'Only from one section of support' - Rangers manager Michael Beale on claims Ryan Kent should face sanction

Rangers manager Michael Beale has dismissed claims Ryan Kent committed a red-card offence against Liam Scales in his club’s Viaplay Cup semi-final win over Aberdeen on Sunday.

Rangers Ryan Kent is "not a tough kid" said his manager Michael Beale in leaping to his winger's defence over the accusations that have ensued from him striking Liam Scales in Sunday's Viaplay Cup semi final. (Photo by Ross MacDonald / SNS Group)

Kent escaped punishment for a stoppage-time incident where he appeared to make contact with the face of Celtic loanee Scales. The Rangers manager maintains there was a straightforward explanation for what he viewed as accidental contact, a judgement it can be presumed was shared by match referee Nick Walsh and the VAR after there was no comeback at the time for an incident that also provided no issues for opposing manager Jim Goodwin. Beale also stressed that it was simply not in Kent’s make-up to transgress in such fashion. The Englishman has been sent off once in his Rangers career, against Aberdeen for two bookings last season, but he was handed a retrospective two-game ban from the SFA for a punch on then-Celtic captain Scott Brown back in March 2019.

Commenting on the situation, Beale feels the altercation has been blown out of proportion and believes the complaints are only coming from “one section of support”. Pundits have also weighed in on the debate, with former Celtic striker Chris Sutton at the forefront of calls for the SFA to take action over the incident.

“Ryan is trying to run, Scales is stopping him run and has wrapped him up. He has tried to get himself free,” said Beale. “Come on. Ryan is not a tough kid, that is not Ryan. Ryan is a technical player. I think a lot has been made about it but only from one section of support.”