Never before in the history of Scottish football has there been a reaction like it, but that’s the reality of wearing the Celtic colours.
On Wednesday night, the footballing world lost the plot after Celtic were awarded a last-minute and possibly title-changing penalty against Motherwell at Fir Park.
It left the footballing world mortified, Hearts boss Derek McInnes angry, and Rangers pundits foaming at the mouth, not because they have lost four in a row under the messiah Danny Rohl, but because Celtic could win another title.
But it’s no different for Alistair Johnston, because after several years in Glasgow, he is starting to understand that every call made during Celtic games is ‘magnified to a whole other degree.’
“Every single decision here in Scotland, I think, is magnified to a whole other degree when it comes to us,” Johnston told his pre-match press conference.
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Alistair Johnston on Celtic’s decisions being ‘magnified’
The problem with the media storm that ensued after Celtic’s win over Motherwell is that it puts unnecessary pressure on the on-field referee and VAR for the Hearts showdown.
Every call that is or isn’t made for the title decider in Scotland will be scrutinised with the highest order, and with the biggest of magnifying glasses.
But while all that noise overshadows the build-up to Celtic’s clash against Hearts, Johnston understands that you simply have to ignore it.
The all-action right-back was asked if he had taken any notice of the reaction to the decision to award Celtic a penalty at Fir Park.
But Johnston seemingly hinted that he has ignored it because ‘you are going to go down a pretty dark rabbit hole’, if he had listened or read what has been said.
Reporter: “What did you make of the reaction to it on social media? On radio shows, and what have you?”
Johnston: “If you get caught up in that, then you are going to go down a pretty dark rabbit hole, I think.
“Every single decision here in Scotland, I think, is magnified to a whole other degree when it comes to us.
“Listen, it’s what it is. No matter what people say on social media, and what they don’t say. It’s not going to change what has happened, so we just kind of look. ‘Okay, that happened on Wednesday night. We have to get ready for a title decider on Saturday afternoon.’
“If you go down those rabbit holes, okay, it’s not going to change the fact that we need to win on Saturday at 12:30, and that’s where our mind is at.”
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