There are times in football when two things can be true at once. A fan can behave like an absolute idiot, and a player can still make life harder for himself by reacting. That seems to be where we’re at with the noise around Raskin, and the reports that an incident was caught on camera.

Deal with the supporter properly

If a supporter has done something out of order, then the response should be straightforward. Identify them, remove them, and make it clear it’s not acceptable. That’s not “banter”, it’s not part of the game, and nobody should be trying to brush it off as just one of those things.

The key point is that it shouldn’t be left to players to police it in the moment. That’s what stewards, clubs and the football authorities are for. If it’s on camera, all the better. The evidence is there, and there’s really no excuse for it dragging on without action. A matchday ban for a few years? If the behaviour warrants it, then yes. Football grounds aren’t a free-for-all.

Raskin still has to keep his head

As much as we’ll all sympathise with a player who gets targeted, Rangers players have to know how it works. The second you react, you’re giving officials a decision to make, you’re giving the opposition crowd a moment, and you’re handing the headlines over to somebody else.

That’s the frustrating bit. You can be in the right, morally and emotionally, and still come out of it with the punishment. It’s not fair, but it’s football. We’ve seen it before. Fans will remember examples like Halliday getting punished for a gesture, and more recent situations where a “stern warning” has been the outcome for a player.

“Club standards” can’t be selective

Rangers are always talking about standards, on and off the pitch. That’s a good thing. But it has to apply in the messy moments as well, not just when things are going well and everybody’s calm.

So if there’s a lesson for Raskin, it’s a simple one: don’t react, report it, walk away. Difficult? Of course it is. Players are human. But the badge demands that extra bit of control, because we know how quickly a split-second response can become the story.

Ideally, you end up with a sensible outcome: the supporter gets dealt with firmly, and the player gets reminded of the line without it turning into a circus. That’s not letting anyone off the hook. It’s just keeping the standards where they should be.

Written by Angus1812: 13 January 2026

Tags: squad