Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers ‘faces’ SFA rap for VAR John Beaton criticism after Hearts loss

Following Celtic’s loss to Hearts, Brendan Rodgers criticized VAR official John Beaton; he might face consequences. The Hoops’ chances of winning the title were further damaged by their 2-0 loss at Tynecastle yesterday, especially considering that they had a chance to go top after Motherwell’s victory over Rangers 24 hours earlier. It turned out to be a turbulent afternoon, though, as Yang was sent off after 16 minutes and Celts gave up the first goal from the penalty spot after Tomoki Iwata was found to have committed a handball.

After jumping for a high ball, the midfield player turned to face the other way and headed back down towards the ground. The ball first struck teammate Alistair Johnston before bouncing onto the midfielder’s outstretched arm. Referee Don Robertson saw nothing at first, but Beaton asked him to check again, and the whistler pointed to the spot.

“The refereeing in VAR, from the field to John Beaton, was quite subpar. When you place a still on the first occurrence, it naturally appears dangerous. However, it isn’t how the maneuver actually works. That is not a force. There is a booking; the ball has appeared. That was quite disheartening to lose to just ten men. That was made even worse by the punishment that was later imposed against us.

Rewatch the incident, and you’ll notice that Tomoki jumped. He is not looking; he is on his way down. He feels like he’s being prodded a little, which causes him to extend his arm. If that is a penalty, then there will be penalties in each and every game in the match as a result. During our final week away at Motherwell, the young man Dan Casey raises his arm and gets struck.

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