Buy cheap, buy twice. Scotland has a low cost version of VAR. It is better than nothing, but it has limitations which were clearly (in a blurred sense) displayed at St Mirren on Saturday evening. We also have match officials who were recently put under significant pressure due to a decision at last season’s Motherwell-Celtic game (the penalty awarded to Celtic, not the one denied for the foul on Maeda). People buckle under pressure, we should not be surprised.
VAR was introduced to our game four years ago. Operational standards improved significantly since the early days of the technology, but the same kit is still in operation. It is easy to call for a better system without being responsible for payment (less of a problem for Celtic, but most of the league live hand-to-mouth). Still, we should aspire to upgrade.
Celtic played well going forward and defended stoutly, but there remains concern about the sheer volume of chances St Mirren created. Everyone creates chances against Celtic this season, which will cost us again. There was a period in the second half when St Mirren controlled the game. Better teams will make more of similar opportunities.
95 Comments- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- »
HH
Confirmed liar and trumpian. You’d think he’d be too embarrassed to post.
Not good.
So all watching can see our defensive limitations and liabilities…why was this not addressed?
130 shots on our goal in 8 games.
One decent team and they score 5 in one game.
Sevco are all in.
I think we will see 2011 levels of mibbery.
VAR is the only thing to curtail them.
That large area we leave free for opposing players to shoot from will cost us, it’s only a case of how badly.
Clubs that live hand to mouth shouldn’t be able to cause us such problems consistently.
We should try buying & playing a midfielder for that position. How radical.
Going forward we’re good & will i
Ooops.
…improve. Might get a few high scoring games.
Clone Wanyama.
The limited VAR isn’t necessarily the problem. Pretending the VAR doesn’t have limits is the main issue. Calls are being ‘best guessed’ where the tech simply isn’t able to give definitive answers.
I recall BR calling out Muir for his guess work at Easter Road, I think MoN should have done likewise on Saturday. Doing so after a win seems the best time otherwise sour grapes will be the charge when we call it out after dropped points.
I don’t understand why we persist with a system that everyone can see is giving multiple chances to the opposition.
We play a game on Wednesday ,we should use this as an opportunity to try something different ,before we play Sevco at iPox
HH
The hatred they have for MON today on FF is up there with what they had for PL for 20 years. MON must be doing something right lol !
VAR-wise, I subscribe to this view by ‘Sellic Da’ on Twitter:
“I’m not a conspiracy theorist but I do believe that we have a Temu version of VAR being applied by a totally incompetent group of referees. Demonstrated by the fact that none are ever invited to tournaments. All teams will suffer over the course of the season.”
Defending-wise, until we have a midfield shape that functions normally, we will continue to defend like dear Liza’s bucket.
My sense is that, as we move towards Europa League fixtures (and a Sevco double header), starting Nygren is decreasingly defensible in matches where we can expect the opposition to have a lot of the ball and the wherewithal to use it well.
All the more so if Hassan starts on one side and Tounekti the other (in Yang’s absence).
BTW I’m enjoying the recent ‘always forward’ incarnation of Yang in possession. He’s also effective without the ball, in contrast to the three mentioned above.
The XG we conceded against Lask was the highest ever recorded for a champions league play off round tie.
Since then, I’ve seen little by way of changes to our play.
Perhaps we’re waiting to play higher grade opponents before we see these changes and at the moment we’re focusing on out scoring domestic opponents.
Or perhaps, we’ve done nothing to mitigate these deficiencies…
We’ll know soon enough.
Re the Poundstretcher VAR…
How about a new VAR is bought, with clubs’ contributions somehow index-linked to their financial wealth.
Wur suits should be willing to take a big hit on that inevitable increased contribution by us.
However, as part of any new VAR being sourced, we wid insist that its operatives are exclusively sourced from experienced officials with no links to the Scottish game, its teams or cultural biases.
Ie; Engerlish, Irish, Welsh and Wummin VARists are welcome to apply.
Aside, Paul, re ‘Buy Cheap, Buy Twice’ – does that motif also apply to scouting of mullions of mingers, makeweights and mibby one days by prior recruitment gurus ?
Genuinely thought the headline was for an article on buying better quality of player.
2nd VAR disallowed goal was madness. Could not possibly be described as ‘clear and obvious’
From IFAB site;
1. A video assistant referee (VAR) is a match official, with independent access to match footage, who may assist the referee only in the event of a ‘clear and obvious error’ or ‘serious missed incident’ in relation to:
Apologies if this was already discussed, but it was my understanding that the rules state if no VAR is available then the on field decision stands. Note: the rule states.
As the linesman didn’t flag for offside, why did the ref then make a guess looking at a screen that the VAR team couldn’t make a decision on ?
I was always under the impression that the purpose of var was to definitively prove a decision was correct or wrong. This new “it looks to me” approach surely defeats the purpose? It’s either definitive or it isn’t anything else is re refereeing the game.
The problem with our unfit for purpose VAR can be addressed with money and the SFA should be planning right now for the English FA version to be introduced in the next close season .
The problem of VAR’s abuse by huns with whistles and huns with screens will , I fear , take a monumental effort by clubs who have the commonsense to see that they are all affected . VAR officials frpm outwith Scotland just ain’t going to happen ,and the only solution I can see ,is to put maximum pressure on the ones we have . It worked with Muir , it can work with others .
I’d add – as I have before – I don’t think VAR is solely to fix possible errors of judgement by officials.
It’s also to stir controversy to get fans frothing and keep eyes on the spectacle long after the game has ended and afore the next set of fixtures begin.
It’s a competitive business, this device-strewn eyeball and click chasing environment, so it is !
Now, where’s my tinfoil Panama ??
We have the season’s football debate.
The LASK tie will be a dark cloud over the whole season, it might just have sunk the whole system before it has a chance in many eyes and the entire coaching team and captain are on watch now.
This isn’t an abnormal system, Arsenal are amongst the best coached teams in the world and they’ve adopted it this season when they are in possession. Watching the game yesterday their full backs were further upfield than the wingers a lot, their centre halves play halfway inside the opposition half, teams break again them often with only the central defenders to do the work. Arsenal do have two very athletic central defenders and two midfielders who get back and make up the numbers quickly. Lewis-Skelly is keeping Zubimendi and Guimaraes out of the team at the moment who cost £125m combined, he started in the champions league. He’s 19 a converted left back.
Chelsea ended the game with two full backs in central midfield, partly because Caicedo is injured but also because they are the sort of players who have the legs to do the job.
The game is often about runners, creating space and closing spaces down.
Other systems are available and it could be that there are others that are more suited to the squad of players we have, but there is method in there. I’m hopeful that such a radically different system and level of intensity will become more effective was the players we have and the new ones become more accustomed to it.
We did win on Saturday, we coughed up a lot of chances but we only conceded 1 XG, which against that St Mirren team away from home isn’t a real cause for concern. Without watching back it’s hard to say for sure but I get the impression we’re conceding a lot of shots from distance, rather than clear cut chances.
It’s not all bad. Other than the horror show of the last 90 minutes in Austria we have conceded 3 goals in 7 games, one off which was a penalty.
We lost control of the game on Saturday night but not for as long as we have previously, against the other form team in Scotland away from home.
I think we’re improving.
So, we don’t have the technology & most definitely don’t have neutrality.
Does VAR even itself out over the season?
They’re gearing up to overwhelm us in Govan,
so predictable.
Let me see if I’ve got this right re the second offside decision on saturday:
Neither the ref or the linesman see it as offside in real time. VAR can’t definitively see it as offside on the screen . VAR calls the ref to the screen to view the very same images which didn’t show a clear and obvious offside to the VAR team. The ref then changes his decision to offside .
WTAF !!?
The audio to that would make a mighty interesting listen.
VAR isn’t perfect, but it is a heck of a lot better than the world before it.
Just look at the number of times last season, where refs and those running the line got things terribly wrong.
I would go as far to state that we would not have won the league last season without VAR.
For me, VAR isn’t the biggest issue that we need to get excited about.
Weeron.
3 goals in 8 games
We’re conceding a load more chances in Scotland but conceding the same amount of xGa as last season.
Our xGa is 50% higher than last season, and still more than half a goal higher than under Ange and Brendans best season in his second spell.
It’s a new system, it’s made us much better offensively than we’ve been over a course of a season for a long time. Make the other part better, improve us defensively as well, thats the job.
“Fail we may, sail we must” as the saying goes
Apart from the VAR ‘decision’ on Saturday evening, VAR was sold on the basis that it would correct clear and obvious errors, not that it would re-referee marginal incidents frame by frame. The referee and assistant initially deemed the player onside and awarded the goal. If the images being used are blurred, inconclusive, or incapable of definitively showing the position of the attacker, then many supporters will reasonably ask: where is the clear and obvious error?
We also had a ridiculous spectacle of James McFadden (not enough of a push for a penalty!) and Jackie McNamara actually afraid of speaking up, neither of them, the presenter and I assume anyone in Sky Sports production team thought to at least ask how can a referee look at that and overturn it as a clear and obvious error? Jackie in particular seemed afraid to say what he thought. If Kris Boyd was on and Sevco were on the receiving end of that decision he wouldn’t be slow to call it out.
Weeron, I agree wholeheartedly.
Glendalystonsils,
It seems to me like Don Robertson on VAR passed the buck and put the pressure back on the referee – he should not have done that.
Either VAR has seen enough to overrule the on field decision or it hasn’t – asking the referee to take another look because it seems inconclusive is just plain wrong.
Ryan Lee is a young referee – he doesn’t need an experienced referee like Robertson passing him a shit sandwich just because Robertson himself wont take responsibility.
I would agree that the dialogue between them would be interesting.
the only thing clear and obvious is the amount of self inflicted chances we are giving away to the opposition and how poor we are for defenders in all positions across the back 4 and goalkeeping.
Good afternoon ya old duffers.
glendalystonsils on 7th September 2026 1:37 pm
Let me see if I’ve got this right re the second offside decision on saturday:
Neither the ref or the linesman see it as offside in real time. VAR can’t definitively see it as offside on the screen . VAR calls the ref to the screen to view the very same images which didn’t show a clear and obvious offside to the VAR team. The ref then changes his decision to offside .
WTAF !!?
The audio to that would make a mighty interesting listen.
———
Bonkers, innit ??
We also had a ridiculous spectacle of James McFadden (not enough of a push for a penalty!) and Jackie McNamara actually afraid of speaking up.
agree , looked like both had something allegedly to protect , a job with sky maybe.
Sadly Broony seems to be taking the soup also. His recent radio and tv utterances have been disappointing in a Pat Bonner kind of way .
Burnley78
I agree re Broony . The strong minded , no nonsense approach he took on the football field doesn’t seem to have carried over to the TV studio . Just like Neutral McFadden and Celtic-leaning MacNamara .
We have to tolerate enough antagonism from our many enemies, without our friends aquiescing to the party line
tangerine tam-noted
Maybe best to check IFAB/SFA/SPFL rules regs & guidelines and see if the word “definitive” appears anywhere there before posting on here. No? Then again maybe not…..
Not good
Paul67 et al
Is it still the case that Celtic FC, as SPL Champions throughout the VAR experiment, pay the biggest share of the VAR costs? If so that needs to end. Surely it would be preferable if the total costs of VAR are taken directly from the SPL broadcasting deal on a season on season basis, not paid by the clubs directly, based on their relative league positions. Not like we got a better deal on Saturday night is it?
Name calling from my confirmed liar and new stalker.
Do you really expect to be taken seriously?
timmy7_noted
Not really. And only a fool would take any posters on here, myself or anyone else, ‘seriously’.
That is not to say serious points are not made on occasion, key is to figure out which ones they are.
Few and far between in my case, but it can happen.
Yeah the vAR system we have is cheap and useless, but the people operating are still anti Celtic, so basically, go away little Timmy, nothing to see here
KINGLUBO
Outing one self as a liar is as serious as it gets.