Rangers have released a strongly-worded statement slamming the level of refereeing in Scotland after their defeat to Celtic.Gers suffered a 3-1 defeat to bitter rivals Celtic after extra time in the Scottish League Cup semi-finals on Sunday afternoon. During the loss, Danny Rohl’s side went down to ten men after 38 minutes, with Thelo Aasgaard shown a straight red card. Aasgaard flicked the ball into the air but was beaten to it by Anthony Ralston, and Aasgaard followed through into his opponent’s midriff.There were not too many complaints over that decision, but Rangers‘ anger appears to be focused on a separate incident.They have pointed out an incident that occurred in the final moments of the first half against Celtic, which saw Auston Trusty only receive a yellow card for kicking out at Jack Butland.Butland slid out to claim the ball and after he had collected it, Trusty appeared to kick the goalkeeper’s face.The centre-back avoided a red card despite a VAR check, in a decision that could well have changed the outcome of the cup tie.And Rangers began their statement with a specific mention of that coming together in last weekend’s Old Firm.“The handling of key incidents during Sunday’s semi-final has again raised legitimate concerns about the consistency of refereeing in Scottish football,” Rangers wrote on Monday night.“Club representatives met with the Scottish FA this evening to seek explanations for major decisions in the match, including the incident involving Jack Butland and Auston Trusty.“Following that meeting, we remain unsatisfied with the explanation of the referee’s decision in that incident, the application of the Laws of the Game, and the VAR review itself, which we do not believe was sufficiently robust or thorough.Rangers have been left enraged by decisions made in their game against Celtic and in generalGettyView Tweet: https://t.co/NxN54OsIER“We recognise that refereeing decisions can impact both sides in a game, but too many important matches continue to be influenced by calls that are inconsistent and difficult to justify. “These decisions have real consequences, determining results, impacting fans, and affecting the livelihoods of players, coaches and staff whose work is judged by outcomes on the pitch.“The club has consistently raised issues as they have occurred with the Scottish FA, but we do not feel there has been enough change in how refereeing is being developed at the highest level.“We understand and share the anger among our supporters, who have grown frustrated at the repeated inconsistencies in major match decisions that continue to affect the club.“For the benefit of our supporters and the wider game in the country, we will continue to hold the Scottish FA to account and expect them to lead meaningful progress that delivers lasting improvement.”Rangers’ statement follows some harsh words from their fans about the refereeing level in the Scottish game.Rangers and their fans are not happy with the officiating level in ScotlandGettyMore to follow…