Brendan Rodgers continues Hibs goal frustration as Celtic boss gives VAR both barrels over talking point

Celtic venting from the weekend’s defeat to Hibs has continued as the matter is taken all the way to Hampden.

A ball from Alistair Johnston was deemed to be out of play as Daizen Maeda turned it home for what would have been 2-2 in the Premiership. In the end, a heroic Hibs performance merited three points as a Josh Campbell headed double in the first half was enough to edge David Gray’s side to a major win.

Much of the talk in the aftermath though has centred around whether or not the leveller should have stood. It was given on the pitch but VAR intervened to cut it out after a review. Brendan Rodgers has now confirmed that the matter has been taken by Celtic to the SFA.

VAR frustration

VAR has been given a stern blast by Rodgers. The boss said: “No, I don’t think there’s any more footage on it. I think the club goes through the process. We don’t make statements and do all sorts of things. We just go through the procedure and the process, which is for the club to speak to the SFA and just get a feeling of what they think.

“My feeling is still the same, having watched it and seeing the various images. And there are a couple of images that you see where the illusion is that it’s out, but then there are others that will look like it’s clearly in. So, yes, it’s more the process, really.

“I was disappointed for the guys in the game, Steve and the referee and the linesman, because they actually got it correct in the game. And I didn’t feel that then they should have been overruled on that without a definitive answer, which is what I said at the time.”

Player spots ‘mental’ element

Johnston was also far from happy with it being cut off, pointing out a ‘mental’ element of the situation. He said: “I felt like it was in. Obviously the official on my side thought it was in and everyone in the park thought it was in. I still have to see an angle which proves with 100 percent certainty that it was out.

“And if that’s the case, then normally you should go with what the officials that are at the pitch, who are making decisions and are paid to make decisions, have gone with. So I think that’s kind of the frustrating thing with how it was overturned.

“With VAR, if they’re to intervene there, there has to be a clear and obvious error. And I don’t think that we have, whether it’s not in the budget or whatever, the camera angles exactly where they need to be. The best camera angle I actually saw that was sent to me was from someone in the stands, which is kind of mental when you really think about it.”