Another Celtic Victory And Another Manager Who Wants To Make Excuses About it.

We don’t get many VAR decisions, but the volume of noise created by them would make you think that we got them all. And it would make you think that we were the beneficiaries of some real howlers, something Ange pointed out and which I’ll talk about later on today.

But the latest person to moan and groan is the St Mirren boss, Stephen Robinson, who is entitled to his opinion even if it’s nonsense. The unspoken part of this, of course, is that the sending off and the penalty “changed the game” although there’s not the slightest indication that the game would have gone any differently had they not happened.

“For 75 minutes there was nothing between the teams,” he said. “Which is the greatest credit I can pay to my players. They brought on three players and scored four goals. That shows the level of quality they’ve got. But the decision changes the game. We had limited them to very few opportunities in the first half and got punished for that mistake. But on 75 minutes things changed completely. Whether it’s the right decision or the wrong decision, I don’t know, I haven’t seen it …”

If he hasn’t seen it, what in the name of God is he talking about?

And there was nothing between the teams? Really?

Except for the goal we had scored and the one that we would have scored without his player handling the ball?

Is that what he means when he says “nothing between the teams”?

The winning margin might not have been what it was – although the whole team kicked up a gear, and you could see that, when Hatate came on and so you never know – but Celtic’s place in the next reason was not in doubt and we’d have been there anyway.

The bottom line is that Taylor’s handball prevented a goal.

That ball was going in.

That means it was also a red card on top of a penalty.

Had that gone in, it was 2-0 and the roof might have fallen in on his team anyway.

So as far as I’m concerned the gripe is nonsensical.

I am getting a bit fed up with all this bitching, to be honest.

Why can’t people just give us credit and be done with it? We’re not asking for people to kiss our feet and pay homage for God’s sake, but this is one of the most exciting teams we’ve ever watched in Scotland and you would think that we were relying on luck.

I know The Mooch believes that, and a handful of others, but other managers must know better when they see the football we’re capable of playing. It is no shame to lose to this side, and not even heavily. St Mirren gave a good accounting. He could have paid tribute to his players and said “we were well beaten by a better team.”

It’s just needless all this posturing. The ref didn’t cost them a place in the cup. One of these days we’ll get a decision at 0-0 in a crucial game and I can only imagine how vocal the opposition boss will be, as well as the media.

You’ll hear it in China.