KRISTOFFER AJER has provided an update on social media from his hospital bed after undergoing surgery on his broken eye socket. The injury was sustained in a clash of heads in the latest bruising encounter for Celtic away to Livingston on Sunday.
While the incident could be put down as a clash of heads and therefore just one of these things it is nevertheless part of a wider narrative this season when Celtic players are picking up injuries and the culprits are going unpunished during the match by the referees.
“Surgery went really well! Thanks for all your support???? Finally I look like a proper defender ????????????”
Wishing you a speedy recovery, Kris! ????
kristoffer.v.ajer ???? [@instagram] pic.twitter.com/dZeul0WBAv
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) November 15, 2018
Ajer himself was kicked by the Rangers goalkeeper Allan McGregor and that went unpunished by the referee at the time and incredibly also by the SFA after their three former match officials failed to agree that it should have been a straight red card. Apparently the voting was 2 to 1 and the one will no doubt get plenty of laughs on the after dinner speaking tours around the lodges in years to come.
Odsonne Edouard was injured against Aberdeen after Scott McKenna attempted a martial arts move on the French striker. It was reckless and dangerous (it was not malicious) yet Bobby Madden saw nothing wrong with it all all and was more concerned about preventing the Celtic striker leaving the park towards the touchline rather than going behind the goal. It was a disgraceful episode from the match official and correctly the Compliance Officer took action. Although Aberdeen proceeded to the hearing this was rejected and McKenna got his two match ban upheld.
Then it was the turn of the Rangers supporting Hearts forward Steven MacLean, who was in the papers in the run-up to the Betfred Cup semi-final hoping that Celtic would get ‘pumped’ by RB Leipzig. Perhaps he should have got his ‘balls felt’ for that by the SFA but escaped punishment and in the Murrayfield match that is exactly what he was (retrospectively) found guilty of with the victim being Eboue Kouassi. This was verging on a sexual assault, it was missed by Willie Collum and Hearts accepted the two match fast track ban.
That takes us back to Sunday at Livingston and while there are no complaints about the injury Ajer sustained – as he says ‘finally I look like a proper defender’ – the two head-butts on Ryan Christie by Angolan striker Dolly Menga were well out of order.
The SFA Compliance Officer Clare Whyte offered another two game ban and the West Lothian club accepted. Menga should have been sent off in the first half against Celtic for the head-butt on Christie but instead will now miss the match against the Rangers!
It makes you wonder if Clare Whyte is left wondering – like the rest of us – why Scottish referees are so reluctant to issue a red card for assaults on Celtic players this season?
We have had TWO kicks, TWO head-butts and one inappropriate manhandling of a player’s groin by an opponent and no cards have been issued.
Incompetence or something a little more sinister, who knows? However Celtic are saying nothing while others are shouting at the roof tops at every incident that goes against them.
The pattern of these incidents is clear – celtic should speak up and demand our players are not assaulted and if they are the perpetrators are punished by the match officials, just like happens elsewhere in the league.
We are not asking for much here, are we?
Haste ye back Kristoffer!
