Neil McCann delivers a bizarre take on every penalty incident in Celtic’s win over Ross County.
Celtic’s win over Ross County takes Hoops boss, Brendan Rodgers, 18 points clear of Rangers at the top of the Scottish Premiership table this weekend.
Of course, the Ibrox club still has a game to play this afternoon but another Celtic win in Dingwall takes the Parkhead club one step closer to adding another league title to the Bhoys’ trophy collection.
However, the win did have a little bit of controversy after Celtic and Ross County were both awarded penalties and it caused Neil McCann to deliver a strange take on every penalty claim for both sides with verdict’s that won’t surprise the Celtic supporters.
Neil McCann delivers predictable take on Celtic’s penalty claims vs Ross County
The first incident to be given the McCann treatment is when Reo Hatate was challenged in the first half and was brought down as he was just about to pull the trigger.
McCann told BBC Sportscene, “There’s contact, but I think the contact is normal in the game because Campbell’s coming in there.
“The big telling point there is that Hatate is on the floor and he makes no indication towards the referee that he feels it’s a penalty.”
Watching the footage below there was definite contact on Hatate and the Ross County defender not only brought the Celtic midfielder down but also gave him a little tug in the arm to unbalance him.
And since when did a player’s reaction dictate when a penalty should be awarded or not?
And on the penalty Celtic got when Hyunjun Yang was fouled? McCann outdoes himself with this explanation, “I don’t think it’s a penalty.
“Again, I don’t think VAR should be getting involved here because I think Matthew McDermott has actually made an on-field decision, again, a lot like Hatate and Eli Campbell, there is contact, but for me, Brown’s trying to get his leg across to almost bump him, to shield him, and Yang actually goes with the outside of the boot, misses it, then he takes it away.
“I mean, there’s going to be contact if you’re bodying someone, and you’re allowed to be physical.”
So the Ross County defender tried to shield the ball, failed and made contact with Yang and that’s not a penalty. Dear me.
Neil McCann makes Celtic red card claim vs Ross County
The analysis gets even more bizarre as McCann wanted Celtic defender, Alistair Johnston, dismissed after his challenge at Ross County’s penalty award.
McCann continued, “This is a penalty for me. The problem for Alistair Johnston here is that he’s advanced, he doesn’t get himself in quick enough and when it’s whipped in there, he knows he’s late, and he’s just trying to be a cute one there and to get away with it.
“But he knows that’s going to be given. He denied an obvious goal-scoring opportunity with no attempt to play the ball and actually could have got a red card. Probably should have had a red card.”
Not many Celtic fans will disagree with the decision to award Ross County a penalty but if that’s a red card for Johnston, then why is McCann not advocating one for the Dingwall club after Yang’s penalty award?
That’s right, that’s because that penalty shouldn’t have been awarded, right?
