As Celtic discovered the outcome of Hyunjun Yang’s red card penalty appeal last night, Brendan Rodgers is now going to be without his winger for the next three league fixtures.
The Celtic gaffer was fuming at the match officials on Sunday and was especially vociferous in his criticism of VAR man, John Beaton.
Beaton instigated the moves to award a penalty against Celtic and Yang’s red card by calling Robertson over to the VAR monitor when many were of the belief that there was no need to.
However, whilst Barry Ferguson shared the view that neither of those decisions were correct, he also had an opinion on the penalty Celtic were awarded and Yang’s part in that.
Barry Ferguson seems to suggest Yang dived for Celtic penalty
The former Rangers man was also very critical of the Tynecastle match officials but took a strange view on the penalty that was awarded for an infringement on Celtic winger, Hyunjun Yang on The Go Radio Football Show:
Ferguson: “Never a penalty. It’s just not a penalty in my opinion.”
Cooney: “Has he [Yang] played for it, do you think?”
Ferguson: “Yeah, I think he’s played for it. I don’t think it’s a penalty. I don’t think there’s been much connection, for me it’s not a penalty at all.”
Cooney: “Pre-VAR would that have been given as a penalty?”
Ferguson: “No. I just don’t think it’s a penalty. I’m just giving my opinion. I think it’s very soft. Brendan Rodgers goes on about John Beaton and he doesn’t mention anything about the Celtic penalty.
“At the end of the day, John Beaton is there to alert that there’s contact. Whether it’s Celtic’s penalty, whether it’s a high boot for Yang, whether it’s a handball from Iwata.
“Don Robertson has got to go over to the monitor and then he makes a final decision. It’s Don Robertson that makes a final decision on the red cards and the penalties.”
Ok, first off, the Celtic winger never dived. Whilst the penalty award was very soft, the suggestion that Yang somehow bought it is way off the mark.
Secondly, Beaton never intervened in the decision. Don Robertson awarded the spot kick and stuck by his decision.
The VAR official seemed to have no say in the matter. If only Robertson stood by his original decisions on the red card and the Hearts penalty we might have been talking about something completely different this week.
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