There is always controversy whenever Celtic and Rangers meet, as this final meeting of the season was no different.
To nobody’s surprise, Celtic drowned their rivals once more, despite going 1-0 down to a Mikey Moore goal in the first half.
Before Daizen Maeda could wow the crowd with his brace after the break, there were cries from Rangers that Alistair Johnston should have been sent off for his challenge on Moore.
Kris Boyd and James McFadden certainly thought it was ‘a red card all day long’, but Chris Sutton firmly told his fellow pundits on Sky Sports Football that they were being ‘dramatic’ with their analysis.
“I am not sure where he is supposed to put his foot,” said Sutton. “He won the ball and followed through. I don’t think it was that high.
“A bit dramatic, those guys in the studio.”
Who was your Celtic MOTM vs Rangers?
Chris Sutton disagrees with Kris Boyd and James McFadden over Celtic red card calls v Rangers
The challenge happened in the first half, with Johnston booked for his efforts after getting the ball and then catching Moore.
It seems to be that everything or anything Celtic were trying to do was being questioned, including Hyunjun Yang’s equalising goal.
But the main talking point was Johnston’s challenge on Moore.
When Boyd and McFadden saw the replay for the first time in the Sky studios during the half-time break, they instantly felt that the incorrect call was made by on-field referee Nick Walsh.
McFadden pointed towards Johnston’s ‘follow-through’, and how he felt that was the biggest issue with the challenge, even though he admitted that the right-back won the ball.
Boyd: “I need to see it again. It was maybe a little bit high. We need to see it from this angle here (pitchside). There were a few tackles in the first half.
“100% when you see it like that. 100% when you see it like that there. That’s the first time I have seen it there. When you see it like that, he hits him above the ankle. You can quite clearly see it there. That’s a red card all day long.”
McFadden: “I must admit, when I saw the foul at real speed, I thought it was a yellow card. The follow-through, I think, he is very fortunate, Alistair Johnston, seeing that there.
“I know that he wins the ball, but the follow-through and the speed at which he goes in, is then endangering the opponent. I think he is very lucky there, Alistair Johnston.”
Sutton’s response: “I am not sure where he is supposed to put his foot. He won the ball and followed through. I don’t think it was that high.
“A bit dramatic, those guys in the studio.”
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