Earlier in the season, Celtic complained about a decision and the head of refereeing, who is normally harder to spot than a cricket in an overgrown lawn, toured the media rooms of Scottish football to defend his referee. This weekend, no less a person than Ian Maxwell has come out to defend VAR because a decision went Celtic’s way.
We are the only club in the country who can do this. We’re the only club in the country which can spark a media firestorm against the authorities because a single decision goes our way. In the aftermath of the game we all knew this would happen, but when Malky Mackay darkly reminded people that the clubs pay for VAR that upped things a notch.
Maxwell’s statement was in response to that.
He can see the writing on the wall here. He knows what these discussions might do if left unchecked. That so many headlines are dominated by a single decision 48 hours after the fact shows us what we’re up against.
I always love the way the coverage spins against us. How one decision for us “disproves” that there is anything dodgy in the ones that go against us. What? Even if the decision we get is basically correct? This is where their shaky defence falls to pieces.
Ange said he doesn’t believe that this stuff “events itself out” for us and he’s correct.
The curious thing about the last two games is that we’ve gotten penalties at crucial moments, as opposed to getting decisions when the issues are already decided. But with the football we play we’re in the opposition box more than other sides and so we will tend to get decisions … in my view we don’t get enough of them.
Both penalty decisions – against Hibs and Ross County at the weekend – were correctly given. That’s at the heart of the issue Ange has raised. We’re not getting favours here. Two correct decisions do not balance two abysmal decisions to “even things out” and so we must follow the lead of the manager in continuing to challenge this dishonest narrative.
The VAR officials have been awful since it was introduced, but amidst all the decisions being argued about – and have we had one that didn’t generate a week long media frenzy? – has anyone but Andrew Smith looked at Ibrox’s astonishing penalty kick stats?
Not even those which they get … but those which the opposition doesn’t get?
It’s as if this incredible “statistical anomaly” isn’t a thing, as if it’s like all those ridiculous stats the media keeps running which “prove” that Ryan Kent is the most effective player in Scotland.
For a press corps which loves to focus on stats, they are doing everything they can to ignore that particular one. The first time they get a decision against them they will suddenly write about how amazing that run was … and we’ll go straight into a new one.
The Ibrox penalty kick “anomaly” is a vastly more interesting story, and a vastly more revealing one, than anything VAR has conjured up … except it’s VAR and some of the scandalous decisions which its operates have thrown Ibrox’s way which has finally got people looking at that record. Which is what many of us hoped VAR would do.
Still, every Celtic decision is blown up into a massive story.
And why? Because it keeps people from looking at the real one.
Nearly 50 league games without the club from Ibrox conceding a penalty.
If you want a clear-cut sign that something in our game is very, very wrong contrast that with the story no-one wants to write and ask yourself who benefits from the scrutiny being on us and not on them?
Deflection tactics end of. Just like jackson’s ‘oversight’ statement today regardin their long overdue accounts. So cringingly protective its pathetic.
The delicious irony of all this is that, despite the unarguable assistance the huns get from the officials to keep them desperately clinging on to Celtic’s coat tails, they have completely fucked things up for themselves and, like the previous entity, are circling the plug hole once again, waiting for the inevitable gurgle that will signify their demise.
Fuck them and the white horse they rode in on.
Missing you already. (NOT)
@ Lol. And a wee fact, the ‘white horse’ idea is a historical inaccuracy. Just like their modern day idealism of the Boyne. Twisted tae fk out of all proportion. Just another false image tae pump up his portrayal. In fact, the asthma ridden auld pervert’s horse was actually brown. But fuck that yin as well anyway. History lesson over. Any questions please, on a postcard to…………….
Sorry, meant tae say @Tony B there.
I’m just wondering if the mole which killed the gallant pervert King Billy was related tae the one on the huns manager’s face.
https://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/rangers/how-rangers-have-racked-up-a-second-recent-remarkable-run-without-conceding-a-league-penalty-3980183
1 x Penalty awarded against The Rangers in 82 (Eighty Two) matches in Scotland.
Not only the penalty decisions & non decisions for the ibrox club.In one of MBs early games, when they came from behind to record narrow victories. It was either Hibs or Dons. Morelos scored a tap in from an inadvertent pass from the basketballer Goldson, who attempted a header, made a poor, almost negligible contact, the ball then ran down the length of his outstretched right arm and fell at the feet of Morelos who scored.
The last time I read the laws of the game they specifically said that a goal may not be scored following a hand ball even when the hand ball is unintentional.
A goal was scored.
VAR did look. (They look at every goal)
The goal stood.
That handball guidance is the corollary of, any hand ball, even unintentional, which blocks a goal bound attempt should result in a penalty. Hence the Bernabei pen although it doesn’t explain the booking.
Another example of the ibrox club benefitting from VAR occurred in the early weeks of its operation. Against Hearts, Tavernier clearly fouled a Hearts attacker just outside The Rankers box. They then played the ball around, moving slowly upfield to eventually score about a minute later. No Hearts player touched the ball after Tavernier’s foul to gain possession (Even Neil McCann said it was a blatant foul.) When a goal is scored, VAR is meant to review the entire phase of play leading up to the goal. (One of the reasons why VAR decisions can take so long when it looks as though there has been nothing contentious in the immediate build up to the goal.) VAR reviewed that goal and it was allowed to stand. There was no media scrutiny in the aftermath. McCann’s comments came in the BBC live commentary. That evening on Sportscene – Nothing.
It seems we are being held to a higher standard of account than our Glasgow neighbours. Currently VAR is just another tool to do exactly that.
Scottish press and media, as we all know, is in the hands of the hun lodge controlled ‘people’ of Kim Jong-un.
Oops got my genocidal white horse imperial fantasy leaders mixed up there. I need to take more notice of my ‘Trump’ cards.
The real story is the corrupt officiating hidden behind a wall of contemptuous silence.