Former Hibs midfielder Tam McManus has blasted Ryan Porteous for the tackle that could have seriously injured Celtic’s Callum McGregor. McManus has often supported the defender but he took to Twitter to voice his criticisms of Porteous as he is once again at the centre of a red card debate.
Don Robertson mistook the lunge from Ryan Porteous on Callum McGregor as a yellow card offence but replays highlight how dangerous the tackle was from the central defender. The Celtic skipper was lucky to leave Easter Road with only two gashes on his shin and nothing more serious.
Another Ryan Porteous tackle.
Gets a red v Rangers
Gets a yellow v CelticLook at McGregor leg ffs pic.twitter.com/Vd635UNOij
— ColmAtown (@atown_colm) October 27, 2021
I defended Ryan stoutly for his tackle at Ibrox as felt he made a genuine attempt to win ball & no malice to hurt the player. But this is poor imo & i said so at time. Going back 2-3 seasons ago trying to win ball & leave a bit on player. Don’t like it at all & it’s dangerous. https://t.co/fBeA6Zy9Ya
— Tam McManus (@The_Tman10) October 28, 2021
Porteous had actually just returned from suspension after a wild lunge at Ibrox cost him his place on the pitch. Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo was caught with the follow-through but Porteous was rightly shown a red card. In his short career, the player has had 36 yellow cards and 3 red cards. Although, if he continues in this manner with two-footed lunges, he will be sent off more frequently but only after he does some serious damage to an opponent.
The lunge is similar to Paul Pogba’s recent sending off in Man Utd’s defeat against Liverpool. At first glance, it looks bad and in the margins between red and yellow but replays clearly show the damage that it could have (and might have) done to the opponent.
🗣️ "It wasn't a good tackle, quite rightly sent off."
Dermot Gallagher takes a look at Paul Pogba's red card for the studded challenge on Naby Keita in #MUFC's 5-0 defeat to #LFC 🟥 pic.twitter.com/WCNsSanq1U
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 25, 2021
The sooner Scottish Football incorporates VAR, the better.
It was a shocking tackle no if’s or buts about it. If VAR is implemented in Scotland it’s only going to work if the people using it are competent. At the moment the referees are totally incompetent and these are the same people who’ll operate it. I think it’ll make a difference and I think referee’s should be made available for interview after matches this would help with contentious decisions, hearing the ref’s interpretation of an incident would help appease supporters, even if we thought they got it wrong it would bring clarity to incidents which at the moment are somewhat clandestine to supporters, players, managers and pundits.