During his playing days John Hartson didn’t mess about as defenders in Scotland ad England will happily testify to.
The ball was there to be won, his opponent was the enemy and he wasn’t going to go round the houses looking to be part of a 24 touch passing move to get the ball in the net if he could bulldoze his way to goal.
Scottish football is four years behind the English game in the introduction of VAR, the teething troubles elsewhere have been observed and worked on with the SFA taking delivery this weekend, ahead of the planned post World Cup introduction.
“Celtic had to beat two teams here today, they had to beat Hearts and they had to beat the VAR team…” pic.twitter.com/bqFxYLec0n
— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) October 22, 2022
Hearts were rightly awarded two penalties today, Ange Postecoglou won’t be pleased by the way Cameron Carter-Vickers and Moritz Jenz defended passes into the box.
Equally in 11 SPFL matches this season Celtic have yet to be awarded a penalty despite spending 60% plus of the time in possession in most matches. Celtic have scored 39 goals but none from the penalty spot.
Soon after Lawrence Shankland equalised for Hearts in the first half Michael Smith raised his arm to block a pass from James Forrest. Referee Nick Walsh saw it, VAR Steve McLean got to review it and didn’t even suggest that Walsh check it on the monitor.
The SFA have been on a charm offensive this week to explain VAR, we’ll see if they publish any explanation for today’s decisions at Tynecastle.
Don’t know why they’re laughing. Big John is spot-on (no pun intended)! An obvious penalty hand ball, ignored by Referee AND VAR! It’s like the McLean and Walsh Show (of bias)!
Can you imagine UCL and International games being played on such a basis as the Scottish game? Football would be the laughing stock of world sport!
The facts are clear. You don’t let bad drivers teach your kids to drive.
Already a proven biased, inept and incompetent “referee” Nick Walsh being backed by another of equal quality is NOT going to improve decision making in Scotland!
By adding a second layer of ineptness, bias and incompetence, you make a complete mockery of things!
Where was blabbermouth Boyd to defend the rollout of VAR on the first full Saturday ? I’d love to have heard his rant when Walsh denied the stonewall penalty to Celtic and then refusing to view the VAR monitors !What’s the point in having the thing in the first place ,if it’s going to be ignored to do its job when needed ? There one thing it will do though ! It will prove how inept and inadequate our match officials really are.
New ways to cheat? A dirty little snotter of a referee. We know what McLean is, through and through – the most glaring of cheats! Like McCulloch – who said “Good Game” to Ange. It is in their DNA. Rotten – and you’ll never teach them!
100% right big John. These Peepil think it’s their birthright to abuse and cheat Catholics, their forefathers did it for generations before them. As someone said today ” the VAR my father wore”.
CELTIC will get the most outrageous of VAR decisions when the game is over in CELTICS favours .. And we will be told “see” CELTIC get all the VAR Decisions going. NOT just by the SMSM but opposition managers and fans and “them”