John Hartson has hit out at theRangers diver Fabio Silva. The Welshman reckoned that the Ibrox legend Graeme Souness would have been choking on his biscuits watching the Portuguese wide-man cheat his way through the Glasgow Derby on Sunday.
Heavily edited VAR clip
With the assistance of a heavily edited VAR clip, John Beaton overturned his original decision not to award a penalty to theRangers. Instead the referee booked Silva for simulation. That was already long overdue as the clips below show.
Nick Walsh on VAR thought otherwise but didn’t deem the touch of the ball by Alistair Johnston to be relevant enough to show to Beaton. So it was conveniently edited out to make a stronger case for Bthe referee to change his mind at the VAR monitor and give theRangers a lifeline in the match.
The Arsenal penalty appeal
Last night Arsenal were denied a late penalty in their Champions League quarter final where the contact was similar (there was contact in both instances) but unlike in Glasgow there was no touch of the ball by the defending player but instead by the attacker. More likely to be given as a penalty then, especially with VAR in operation?
Yet in Glasgow it’s deemed a penalty (to theRangers) but not in the Champions League.
Have a look at this…
— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) April 10, 2024
Bukayo Saka and the Arsenal players are 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐃 they should’ve had a penalty in the final minute of the game! 🍿
Correct decision? 👀
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/tjUtDk4e8T
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 9, 2024
Commenting on the penalty that was eventually awarded to theRangers Hartson reckons that Silva was desperate to go over (correct), Johnston got a touch (correct) and it was not a penalty (correct).
Only one team is consistently referred like this.
Only one team gets this kind of penalty 99% of the time. This was as blatant a manipulation of a decision as you’re likely to see.
Nobody can trust Scottish referees. Every single one should be emptied and replaced with foreign. pic.twitter.com/bqp80mBQsj
— The Celtic Way (@TheCelticWay3) April 7, 2024
“It’s not a penalty and obviously looking at it again I think Alistair Johnston gets a little nick of the ball,” Hartson commented on the Go Radio Football Show. “I think Silva is desperate to go over. I think there is slight contact on his knee. But I don’t think that’s enough for the referee to give it.
Absolutely ludicrous play-acting
“John Beaton gives a yellow card for Silva. He should have also had a yellow card during the game for his play-acting which was absolutely ludicrous. Graeme Souness would have been choking on his biscuits watching him punching the floor as if a knee had been popped out or something like that.
“He gets up and walks away with just nothing at all to complain about. So that was really not nice to see. I think theRangers fans will be disgusted with him.”
Fabio Silva:
‘The Cheat Compilation’“An embarrassment and a cheat”
Guy should have been off the park.
Commentary below saying a retro red. pic.twitter.com/sYliHZaiKr— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) April 8, 2024
ANOTHER Fabio Silva piece of cheating.
Respect. In a way. https://t.co/szqdh9IROZ pic.twitter.com/wlhc3p6IDE
— Lint (@Zeshankenzo) April 10, 2024
