Soccer Football - Scottish Premiership - Dundee United v Celtic - Tannadice Park, Dundee, Scotland, Britain - January 29, 2023 Celtic's Jota celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Neil McCann and Marvin Bartley were amazed that Kieran Freeman avoided being sent off against Celtic in Dundee United’s 2-0 defeat from the champions.
The defender picked up a booking in the 51st minute of the match for a late lunge that caught Greg Taylor on the ankle.
A few minutes later as Celtic attacked down the left Freeman stuck out an arm to block a pass by Jota into the penalty box.
Despite being close to the incident referee Don Robertson didn’t blow for a penalty but at the next break in play he took up the request to review the incident on the pitch-side monitor.
After taking a second look at the incident the match referee reversed his decision, pointed to the penalty spot but opted out of further action against Freeman.
Looking in on Sportscene tonight the Daily Record reports:
The pair stated that while the decision to award the penalty was easy, the 22-year-old should have been shown a second yellow card by Robertson. Queen of the South boss Bartley said when reviewing the penalty call: ‘There is no arguing with this one.
One thing that did surprise me – and I don’t want to see players sent off – for me that is a deliberate handball. I’m not sure how Freeman managers to stay on the pitch after his earlier tackle where he was booked, just a couple of minutes earlier. But yeah, that was an easy one.”
McCann chimed in: “That was one of the easier ones (VAR decisions). I think the idea behind it (the check) was to see if it was inside or outside. As Marvin said, I don’t know how it’s not a red card, because it’s absolutely deliberate.”
There was no further scoring but against 10 men for 35 minutes Celtic may well have added a few more goals.
I didn’t see the game live but watched later. If you review the referee after he turns from the VAR screen he has a yellow card to hand then quickly pockets it as he’s remembered he’s just booked the same lad ( who could’ve been sent off for 2 bites at Taylor in the same sequence of play) just 5 mins earlier – this helps to demonstrates a conscious bias/underhand approach when UTD should’ve been down to10 men – shocking
It’s not a yellow card in his hand. It’s a hi-vis top worn by a substitute in the background, but as he turns to run back onto the pitch the yellow appears as if its at his hand.
Against the FILTH he’s aff but against us nae Fukin chance incase we’d rattled them fur another 9!
Did anyone see the ‘penalty’ (reviewed by VAR, very able rangers*men) denied to St. Johnstone v the Huns ? Moreover, it was a career threatening lunge.
Commentary: ‘As you can see, the axe actually missed his head by centimetres and the brotherhood clearly got it right.’
I thought one was supposed to ‘call out’ discrimination.
If you’re talking about the Ryan Jack assault on the St J player, it was in St Js box so wasn’t a penalty. It was reviewed to see if it was a red, but Gollum bottled it yet again!
Against Morton, Celtic got a penalty for hand-ball. But later in the game we never got another one for a more blatant hand-ball. It just wasn’t given, the referee waved play on.
Which proves that the Laws of the game are NOT being applied fairly and without favour!