t give two hoots that they are perceived as corrupt.

[StuGers 477]

 

This is encouraged in Scottish football. Who will seriously want to sign for us if this is acceptable?

[der Berliner 3,747]

Honestly, we saw some really nasty stuff in the lower leagues, but there quite a few of these tackle were actually punished by the refs. What we've seen this and last season in the Premiership beggars belief. As I said, Rangers should be able to assemble a collection of the incidents of this season and go the the SFA and the relevant referee authorities, asking for an explanation.

 

As it stands, the mhedia will ridicule Alves (and us) for not being able to cope with the man's game in Scotland, a game that has an international slot somewhere close to the basement of the rankings.

 

On top of that, the way the Yahoos' got their backsides powdered at the same time puts the icing on the cake. That Bown challenge rescinded from a straight red to nothing was just the worst of it.

Edited October 23, 2017 by der Berliner

[stewarty 2,027]

Unless the club acts - both in private with the SFA, and publicly via the media; we're pishing against the wind.

 

I assume we've done the former already, to zero difference. So for me its time for the latter.

 

Regardless of the referee though, we didn't deserve the win yesterday. so I'm wary about going too hard on this.

[StuGers 477]

Unless the club acts - both in private with the SFA, and publicly via the media; we're pishing against the wind.

 

I assume we've done the former already, to zero difference. So for me its time for the latter.

 

Regardless of the referee though, we didn't deserve the win yesterday. so I'm wary about going too hard on this.

 

But how can you say we didn’t deserve it? Motherwell should have been playing with 9 men. So did they deserve the win?

[stewarty 2,027]

But how can you say we didn’t deserve it? Motherwell should have been playing with 9 men. So did they deserve the win?

 

I'm not sure I said that, to be fair...

 

Motherwell deserved to win because they took their chances having drawn us into a battle on their terms. We had no answer.

 

I can though say that refereeing performances this season have been consistent in the way that overly physical play has gone unpunished. I'm not arguing that teams are not within their rights to play however they feel is best to get a result, but I am arguing that officials should be applying the laws of the game consistently. We should be pressuring them to do so, via whatever means available to us.