Celtic’s disastrous season took on capitulation last night as it was announced that they won’t be appealing Odsonne Edouard’s yellow card from Sunday’s Glasgow Derby.
As fans have grown accustomed to, the news was revealed by Radio Clyde with the significant news from the club appearing to leak out to certain publishers.
? Celtic have chosen not to appeal the yellow card given to Odsonne Edouard for simulation against Rangers on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/SVpFXRKgWG
— Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (@ClydeSSB) March 23, 2021
Radio Clyde wouldn’t have taken a guess or flyer at a story like that, it will have come from a senior figure inside the club.
Effectively the club has agreed with Willie Collum that Odsonne Edouard is a diver despite the post match comments of John Kennedy and Scott Brown. Not a decision that will bolster morale in the dressing room for the tilt at the Scottish Cup that has Dermot Desmond so excited.
Simulation and Mistaken Identity are the only category of booking that the SFA allow appeals on, for obvious reasons.
Having failed to take up the option to appeal Edouard’s booking Celtic are agreeing with the decision and effectively saying that their captain and Interim Manager were out of order in their criticism. An appeal wouldn’t necessary have been successful but it would have demonstrated some backbone.
When Alfredo Morelos was booked for simulation against Livingston he was backed to the hilt by his club. Steven Gerrard confronted John Beaton on the pitch, within 15 minutes Ibrox friendly Social Media channels were on a war footing defending the honour of their player. Two days later that booking was overturned.
Sadly it seems that there isn’t a similar level of backing at Celtic.
Earlier this season Devante Cole stamped on the thigh of Jeremie Frimpong, Andrew Dallas thought it was only worth a yellow card. In the next match with Motherwell the same player kicked out at Ismaila Soro’s lower stomach, Nick Walsh awarded a yellow card. Not a word of complaint was raised by Celtic.
Celtic did successfully appeal against a retrospective two match suspension given to Albian Ajeti away to Kilmarnock.
Appealing that decision but accepting the Edouard yellow for simulation darkens the reputation of a player and sets a precedent. Human nature suggests referees won’t hesitate to book Celtic players for simulation knowing that in the biggest fixture of the season the club backed down from the criticism delivered by their manager and captain.
Should Celtic have appealed Edouard's yellow card?
Yes, must stand by player, captain, manager
No, Willie Collum made an honest decision
I’ve seen it again, I’ve spoken to Odsonne as well. As much as people say that there is little contact there, if you play that at full time (speed?), the player comes in recklessly. You know Odsonne is trying to avoid that, he gets clipped in the process, it is six yards out from the goal- it’s a goal.
The player knows what he is doing, he’s in the wrong position, he knows he is caught out and he goes into a reckless challenge and you have to avoid that. There has been contact, again it’s the referee’s decision but it is a poor decision in my opinion.