When is an accidental clip of a player’s heel not a foul? When it’s a Rangers player who is fouled and Celtic score.
The pressure on officials for every Old Firm derby is now at the level where not one, regardless of accurate or perceived allegiances, is capable of making a decision without fear of consequence – they are only human after all.
With John Beaton the man in the middle and Alan Muir on VAR duties, every decision that could have gone either way, went Celtic’s, including two major calls that weren’t even close to being 50/50 costing Rangers dear.
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Rangers robbed again as Celtic get lucky with Mohamed Diomande foul
The incident in which Vaclav Cerny is clearly fouled by Liam Scales isn’t up for debate.
It is laughable to suggest that it should have been anything other than a penalty.
It’s a foul, it’s in the box.
Then there was Celtic’s third goal.
Nicholas Khun trips Mohamed Diomande in the build-up to the goal, which then gives the Celtic winger the space and time to score.
Diomande was in the perfect position to stop the cut-back, had he not been tripped.
What makes it worse, is that it looks deliberate, Khun reaches out to make contact.
Why consistency in Old Firm derbies continues to cost Rangers
Cast your mind back to May of this year when it was “stonewall” penalty at Parkhead when Diomande tried to avoid the back of Matt O’Riley’s heel only for the slightest of touches to send the former Celtic midfielder sprawling.
Peter Grant, speaking on BBC’s Sportscene highlights programme at the time thought Neil McCann must’ve been blind not to agree:
“I should give Neil my glasses. It’s a fantastic turn by Matt. They always say to you ‘get across the defender’ and that’s what he’s done,” claimed the former Celtic man.
“He’s going to have a shot at goal, there’s no way O’Riley is going to ground without the touch.
“You can see clearly he’s got the touch on him. He comes from behind, he’s put his foot in there.
“It’s a penalty kick all day long. There’s absolutely no way you can get away with that.”
You can guarantee that Grant et al think that there was nothing wrong with Khun tripping Diomande.
