Rangers fans have had plenty of grumbles when it comes to the big decisions going in Celtic’s favour in recent Old Firm matches.
Cyriel Dessers’ challenge on Gustaf Lagerbielke in the first Old Firm Derby of last season saw Kemar Roofe’s goal harshly ruled out after a VAR review.
This was after Alfredo Morelos saw a goal wrongly chalked off due to the reaction of Alistair Johnston when the Colombian scored from a corner at the tail end of the campaign before.
Throw in Cyriel Dessers’ controversially disallowed goal in the 3-3 draw at Ibrox last season, and Abdallah Sima’s header in the Scottish Cup Final, and Rangers are used to VAR siding with Celtic when it comes to the big decisions.
And that’s exactly what Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes has been alluding to as he took aim at the referees for a failure to send Reo Hatate off in a 2-0 defeat to Celtic at Rugby Park.
Ex-Rangers star sees VAR call go in Celtic’s favour
Derek McInnes was frustrated with the officiating in the aftermath of Kilmarnock’s Scottish Premiership defeat to Old Firm rivals Celtic.
The former Rangers midfielder saw his team put in a spirited performance in Ayrshire only to succumb to goals from Callum McGregor and Nicholas Kuhn.
But speaking after the match, McInnes didn’t miss as he took aim at Celtic’s perceived influence in the VAR room on a controversial afternoon in Ayrshire.
It comes after Celtic midfielder Hatate avoided a red card for a high challenge on Kilmarnock midfielder Liam Donnelly, despite the call going to Don Robertson in the VAR room.
The decision drew a strong reaction from ex-Rangers striker Kris Boyd, who claimed the tackle was ‘a red card all day long’.
Derek McInnes takes aim at Celtic VAR call
“I’m not going to shout the odds about it,” McInnes said in reference to the decision come full-time.
“I think it would’ve looked pretty bad on VAR to be honest. I think because his foot’s high and I think he leaves his foot high and he doesn’t try to withdraw it.
“My first thought at the time was there wasn’t a lot of aggression in it and I think the pictures would’ve looked worse than maybe what the tackle was.
“I didn’t think it was a red card but when it goes to VAR I was actually expecting it to be a red because I think the pictures can sometimes make it look worse than it is because you don’t necessarily see the impact of it.
“We don’t get they decisions. Celtic even decide when the minute’s silence stops. We don’t get these decisions.”
