Auston Trusty’s red card for Celtic has been one of the big talking points of Scottish football this week.
In his second sending-off of the calendar year already, Trusty was dismissed after a VAR review into his retaliation towards Jamie McGrath in the Hibs penalty area.
Martin O’Neill questioned the referee’s decision, which led to a failed appeal by Celtic. The club have demanded a full explanation in an incredulous statement.
But can the Hoops defender be exonerated of blame? Darren O’Dea thinks not.
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Darren O’Dea on Auston Trusty’s Celtic red card
Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show, O’Dea said of the incident: “I would’ve done that a million times, what he did…
“But the force that he went with… once the VAR picks it up, you’re always going to get sent off.
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“He’s gone with full force, and kind of hit Jamie McGrath’s hand off of him.
“But, you kind of don’t want to see sendings off for that. It happens all the time in the box, it’s something that happens.
“But the reality is, once it’s seen, you knew straight away. [For] Auston Trusty, it’s an idiotic move. Because you know that if this gets flagged up, you’re going to get sent off.
“So, stupid move, but at the same time, you don’t want to see players get sent off for that.”
O’Dea never received a red card during his Celtic days, but was infamously sent off in both of his final appearances for Dundee and East Kilbride in 2019, just two months apart.
Along with Trusty’s double-whammy, Reo Hatate was also sent off in Celtic’s Europa League draw against Bologna, raising concerns about discipline in O’Neill’s squad.
But the controversy surrounding this dismissal isn’t going anywhere.
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Reactions to Auston Trusty’s red card for Celtic against Hibs
Alan Brazil and Ally McCoist criticised the incident, but Brazil did raise a theory that Trusty has ‘lost the plot’ after initially positive performances for the Celts.
Michael Stewart said he ‘totally understood’ Celtic’s appeal, bemoaning the ‘ridiculous situation’ surrounding Richard King’s similar incident for St Mirren the day before.
Ex-SFA referee Des Roache slammed the call, saying that he was simply ‘not having’ that it was an incident of violent conduct.
Even John McGinn has slated the decision, calling for VAR to be scrapped in Scotland.
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