Rangers manager Danny Rohl endorses club statement about referees ... and admits he's STILL baffled by decision not to send off Celtic's Auston Trusty

Danny Rohl says he still can't understand why Auston Trusty wasn’t sent off for kicking Jack Butland on the head during Sunday’s Premier Sports Cup semi-final.

The Celtic defender’s boot connected with the Rangers keeper after Butland grabbed a loose ball shortly before half-time at Hampden.

Referee Nick Walsh flashed a yellow card, in a decision VAR Steven McLean was content to let stand.

That infuriated Rohl’s side, who were a goal and a man down at that point following Thelo Aasgaard’s dismissal, before losing 3-1 in extra time.

With Rangers fans also furious that Anthony Ralston didn’t receive a second yellow card for the handball which led to their equalising penalty, the club released a statement saying ‘the handling of key incidents during Sunday’s semi-final has again raised legitimate concerns about the consistency of refereeing in Scottish football’.

Despite club representatives meeting with the SFA ‘to seek explanations for major incidents in the match,’ the statement went on to claim Rangers were ‘unsatisfied with the explanation of the referee’s decision in that incident (Trusty), the application of the Laws of the Game, and the VAR review itself, which we do not believe was sufficiently rebust or thorough’.

Addressing the club’s stance for the first time since the meeting, head coach Rohl said he still couldn’t understand why Trusty’s foul wasn’t worthy of a red card.

‘I think we spoke about two different situations,’ said the German. ‘It was the handball with the yellow card, or maybe the second yellow card. And then, of course, it was the kick against the head for Jack.

‘I think we always have two sides. The referee has their side and they are looking for the rules.

‘We have our sides, how we see something. For me, it doesn’t matter how - if there is a kick against the head, you have to be really careful what you are doing there.This is maybe for me a little bit too difficult to understand. For me, it doesn’t matter if it’s from the side or the front.

‘A kick against the head is always dangerous because you could get an injury from your opponent. This is a little bit difficult. But the handball, okay, there are so many rules with the handball. It’s this angle, it’s this angle. But the tackle was difficult to understand.

‘But, again, we got the red card. We tried our best and, after 90 minutes, you must say, even with the red card, we took it well. But it was still not enough.’

Last year, then manager Philippe Clement distanced himself for a club statement demanding that Willie Collum no longer officiated at their matches.

That followed a flashpoint in an Old Firm game when Collum, who was the VAR and is now head of referees, didn’t alert match referee Walsh to a potential handball by Celtic’s Alistair Johnston. If later emerged that there had been an offside in the build-up.

Asked if he endorsed the club’s statement on Monday, Rohl replied: ‘This is another good thing about this club, that we have people who support me with some reactions.

‘This game is done, we cannot change it. But I hope in the future there are some good decisions on our side.

‘This is football and there is always pressure.

‘My players have to make good decisions, I have to make good decisions and the refs try to make the best decisions.

‘But we are just human and sometimes we make the wrong decisions, and after the game we would change it if we could. But, after a game, this is easy to say.

‘I just think it is always important that you are strong with your decisions.’

Rohl’s side face Roma in the Europa League at Ibrox on Thursday night, with the team yet to earn a point from their three opening games.

The 36-year-old revealed he is now in the process of gathering his findings from his first few weeks at the club which he will put to the hierarchy after Sunday’s trip to Dundee.

‘After the first two or three weeks, I (will) have all my notes together and, during the international break, we will talk about what were my first impressions.

‘I will give my feedback on some topics. This is very important.

‘I will need more than three weeks to know more and more.

‘Even now, some players haven’t been able to show what they can do maybe.

‘And it is important that I try to give everyone a chance.

‘Some players have had more chances than others at the moment and others have had to wait.

‘But I am sure we will make good decisions for the future.’