Much of the talk this week in the buildup to a pivotal Old Firm derby hasn’t been about Rangers resurgence under Philippe Clement but about the referee.
The appointment of John Beaton has irked those across the city of a green and white persuasion with Brendan Rodgers personal rant after losing at Tynecastle still fresh in the memory.
Those of a sane mind know what Rodgers was trying to do but should Rangers and Philippe Clement have any concerns about the man in the middle? Barry Ferguson has had his say.
Rangers referee shouldn’t concern Philippe Clement
It’s the nature of Scottish football that every referee has to be biased towards one team or the other, don’t they?
There is no way that any of them could go about their business in a professional or objective manner….
Rodgers knew exactly what he was doing when assessing his side’s defeat to Hearts.
John Beaton was named and shamed, his competence was called into question and the Celtic boss almost went as far a to hold the VAR official as being personally responsible for the dropped points.
And this is where Barry Ferguson, speaking on the Go Radio Football Show, has put the record straight when asked if he had any concerns:
“It didn’t bother me in the slightest.
“If I’m being honest, whether it’s what happened a few weeks back at Tynecastle, or five years ago, or ten year ago, whatever referee it is I’m always nervous about decisions, certainly with VAR now.
“But people have got to remember, it was John Beaton that advised Don Robertson to go and look at the Yang high foot, obviously the penalty decision as well.
“I told you at the time that I thought it was never a sending off and it was never a penalty. But Don Robertson had to make the final decision on that, it was nothing to do with John Beaton.”
Is Ferguson right?
Semantics aside in terms of the decisions made by Robertson, John Beaton, performed his role exactly as he should have done.
He highlighted a couple of the incidents to the on-field referee and suggested that he might want to have another look at them.
Ferguson is right, Robertson didn’t have to send off Yang or award a penalty.
Rodgers remarks about off-field interference only make him look bitter, that is exactly what VAR is there to do.
You didn’t hear him complaining when VAR interfered and Kemar Roofe’s goal was disallowed at Ibrox on the opening derby of the season, did you?
I hope for Beaton’s sake that he has a good game because he shouldn’t have had to put up with what he has done in the last week.
Although, if he wants to give us a couple of dodgy penalties, that would also be acceptable.
