NafisaCeltic supporters have been left with plenty to debate after their side came from behind to maintain their winning start to the Scottish Premiership season.
The Hoops showed their resilience once again at St Mirren, recovering from an early setback in Paisley to claim a 2-1 victory and continue their perfect beginning to the campaign.
But despite the result, the conversation afterwards was not solely about Celtic’s comeback.
Instead, the performance of the match officials quickly became one of the major talking points, with concerns raised over a key decision and the way VAR was used during a dramatic afternoon.
Celtic initially found themselves behind after St Mirren were awarded a penalty, leaving Brendan Rodgers’ side facing the prospect of dropping points on the road.
They responded impressively, though, with Liam Scales heading Celtic level before Yang Hyun-jun completed the turnaround with the winning goal.
The victory keeps Celtic’s momentum going, but Tony Haggerty believes there was another story developing underneath the result.
The programme, hosted by Ryan McGinlay, examined Celtic’s latest performance alongside the major talking points surrounding the match, including the officiating, team selection and the club’s new arrivals.
Tony was particularly critical of referee Ryan Lee’s performance and the handling of the controversial incident.
He said: “The officiating was utterly and incredibly inept. The first one, they’ve guessed. They’ve not used the proper technology. That’s why VAR’s there.”
His comments are likely to resonate with Celtic supporters who felt there was something seriously wrong with the decision-making during the game.
The criticism comes at a time when VAR remains one of the most fiercely debated subjects in Scottish football, with even seemingly straightforward decisions capable of generating significant controversy.
For Celtic, however, the officials’ performance ultimately did not prevent them from taking maximum points.
Liam Scales’ equaliser gave the visitors a route back into the contest before Yang produced the decisive moment to complete another comeback.
Haggerty was impressed by Celtic’s attacking play in spells, although he believes there are still areas of the squad that could leave them vulnerable.
“I thought Celtic played well in patches, attacking-wise. I thought it was some nice stuff. Still feel that we’re light in the midfield and defence and we can easily be got at through those areas.”
There was also discussion surrounding Mika Baur, who has made an encouraging impression since arriving from Germany.
The midfielder has quickly had to adapt to the demands of Scottish football and explained the intensity he has encountered since moving to Celtic.
Baur said: “It’s high intensity, there’s a lot of pressure in the duels, a lot of hard fights, but if we play our style and control then I think that we are capable of winning games.”
His early performances have provided another positive for Celtic as Rodgers continues to shape his squad.
Yet the biggest concern coming out of Paisley remains the refereeing debate.
Celtic were able to overcome the controversy and leave with all three points, but Haggerty’s criticism of the officials has ensured the decision will not simply disappear because the Hoops won.
The focus will now turn towards Celtic’s next fixture against St Johnstone, with the champions looking to preserve their winning run.
There is, however, a significant selection issue heading into that game.
Yang will miss four matches because of the Asian Games, meaning Celtic will be without the player who produced the decisive contribution at St Mirren.
Haggerty believes his absence could be particularly damaging given the forward’s current form.
“On current form, huge miss. He is riding the crest of a wave.”
Celtic therefore leave Paisley with the points, the comeback and another victory to celebrate.
But alongside those positives comes a refereeing controversy that has once again put VAR under the spotlight — and one that Celtic supporters will feel could have been very different had the officials reached another conclusion.
Nafisa
