A day on, my view of what happened yesterday hasn’t changed all that much. An outstanding first half where we played them off the park gave way to a hesitant, bang-average second where we allowed them back into the game. When we got the third all we had to do was shut the door and keep them out and we somehow conspired to let that away from us.
My disappointment is tempered slightly by the knowledge that they know they escaped with a point, by the skin of their teeth, in a home game which they thought they only had to show up to win. We’ve proved that we’re the better team, we’ve proved that we have the vastly better manager in the dugout and we are now almost certainly favourites for the title.
We need to win six games to do it. That’s the kind of run we’ve gone on this season and we’re more than capable of doing it again. Our players know what they need to do, and in the home games especially I think we’re just going to be way, way too strong. The Ibrox club will dread coming to Celtic Park on the back of that first half yesterday.
As I wrote the other day, prior to the match, this was their shot and they knew it. Home advantage, not a Celtic fan in the stadium, a half-fit Celtic midfield duo and their hand-picked referee. They were in a strong position except they aren’t nearly as good as they think they are. Most importantly, they needed to win. We only needed to get out with the point. In terms of the mission, it was part of the way done. We’ve hurt them and they know it.
But one person played his part on their behalf yesterday; John Beaton, who is garnering great praise in the media for what I thought was an abysmal performance.
He was not going to give the penalty, until his mind was changed. He’d had given the second Ibrox goal straight after it although the foul in the build-up was absolutely crystal clear.
And he should have booked Silva before he got the yellow out for him for a breathtakingly cynical and embarrassing performance.
Beaton was so bad yesterday that I tried to think of where I’ve seen a performance where there was such one-sided benefit of the doubt; the OJ Simpson jury maybe. It was as close to open cheating that you are ever going to see, that’s how I felt watching it.
It’s the foul in the build-up to what would have been their early equaliser which shocked me and which summed up his whole day.
Celtic players were being booked, and our momentum halted, on the flimsiest pretexts. He was perfectly happy to allow the Ibrox players to do whatever they wanted and that Celtic should have had a free kick in that moment was readily apparent to every single person watching the game at home.
His decision not to give it is atrocious. That the VAR officials had to call him over and say to him, “Hey, what in the Hell are you doing? You can’t allow that” should be enough to put him under the spotlight in any other environment. It’s a disgrace that he isn’t. The media love-in he’s getting for having three key decisions overturned is nauseating.
Beaton did his bit to swing that game yesterday, in the little things, because that’s really all that an official has to do; influence the game through the little things, the casual decision to award a free kick to one side but not the other, to allow one team’s game to flow whilst restricting the other. These are the ways officials can decide matches … and titles.
We deserve credit for getting something from the game anyway, and had we been a little better defensively we’d have taken a lot more from it.
Beaton has caused a near 6 point swing with the VAR cheating at Tynecastle and the penalty nonsense yesterday – that shower will win 5 games with corrupt officials help and park the bus at Celtic park to get a point.
Why the team were not sent out togo for the jugular within 10 minutes of the second half is incomprehensible and an utter disgrace.
Since our club sat back and done nothing when we got put out the league cup at Kilmarnock when we should have had a blatant penalty ( haksabanivic) that was the benchmark for the corrupt authorities to do what they wanted. Our clubs continued failure to kick up about it leaves us guilty.
Credit to you James – you called out the referee’s “dark arts” for influencing matches and we got the full set from Beaton yesterday. I don’t think their penalty was valid but if the SFA/SPFL think it was then Beaton got three big calls wrong in real time. Inexplicably he also left Yang on the ground holding his head from a clear clash of heads which he was perfectly positioned to see – endangering the player to let the move continue towards the Celtic goal. For this alone he should be sanctioned and Celtic should be raising this very specific point.
I would also like to understand how much of the playback for their penalty that Beaton was shown – if it was what Sky showed then not showing AJs contact on the ball is beyond comprehension.
Oh it’s not beyond comprehension , it’s exactly what they wanted him to see.
Who will be the referee and VAR officials at Celtic Park in the last league derby game ,I wonder ? Robertson ? Walsh ? Muir ? Beaton again ? All go to guys in a certain clumpany’s time of trouble ? If Celtic exploit the Rangers ‘ weakest links – Tavpen and Goldson – ( sounds like administrators ) ,like yesterday’s first half performance , then it won’t matter who the officials might be ? It has to be perfect concentration and laser determination for the remaining games …win and it doesn’t matter which obstacles are put in front of you …it all becomes irrelevant ! Oh, and a £ 60 million bounty for our troubles will make it more satisfying ?
Brilliant piece James, and it ties into a recent post where another fan acused you of having an agenda – you do your are a journalist that exposes the hypocrisy of the Scottish football clique and gives a real assessment of how the team is ACTUALLY performing for those of us who cant go to games on a regular basis. If I wanted puff – I would buy Paradise Pravda- otherwise known as the Celtic View. So if that is having an agenda more power to your pen/keyboard
Why isn’t Celtic doing something about this?
Nothing Tony – Absolutely fcukin nothing at all – Because these grey old men in grey suits are just yellow bar stewards that are shit scared of Sevco, shit scared of The SFA and shit scared of The SPFL as well !
We should win the League now. It’s a lot tighter than it should have been but we must be favourites now. However, I am going to temper that by waiting till we see the post split fixture list before committing to that view 100%.
BTW – I do have to say though. We got a Goldson handball decision! HALLELUJAH!!!! LOLZ.
Keep smiling lads n lasses.
For that incident, he was standin about 10 feet from the foul watchin it and played on. Tho incredible how they’re all totally twistin the game’s narrative. They had tae apply pressure in the 2nd half, tho we looked like we were coping fine with it and a strong possibility imo as time went on, would’ve grabbed a 3rd before they scored. They’ve turned their ‘get out of jail’ penalty card, intae some sort of victory. Oh and btw, maeda’s goal was ‘freakish’ as well, tho nae mention of how even more freakish and flukey their own 2nd goal was. Even our penalty, goldson was blameless apparently. In otherwords, everythin we got yesterday was either caused by the weather, or lucky, while they were the masters of a ‘come back for the ages’ and clemmont a tactical genius. Ffs the DR even draggin lip readers intae it, tae show how cantwell had the better verbals over Calmac. How bad is that ?? The reality is, we know it and they absolutely know it, is that we had them chasin their arses right up until their penalty gift and we’ve only ourselves tae blame for lettin them back in it. Twice.
Spot on analysis of that cheats performance, James. I noticed that he was treating tackles differently in terms of shirt colour and location cos any free kicks we got were not in dangerous areas. Similarly with bookings. Not an Orc carded. So I think the best disruptive midfielder on show yesterday was Beaton. He played his part. As for the penalty they got, I’m bamboozled and know we’d never have got that. It’s supposed to be a contact sport, ffs and AJ got the ball and that throwback to Porto in 2003 dived into AJs leg. The Mannikin Piss must be so proud of that twat.
So yet again missiles were thrown at our players and coaching staff. A bottle was thrown at O’Riley after he scored the penalty, which landed at his feet. Kennedy was also struck with something during the game. Will action be taken, or will this be just another incident from that club that goes unpunished?
You answered your own question.
You have not mentioned the Rangers penalty where the ref didn’t give it at first (actually booked Silva for diving) but VAR intervened. This rather contradicts your thesis that Beaton was out to get Celtic. The ref was probably right in his initial decision I thought. What are your thoughts?
Such a sly but at times obviously bias pantomime of a performance by that clown.
I despair at times James, you’re completely correct Beaton did his best for them yesterday, he knew the spotlight was on him so to me he had a masterclass in what I would call continuous low level influence on behalf of them. Booking Celtic players for very little, 50/50 decisions continuously going The Rangers way.
What annoyed me was the praise heaped on him by the pundits, even some of those of the Celtic persuasion including Neil Lennon.
Silva should have been booked for simulation well before he successfully dived for his penalty, The Rangers manager and his backroom team had obviously told them to fall and feign injury as much as possible, in an effort to get Celtic players red carded.
Johnston diverts the ball just enough for the cheat to lose possession, the cheat then dives and gets rewarded with a penalty, Scottish refereeing at its worst.
I agree completely with your assessment of the cheat Beaton’s performance but you are wrong to say that we are now favourites for the title. Sevco are still odds on favourites with the bookmakers. Latest (average) prices are Sevco 4/6 with Celtic available at 5/4.
James, he should also be looked at for his booking of Kuhn . He yellow carded the Celtic player then pointed to 3 different areas of the field. Kuhn was effectively booked for fouls he didn’t commit. This needs highlighting because it had the desired effect of neutering Kuhn’s defensive play after his first foul in the game. Beaton is a wrong un, make no mistake but those in power who put him there are just as rotten.
Big den khun had committed 4 fouls I checked on sky bet at the time .
I agree with your summation of Beaton’s performance yesterday.
Forget the bullshit narrative that we’ve come to expect from the Sevco cheerleaders, that it was a penalty to them.
Beaton did everything he could, to favour that shower yesterday and that cannot be underestimated or overstated !!
How many fouls did he give against them, how many bookings did they get? In comparison…?
He ‘didn’t’ see the Goldson goalkeeping handball, ( yet again,) he ‘didn’t’ see the Yang head knock and he ‘didn’t’ see the foul on Iwata.
He ‘did’ see the Silva dive, ( one of many,) for which Tom Daly would have received a gold medal.
The most significant intervention and about turn, was VAR for the penalty, and which COMPLETELY changed the game. Like Tynecastle, a ref is 4-5 yards from the action and sees it live. They give their decision based on what they clearly see.
However VAR spots, or advises that a ‘clear and obvious error,’ has been made.
Give me strength…VAR has taken 5 points from Celtic due to these ‘ clear and obvious VAR errors/biased direction!’
They are all a disgrace and complicit in the corrupt officialdom in our midst. It has to be further addressed and dealt with, properly, at the end of this season.
Quite a few of our fanbase want to blame our team for capitulating in the second half. I do not agree with that at all, due to the aforementioned refereeing !
Yes, we were wasteful, and defended poorly at times. Yes, we should have seen the game out, especially after Idah’s magnificent goal to put us 3-2 up, with 4 mins ( or was it 12 mins) to go!!!
Bottom line, whether we all agree or not, never underestimate these rogues, and the part they’ve played, especially this season.
Celtic…no excuses! Get these 6 wins and win this title !
It matters not at the end of the season it is to late. The money from the champions league is all it’s about, they have cheated all season it won’t stop now, we will see more points dropped before the Celtic Park game. I personally believe our club or individuals within are complicit. Oh well, at least we will have to spend some of,or most of the 70 million just to keep up.
Send for Nick DeMarco again. He`ll soon sort them out the same as he did last time with an awfy severe (and expensive) slap on the wrist.
Would anybody know when was the last time a team played a Glasgow Derby and didn’t get a single player booked?
Queens Park had zero bookings against Partivk Thistle last month
with no yellows shown to sevco , does anyone seriously fall for the one he showed to fakio for his dive when the plan was to recind it and when he had previously rehearsed the move with walsh , fakio was gone down 4 times before that and it was only the timing for the two sevco stooges to award a penalty that was to be decided to dupe the fans , cynical basters
Objectively, if we assume the penalties were eventually correct (I know…) Beaton had a terrible game. Missed 2 penalties, missed a clear foul, ignored a head injury… The list goes on.
Cheatin Beaton it was all in plain sight, he was visibly distraught at our penalty,at the obvious foul on Iwata,when he had to go to the monitor and give the foul
It’s now not even subtle, it’s blatant in your face ,how can I get my team back in the game..How many of our games will he be involved in the run in and how many “honest mistakes” will be made.After yesterday we must do a Ranger and declare he is sin die and not trusted to be impartial.Will it happen, no chance,he will get our toughest game apart from the scum.