On loan Tottenham Hotspur winger Nathan Oduwa was on the end of a series of challenges as Rangers beat Livingston at Ibrox on Tuesday night

Quite possibly, says Gary Keown

IT was hard not to feel sympathy for Oduwa when watching him plead with referee Andrew Dallas for protection during the half-time interval against Livingston.

To say that he had been subjected to some rough treatment by Mark Burchill’s side during the opening 45 minutes is a major understatement.

It continues to defy belief that Dallas failed to issue as much as a booking to Kieran Gibbons in the opening minute for a tackle that could easily have broken the England Under-20 winger’s ankle. Did Dallas and his linesman, Graham McNellie, really not see how bad it was?

Declan Gallagher did receive a yellow card later in the match for a crude challenge on Oduwa, but there were other tackles that could easily have attracted the attention of the officials including what appeared a clear blow to the head.

Oduwa eventually hobbled off the field at the break to be consoled by Davie Weir at the tunnel and then removed from the play. This is not the first time he has been targeted by the opposition and is unlikely to be the last.

In truth, talented, technical players being stopped by dirty play is nothing new. It is part of the game. You stop your opponent by any means necessary, but there is a referee on the field for a reason. He has to administer the laws of the game and punish those who go over the top.

That is likely to be the factor that influences Oduwa’s future. If those who kick him are punished, he will get back up and get on with the game.

If players are effectively let off scot-free for challenges that could potentially damage a career, it is only natural that the 19-year-old and his parent club Tottenham Hotspur may take another look at his loan agreement.

Hopefully not, says Chris Jack

NATHAN Oduwa is not the first, and nor will he be the last, flair player to be on the receiving end of crude challenges. It is part of the game and one the 19-year-old will have to learn to deal with.

But that doesn’t make it right, nor can it be used as a defence when referees fail to punish players for tackles that clearly require action.

Oduwa would have been expecting a tough night at Ibrox on Tuesday, but he wouldn’t have thought he would be the victim of a challenge like that from Kieran Gibbons inside the opening minute, or a lash out to the throat from Hugo Faria.

One of the reasons Tottenham would have sent Oduwa north of the border, like it would have been for Arsenal when they considered the best move for Gedion Zelalem in the summer, would have been for him to get accustomed this kind of environment and this kind of football.

It is a completely different type of experience to that of youth fixtures in England and it will undoubtedly toughen him up for when he returns to White Hart Lane looking to make an impact for Spurs.

But there may come a point where he, and his parent club, decide that enough is enough. He has had rough treatment before, and he will do again, and it would be a shame if that affected his game, or even in an extreme circumstance brought a premature end to his time at Ibrox.

The winger undoubtedly has talent and is the kind of player that fans enjoy coming to watch. Scottish football needs more entertainers.

Players like him should not be given preferential treatment from officials, but he has a right to expect action to be taken when necessary.