Dundee manager Tony Docherty has expressed his frustration over the penalty decision that sparked Celtic’s 6-0 demolition at Parkhead, insisting that decisions went against his side during the heavy defeat.
The incident in question occurred when referee Colin Steven was sent to the VAR monitor to review an off-the-ball tussle between Mohammed Sylla and Auston Trusty at a corner. Initially, it looked like Trusty had been penalised, but after reviewing the footage, the referee awarded Celtic a penalty, which Arne Engels converted to open the scoring.
Speaking after the match, Docherty argued that the penalty was “soft”, claiming that no Celtic player even appealed for it.
“For the first goal, no Celtic player claimed for the penalty, and I think it was soft.” [SunSport]
Well, that simply untrue. Trusty, who was clearly fouled in the box from the corner kick, was asking the question of the referee, clearly claiming for it.
However, whether or not players appeal for a decision is irrelevant in the context of VAR. The technology exists to ensure that clear and obvious errors are corrected, regardless of player reactions on the pitch.
The fact that VAR intervened suggests there was sufficient evidence to warrant a second look. Referee Colin Steven reviewed the footage, saw that Sylla was clearly pulling Trusty’s shirt, and made the correct decision based on what he saw.
Whether players were “up in arms” or not doesn’t change the rules—if it’s a penalty, it’s a penalty. The objective of VAR is to remove reliance on player protests and focus solely on the factual elements of the incident.
While Docherty’s frustration is understandable, the penalty was just the start of Dundee’s problems. Celtic went on to score five more goals, and the manner of the defeat suggests that the spot-kick was hardly the defining factor.
For Dundee, back-to-back 6-0 defeats are concerning, and the focus should perhaps shift from questioning refereeing decisions to addressing defensive frailties.
Celtic, on the other hand, were ruthless, and while the penalty gave them the lead, their second-half performance ensured that VAR wasn’t the story—their dominance was.
