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.
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.
The sooner Scottish Football incorporates VAR, the better.