Let’s make something very clear, we didn’t deserve anything out of yesterday’s game. We fully deserved to be papped out the cup and Kilmarnock were more than worthy winners.
That said, a couple of decisions from yesterday were very worthy of highlighting. The challenge on Greg Taylor by the Kilmarnock boy was a nasty one. He caught him straight on the ear with leaning elbow. It wasn’t even deemed worthy of a yellow card or looked back on by VAR. Players have been sent off for less. Surely VAR should have checked this as a possible red card incident missed by the referee as we have seen countless times since VAR was introduced?
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers during the Viaplay Cup match between Kilmarnock FC and Celtic FC at BBSP Stadium on August 20, 2023. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Even worse Kilmarnock scored while Taylor was off receiving treatment, and the goal came through a move on the side Taylor would have been defending.
READ THIS…A curiously controversial afternoon from VAR at Rugby Park, but Celtic were awful
Towards the end Sead Hakšabanović was brought down in the box by the trailing leg of a Kilmarnock player. The same outcome, the officials didn’t want to know. VAR at least had the briefest of looks, but after a quick 20 second check decided it wasn’t a penalty.
Kilmarnock v Celtic – Viaplay Cup – Second Round – The BBSP Stadium Rugby Park Celtic s Sead Haksabanovic is tackled by Kilmarnock s Lewis Mayo l during the Viaplay Cup second round match at The BBSP Stadium Rugby Park, Sunday August 20, 2023. Photo Steve Welsh
It was a stonewaller! That’s not said through green tinted specs, it’s the truth. Any other side in the country gets that awarded in their favour. We would have most likely missed it knowing the way we played yesterday, but we should have still been giving the chance.
And then there’s the Kilmarnock goal where the offside call was tight, ever tight. The referee wasn’t asked to look at the monitor, instead the goal was given.
We get told to stop complaining about decisions because we were still winning. Well we got beat yesterday so we may as well share our frustrations, although I doubt anyone will listen.
The Celtic support at Rugby Park yesterday
Below is a message that The Celtic Star received yesterday afternoon. Well worth a read.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
“Just saw brief highlights on Sky Sports News. Showed the goal which did look offside but no replay! And on the radio coming down the road, the BBC commentators didn’t even mention the possibility of offside for the goal! Only when the troops came home from the game did they let me know there was even any dubiety about it.
“I did see the final minutes on television at home and thought the challenge on Hakšabanović was a clear penalty but I switched off on the final whistle as we were having the family round so haven’t heard any of the debates.
(Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
“McInnes going on about last year at Hampden probably didn’t help our cause but they can throw VAR in the bin up here to be honest. It’s only another opportunity for us to be penalised now. Every single dodgy VAR call involving us has gone against us. Andrew Dallas and Greg Aitken being appointed to those roles is trolling Celtic.
“If there is a flip side, it’s that maybe this is the wake-up call needed across the club at the moment. I haven’t been impressed at either of the two matches I’ve witnessed.“We could easily have lost at Pittodrie last week and the loss of so many key players to transfers, retirement and injury is hurting us badly. The great squad depth we had last year seems a million miles away and it’s all a bit flat at the moment.“Night is darkest etc.”
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