Celtic were horrendous today, nothing went right, they seemed shapeless and without purpose. None of the players were near form, in marks out of 10, a 6 would be generous.
Early on it looked awkward, disjointed. Ange Postecoglou waited till half-time to make substitutions but that proved costly with St Mirren going in front through Mark O’Hara in the 43rd minute.
Two substitutions were made at the interval, St Mirren doubled their lead in the 53rd minute with Celtic never looking like getting back into the game. On the touchline Postecoglou looked strangely powerless to effect the way that the match drifted away.
They could have played all day without scoring but that doesn’t allow Don Robertson to escape criticism with another horrendous refereeing display.
Robertson first came to attention away to Ross County in April 2017 with a ridiculous penalty gifted to the home side against Celtic. Kieran Tierney still has the scars from a brutal assault on him against Motherwell a few months earlier.
Last season Robertson upped his leniency levels further. Calum Butcher of Dundee United committee a brutal attack on David Turnbull, stayed on the pitch with the SFA retrospectively applying a red card.
A month later Robertson took it even further as Alloa Athletic players took full advantage to boot lumps out of Celtic players in a Scottish Cup tie. Yosuke Ideguchi took the worst of it, again the SFA applied a pointless retrospective red card on Mouhamed Niang.
Robertson has been upto his tricks already this season. A few weeks back he refused to send off James Sands for a rugby challenge that denied Jordy Hiwula a clear run at goal in the first half hour at Ibrox.
?? Dermot Gallagher says referee Don Robertson should have shown Rangers’ James Sands a red card in the first half of their 4-0 win over Ross County ?? pic.twitter.com/f2y0NHU6DY
— Sky Sports Scotland (@ScotlandSky) August 29, 2022
Seven matches into the new season and Robertson has had two fixtures involving Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side and Celtic’s visits to Ross County and St Mirren.
Saints boss Stephen Robinson knew that his team could do as they pleased today, late challenges were everywhere, whenever a Celtic player was challenged they were being pushed and pulled, play on almost every time. There was no overall horror decision but with a very weak referee St Mirren took full advantage.
In the first five minutes of the second half three times Celtic players had their jerseys pulled, not one free kick was given.
After his performances at Dundee United and Alloa last season Robertson shouldn’t be anywhere near SPFL Premiership fixtures, with Bobby Madden quitting for personal reasons it seems that Robertson is climbing the ladder.
Shamefully there won’t be any comment or complaint from the Celtic board. Last season Madden was given six of Celtic’s first 24 SPFL matches without a whimper from the Celtic boardroom. An executive that remains on mute when a glass bottle strikes an employee on the head while glass mysteriously appears in Joe Hart’s goal-mouth at Ibrox.
When Steven McLean got away with it in the 2015 Scottish Cup semi-final against Inverness Caley Thistle it sent a message to every aspiring referee in the country. Do whatever you like in Celtic matches and your promotion is assured.
Until the men who were in the boardroom in July 2012 move on Celtic players and supporters can expect more performances like today. With Andrew Dallas and the Lanarkshire Refereeing Association preparing to control VAR things are only going to get tougher.
I see the SFA fairly cracked down hard on Don Robertson, after he refused to send off the Rangers defender for the most obvious red card in history against Ross County……by giving him the Celtic game.
That’ll teach him.— eudo (@DonBeanleone) September 18, 2022
Dunno what’s more annoying, the kit clash, Don Robertson, or Andy Walker….
— Neill McGinley (@neilly1987) September 18, 2022
What a task for Celtic in the second half,goal behind and up against a referee(DON ROBERTSON) that hates Celtic…..
— des (@Cocobanjo2Dp) September 18, 2022
Don Robertson is at it
— C ?? (@_pataigonia) September 18, 2022
That Don Robertson is some player for them.
— Quinntin (@StuartQ76561194) September 18, 2022
We were going to get beat at some point the ref linesman fourth man well what can you say biased or just incompetent ?
Much as though he’s a bell-end you can’t really blame Robertson for our shitey performance. I will, however, blame the grey strip! Don’t Adidas know that grey is a cursed colour for fitba taps??? Whose bright idea was that one????
#clutchingatstrawsforanexplanationwhyweweresopishtoday
Man U famous Grey strip. They changed it at half time saying they could not see each other.
Dejan Vu perhaps….
Staying away from the obvious after yesterday, enough has been said and written. It’s really about time a serious look at our kits are taken. That grey yesterday was horrific, maybe that’s why the players looked strangers to each other, nothing about it , except the crest, resembled a Celtic top. Don’t we have an all green!!!!! I’m aware we have a lucrative contract with Adidas but we must surely have an input in shirt design, even the first choice this season is far to dark green and the shark tooth does absolutely nothing for the jersey. Let’s watch a Celtic we recognise.