Stephen McGowan from the Scottish Daily Mail has described VAR as a pig in a poke and reckons that it is becoming an expensive failing in the Scottish game. Speaking to colleague Graham Spiers on the Press Box podcast, McGowan reckons that VAR had no right to intervene in the referee’s decision to issue a yellow card to Celtic wining Yang.
And in doing so McGowan finds himself agreeing with Brendan Rodgers in his angry post-match where he accused John Beaton of incompetence and of trying to re-referee the game. He could have added to suit is own agenda.
VAR is a pig in a poke
“I find it all depressing, to be honest with you. This has all become very tribal, and it shouldn’t be tribal. Everyone should be agreeing now that VAR is a pig in a poke. It’s ruining the spectacle of football for every team. For every club and every set of fans, VAR is becoming an expensive failing.
“People have no idea what the tariff is for VAR to get involved, we saw that yesterday. What’s clear and obvious? No one seems to know, it’s all over the place.
“You look at Don Robertson. Yellow card for Yang. I thought that was okay, it might be one of these one-and-a-half yellow cards but the referee dealt with it, so be it. There’s nothing clear and obvious that was an error, giving a yellow card.
It’s not a clear-cut mistake
“You can make a case for a red and say he’s endangering an opponent but it’s not a clear-cut mistake by the ref as far as I’m concerned. VAR shouldn’t be anywhere near it!
“You are dangerously close to VAR re-refereeing the game which is what Brendan Rodgers was saying afterwards.”
Celtic have confirmed that they will appeal against the red card shown to Yang after the first disgraceful intervention from John Beaton. It would not be the last on a shameful day for Scottish football at Tynecastle. And it’s not the first time Celtic have been here with this Rangers supporting match official. It should be the last.
