VAR ended Celtic’s match yesterday. He intervened twice in instances that allowed room for referee interpretation after winning a soft-ish penalty kick that VAR John Beaton was unable to overturn (since the verdict was technically right in every way). As a result, he not only decided the game’s conclusion but also whose team is currently atop the league table.
A week ago, when they were struggling against Motherwell, they failed to notice obvious similarities between yesterday’s red card and penalties against Celtic. The most heinous of the verdicts, Yang’s red card ultimately set the stage for everything that transpired at Tynecastle.
For unrelated reasons, Celtic manage to stay in close proximity to the summit of the table. Newco’s stellar record of not losing to Celtic since September came crashing down at home against Motherwell. Whichever side performs better in the remaining games will be the one to win the league, not the two-point differential at the top of the table. Regarding that, there’s cause for optimism.
The 2-0 loss suffered yesterday was not at all like the identical outcome Hearts achieved in December. At Tynecastle, Celtic’s passing, movement, and goal were noticeably better. We’re still not sure what our best 11 is.
Kyogo began the game on the bench because there was still no room for him without an injured Callum McGregor. Our Japanese pivot, who entered the game at halfway and took on a deeper role behind Adam Idah, had one of his best games of the year. Kyogo ought to have had a spot in a team without Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate.
When you look back at the players’ faces at Fir Park after the game, you can clearly see the smiles and companionship that had been absent. On Wednesday, teambuilding advanced even further, and I have no doubt that yesterday’s antics will instill a siege mentality in the group.
This week, a friend brought up the league victories from 1979, 1986, and 2008. In both of those seasons, Celtic seemed unlikely to win at this time of year, yet they struck at the right time, winning games that some of us still talk about. It’s going.
