Celtic fallout over red card vs Hibs continues as explosive VAR 'nonsense' rant launched and refs dispirited
The Celtic boss has continued to vent his fury over a red card given to one of his players vs Hibs.
Martin O’Neill has continued to air Celtic’s VAR dismay after a red card against Hibs last Sunday.
David Gray’s side clinched a 2-1 success at Parkhead in the Premiership that bolsters their European football hopes, but dents the champions’ hopes of retaining their title, and they’re not happy. Centre-back Auston Trusty’s red card for violent conduct after an incident with Jamie McGrath was appealed and dismissed, leaving Celtic angered by the use of VAR.
Boss O’Neill has been left dismayed and reckons the situation has turned farcical, with Trusty now missing games against Rangers, Aberdeen and Motherwell in the league. Speaking ahead of Thursday’s Europa League knockout round play-off clash with Stuttgart, O’Neill blasted the situation, and expressed his fears over referees being left dispirited over officiating tech taking a key role in the game.
Auston Trusty red card vs Hibs verdict
He said in a lengthy rant: “The referee, as he told me on Sunday, has seen the incident. It is not as if he hadn’t seen it, he is watching it. When he is asked by a very excited man on VAR, saying ‘delay, delay, delay, delay.’ They ask the referee and he says, ‘It’s nothing, I’m just going to have a word with the players.’ Then he has to trot over, to change his mind. It is ridiculous. All I am saying is, in time we won’t need a referee. VAR will do it from wherever they are doing it from, because that is what they did.
“They have asked the referee to overturn something that he has actually seen. He has seen it, it is not as if he missed the incident which of course would be a different issue. He said it was nothing, ‘I’m going to have a word with the players.’ So I have a player who is missing three games. It is such a nonsense. I am all for people that missed something dramatic in a game, that constitutes something they should have a look at. But when a referee sees the incident himself then what he is being asked to do is, ‘no, you didn’t see that. You saw something else.’
“That has got to be debilitating for a referee. It has got to be. We had another sending-off against Hearts for Trusty being the last man. Again, the same thing happened. Funnily enough, we have a referee on Sunday who was on VAR that time. I think it’s just a change round of the people. In that game, the referee said he gave a yellow card because he thought the ball was going away and the referee was there and closer to the incident.
Martin O’Neill on VAR
“He saw the incident and he was called over to change it. I am all on for changing things and VAR has spotted somethings that are blatant that have happened, two boys having a fight in the corner or something and it’s missed by someone. I can understand that.
“But to overrule a decision on Sunday there, when the referee has actually been six yards away and has seen it, has actually watched it at the time and said he was going to go and have a word with the players. That can be debilitating for a referee. On Saturday I was asked about doing it and I thought it was kind of a waste of time, it was done.
“Then when I saw what I saw and heard what had been said I thought well yeah at least you are going to draw attention to something. Maybe privately drawing attention to something although I am making it public. The referee told me after the game and he was happy enough for me to speak to you about it and that’s what he saw. Referees are starting to think VAR are going to be running it.”