Livingston

The Scottish Premiership game between Aberdeen and Livingston on 4 November has been postponed because the Pittodrie side will be playing in the Viaplay Cup semis that weekend.

A new date for the league match in Aberdeen will be confirmed by the SPFL "in due course".

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David Martindale has questioned why the video assistant referee didn’t intervene in Rangers’ opening goal against Livingston on Wednesday night.

Abdallah Sima looked to have pushed Jamie Brandon before running through to score and send Rangers on the way to a 4-0 win and Viaplay Cup semi-final against Hearts.

Referee Willie Collum gave the goal and VAR Nick Walsh did not ask him to review the incident.

Speaking before his side’s weekend trip to face St Johnstone, Livi boss Martindale said: "It is frustrating. We got a six-figure invoice the other day for VAR. It is a good bit above six figures and you get these decisions - you are hoping that VAR is going to help to make the right decision.

"In those circumstances it would have been beneficial if Willie had been asked to look at the monitor and if the on-field referee watches it and says it is not a foul, you probably take it a wee bit more on the chin.

"In hindsight, a wee bit frustrated, a wee bit angry by the decision.

"But I would rather the referee on the park gets the opportunity to use the technology and at that point if Willie says he doesn't think it is a foul then it puts the debate to bed, it curbs any argument I have got.

"I genuinely felt Willie was going to blow for a foul and then I thought okay, the technology, the people in the VAR studio will give us the foul.

"I was at the [Rangers v Motherwell] game on Sunday and there was one on Tav [Rangers skipper James Tavernier] and I don't think there was anywhere near the force used in that one but Rangers got the decision.

"So it's going back to consistency, because I think there was more of an infringement last night than on Sunday. So I am a wee bit disappointed."

Livingston announced on Sunday night that Baycup Ltd and sole director John McIlvogue had acquired a majority shareholding of the club.

Martindale said: "He was in on Tuesday and floating around all the staff when I was training. We had a quick five-minute chat. I will hopefully get a good chat next week."

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• No team has faced more shots (103), more shots on target (40) or had more expected goals against (12.3) than St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership this season, while only Ross County and Livingston (both 11) have conceded more goals than the Perth side's 10.

• Livingston have recorded four draws from their last eight top-flight matches, which is as many as they had in their previous 21.

• St Johnstone are yet to win in the league this season (P6 D2 L4); the last time they failed to win any of their first seven matches in a top-flight season was in 2019-20 when they failed to win their first nine (D4 L5).

• Livingston’s last six league visits to St Johnstone have seen them alternate between winning (3 times) and not winning (D1 L2), losing most recently 2-0 in May last season as Saints ended a three-game losing run in this fixture.

Livingston chief executive Dave Black attacks the decision not to overturn Rangers' opening goal in last night's 4-0 loss at Ibrox, using social media to say "...incredibly difficult to take the fact that we also have to pay for the introduction of VAR but still have to put up and shut up with this sort of error even yet." (Daily Record), external

Read the rest of Thursday's Scottish gossip.

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Were you at the match at Ibrox or following from elsewhere?

Either way, we want your views on the game - have your say here.

Livingston manager David Martindale told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound: "I think the first goal's a foul. It's a clear hands on. For the life of me I don't know how we've not got a foul there.

"I don't think anyone goes out to make bad decisions. Football's about opinions. It comes down to the opinions of people making those decisions. My opinion of it is that it's a foul.

"We started the second half fairly well. We give a second goal away, a cheap second goal. At that point, we've got a mountain to climb. Third goal's really, really basic - schoolboy defending. Rangers were probably value for their four goals."

BBC Scotland's Martin Dowden at Ibrox

Livingston just could not get out or retain possession for any length of time. However, a slight dip in Rangers' level for a short spell afforded the visitors some hope and they came very close to levelling.

David Martindale will be frustrated at the opening, encouraged by the moments that brought a glimmer of hope but ultimately will feel a sense of deja vu having seen a similar outcome on their last visit to Ibrox.

It felt like a long shot given they have never won at Ibrox and ultimately that proved to be the case.

Rangers make four changes from the team that beat Motherwell on Sunday with Ridvan Yilmaz, Ryan Jack, Kemar Roofe and Abdallah Sima restored to the starting XI.

Borna Barisic, Scott Wright and Cyriel Dessers drop to the bench with the injured Rabbi Matondo missing out.

Livingston also make four alterations following their weekend loss to Celtic, starting at the back with Sean Kelly coming into defence. Stephen Kelly and Daniel MacKay are added to midfield and Kurtis Guthrie joins the attack.

Andrew Shinnie, Mo Sangare, Scott Pittman and Bruce Anderson make way and all four are listed as substitutes.

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Rangers: Butland, Tavernier, Goldson, Davies, Yilmaz, Lundstram, Jack, Cifuentes, Lammers, Roofe, Sima.

Substitutes: McCrorie, Souttar, Dessers, Sterling, Wright, Balogun, Barisic, Rice, McKinnon.

Livingston: George, Sean Kelly, Brandon, De Lucas, Obileye, Penrice, Stephen Kelly, Holt, MacKay, Guthrie, Joel Nouble.

Substitutes: Hamilton, Parkes, Pittman, Anderson, Bradley, Sangare, Shinnie, Lloyd, Lawal.

James Penrice hopes Livingston can tap into the fan unrest at Ibrox and stage a Viaplay Cup upset tonight.

Rangers host Livingston in the quarter-finals three days after being booed off by some of their supporters despite beating Motherwell 1-0.

Defender Penrice said: "I think you look at that every game when you go away from home. Places like Hibs, Hearts, if you can turn the fans, then you are going to have a better chance of winning the game.

"Going there, keeping at 0-0 for the first 15 minutes, and trying to nick a goal, it would be massive for us, just to try and turn the tide.

"We will go there and try to frustrate them and try to get through."

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Rangers are set to be without Rabbi Matondo for six weeks after he sustained a knee injury in Sunday’s 1-0 win against Motherwell.

The winger came off in the first half of their cinch Premiership victory at the weekend and becomes the latest player to be sidelined ahead of the Viaplay Cup quarter-final against Livingston on Wednesday.

Rangers are still without Kieran Dowell and Todd Cantwell due to knee injuries, while Tom Lawrence and Nico Raskin are sidelined with calf problems and Danilo misses out through a fractured cheekbone.

Livingston hope to have Mikey Devlin back from injury, while Michael Nottingham (Achilles) and Cristian Montano (calf) are getting close to fitness but will not make the game.

Livingston travel to Ibrox to face Rangers for the quarter-finals of the Viaplay Cup on Wednesday.

Livi lost 3-0 against Celtic in the league last time out, but David Martindale’s men will be hoping to cause an upset and pile the pressure on Michael Beale.

Choose you Livi XI for the game here.

Stuart Barrie, Livingston fan

In past seasons we’ve had a terrific record against Celtic and with the visitors having a tricky European away game earlier in the week there was a bit of optimism around this fixture. Maybe it was blind hope, but I felt we may nick something.

For the most part it was a fairly even game with both teams having good chances. Then Joe Hart ruined our game plan by getting sent off and Celtic stepped up a gear. To be fair, for a couple of goals we were the victims of our own demise. The manager made some positive changes and threw on forward players, adopting a more attacking approach, but it didn’t work and we barely laid a glove on the visitors.

When you’re 2-0 down against a quality side like Celtic it’s hard to claw your way back into the game even if they have 10 men. They may have been a man down but you wouldn’t have noticed with the running their forward players do. We may not get a better chance to beat Celtic, so this one was disappointing.

What was pleasing is the full stands. Loads of clubs have cut back on Old Firm visitors’ tickets. I’m fine with giving away the three stands. Its makes for a cracking atmosphere and the cash it brings in could be a lifeline for us.

David Martindale admits the change of ownership at Livingston could cost him his job after 10 years with the West Lothian club. (Scottish Sun)

Read the rest of Tuesday's Scottish gossip.

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Livingston's change of ownership is a "huge positive" for the club, says manager David Martindale, although he admits that he knows very little about the new owner.

It was announced on Sunday that Baycup Ltd and John McIlvogue have taken a majority stake in the Scottish Premiership club, with McIlvogue joining the board and becoming chief commercial officer.

Chief executive Dave Black and chairman John Ward will remain in their roles.

“I don’t really know anymore than you guys but what I will say is there’s a new owner and it’s got to be a positive for the football club, because where we have been for the past three or four years has not been great," Martindale said.

“I am going to be really honest, it’s been really, really difficult for the staff in the club.

“So to have fresh impetus, a fresh skill-set coming into the building and hopefully upstairs aligned with downstairs and a wee bit of help upstairs for everybody in the club, that’s a huge, huge positive for the club.

“I have not even met these new owners or the new owner, whatever it is. I don’t even know him, but I just know it needed done and hopefully this is the step in the right direction.”

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We asked how you felt following defeat at home to Celtic.

Kieran: Definitely went into today thinking we could take points away, so was encouraged going into half time against 10 men and only a goal down. Lineup looked positive too. Disappointed to let the lead slip in the second half, missing that defensive solidity that’s gotten us this strong start to the season. I can imagine we missed Devlin at the back.

Were you at Livingston's defeat or following from home?

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