BRENDAN RODGERS wants to know why BT Sport show Celtic red card calls so many times – and virtually ignore other similar situations.
The Hoops boss was quick to defend Craig Gordon in the aftermath of the keeper’s challenge on Alloa striker Greig Spence in the 2-0 League Cup win on Wednesday night.
Afterwards, the beaten opponents insisted referee Alan Muir should have sent off the Scotland international shotstopper for dangerous play.
That incident came just three days after Inverness Caley Thistle gaffer Richie Foran accused match official Don Robertson of bottling a decision to send Erik Sviatchenko off for a last-man foul on Ross Draper.
However, what annoyed Rodgers is that these incidents were repeatedly replayed and forensically analysed, while a similar incident at Ibrox on Tuesday night – when Harry Forrester was fortunate not to be red-carded following a reckless tackle on Queen of the South’s Jordan Marshall – was only replayed twice.
Rodgers said: “What doesn’t help is afterwards when the video footage is shown 14 times. We played at Inverness and Sviatchenko’s tackle was shown 26 times.
“I saw similar games with similar profile over the course of the last week, where a player arguably should have been sent off, and the video was shown twice.
“It would be interesting to hear from BT Sport just to see why there is that difference.
“I know modern day football is about sensationalism and Celtic is a huge club with massive interest in it.
“But Craig’s incident is just a mis-timed tackle. He’s not reckless, he’s over-stretched. The kid takes a bang, goes down, gets up and gets on with the game. I don’t think it was a sending-off.
“I thought the referee in that instance, and in the overall game, was outstanding.
“The ball was played over the top, Kolo Toure was in the race with the striker. He’s got a high line. Craig has made the decision to come, he is 6ft 4ins with big long legs, he stretches for it and mistimes it.
“There are two players behind the ball – it’s a yellow card. The referee called it absolutely perfect.
“Alan Muir made another brilliant call in the game where the Alloa guy made a foul, he let play go on and then comes back to give the yellow card. That’s brilliant refereeing.
“He also gave a card to Tom Rogic which was spot on. So ,I’m not just talking about one incident, I’m talking about the game overall where the ref was spot on. His decisions were very good and my only complaint on the night was that we didn’t score more than two goals.
“The scrutiny is part of being at a big club and it works the other ways, as well. If you score a hat-trick in an Old Firm game the re-runs go on for the next two days. So, it’s beneficial for players, as well.
“It’s modern-day football and news has to be covered, but I just think as a whole let’s not complicate it. The referee was very good so let’s give them praise and not highlight something like that.”
Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton claimed veteran ref Craig Thomson bottled it earlier in the season when Forrester was involved in THREE incidents in the game against Dundee at Dens Park.
The midfielder had already been booked and Sutton though at least one of the second-half challenges should have been a yellow and the other two straight sendings-off.
