Postecoglou poured fuel on that particularly toxic fire- Keith Jackson doubles down on Ange attack

Last Monday Keith Jackson accused Ange Postecoglou of self pity and spiteful irrationalism when the Celtic boss highlighted decisions that he felt had gone against his side since the introduction of VAR.

Reflecting on Celtic’s win over Kilmarnock on Saturday the Daily Record reporter returned to that theme, doubling down on his attack on Postecoglou.

Jackson touched on the ‘paranoia narrative’ before claiming that the Celtic boss poured fuel on that particularly toxic fire.

It seems that the Record reporter has an issue with Postecoglou highlighting incredible discrepancies in the application of the handball rule. In November penalties were awarded against Alexandro Bernabei and Matt O’Riley on successive Saturday’s for the most unintentional of contact.

At Ibrox on January 2 Connor Goldson raised his hands to block a shot from Carl Starfelt, match referee John Beaton and VAR Willie Collum both decided that it didn’t merit the award of a penalty. So far this season the league leaders have had five penalties awarded against them, the team in second place have gone through 21 SPFL matches without having one penalty awarded against them.

Drawing attention to the problems his side have encountered from referees seems to have upset Jackson, in the Daily Record, referring to Celtic’s first goal at Hampden he points out:

In fact, it looks like a physical impossibility for Maeda not to handle the ball as it cannons towards goal and yet, somehow, VAR had it all cleared up within a few split seconds.

Still, at least these anomalies might help to put the paranoia narrative to bed where Celtic and their deeply suspicious supporters are concerned.

Manager Ange Postecoglou poured fuel on that particularly toxic fire the other week when he asserted that the breaks could not possibly even themselves out over the remainder of the season, given some of the ludicrously wonky decisions which have gone against them already.

And yet, over the course of 90 minutes on Saturday, the big Aussie was eating his own words.

Later on pointing towards Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes, Jackson adds:

But what was a bit surprising was that he chose to bite his lip when it came to Celtic’s opening goal which was given the all clear almost immediately at Clydesdale House even though Daizen Maeda appeared to use at least one arm to bundle the ball into the back of the net from close range.

As a matter of fact McInnes did raise this matter with the fourth official immediately after Maeda had deflected Kyle Lafferty’s clearance into the back of Sam Walker’s net.

McInnes was reassured that replays were being examined and pored over back in the bunker and the Kilmarnock manager naturally assumed that the pictures proved the goal should have stood. It was only after he left the National Stadium later on Saturday night that McInnes was able to study the footage for himself.

And it’s reasonable to assume that the inner rage he felt over the decision not to award his team with a late penalty was compounded by what he saw. There is a still photograph taken as the ball ricocheted into Maeda off Lafferty’s boot which appears to add even more weight to Kilmarnock’s argument.

In fact, it looks like a physical impossibility for Maeda not to handle the ball as it cannons towards goal and yet, somehow, VAR had it all cleared up within a few split seconds. Still, at least these anomalies might help to put the paranoia narrative to bed where Celtic and their deeply suspicious supporters are concerned.

Manager Ange Postecoglou poured fuel on that particularly toxic fire the other week when he asserted that the breaks could not possibly even themselves out over the remainder of the season, given some of the ludicrously wonky decisions which have gone against them already.

And yet, over the course of 90 minutes on Saturday, the big Aussie was eating his own words.

Greg Aitken was the VAR for the Celtic v Kilmarnock match.

It seems that Jackson has developed some hostility towards the Celtic manager, strangely just a few years ago he was the last newspaper reporter to get an interview with Peter Lawwell when the former CEO explained his hopes to have supporters inside Celtic Park for test matches in July 2020, there were no fans inside Celtic Park until July 2021.

CLICK HERE for Jackson on Ange’s self pity and spiteful irrationalism.

Celtic VAR paranoia can be put to bed after Hampden howlers force Ange to eat his words | Keith Jacksonhttps://t.co/fpIfeDlkdx

— Daily Record Sport (@Record_Sport) January 16, 2023