Ange Postecoglou says Scottish football has got itself into ‘a mess’ over the handball rule as he grows exasperated with VAR decisions against Celtic.
The Parkhead manager believes it’s indisputable his team have endured a ‘rough run’ since the technology arrived in the Premiership in October. Postecoglou, who confirmed Greg Taylor will miss ‘a couple of weeks’ with a hamstring injury, is baffled Celtic were not awarded a penalty in Monday’s 2-2 draw at Ibrox after the ball struck Connor Goldson’s arm.
Inconsistency is the 57-year-old’s primary concern, insisting he and his players have no idea how the rules will be applied on a week-to-week basis.
“I don’t think it’s perception [decisions against us], I think that’s the reality,” Postecoglou said ahead of Saturday’s visit of Kilmarnock. “We have had a rough run of it. In the past, wherever I’ve coached you’d be hard-pressed to find me being too critical of any refereeing decision during my whole 25 years coaching.
“I’ve always felt that with human beings involved, errors will happen and things will even out over the course of the year. But if you look from the introduction of VAR, we’ve had some, I think, pretty rough decisions against us, and that’s not going to even itself out over one year: no chance are we going to get three [questionable] penalties in our favour.
“I think we have had some bad decisions in a short space of time. The biggest problem for me and my players at the moment is just confusion. You’ve got players who are trying to defend in the box not knowing what they can and can’t do. It seems to change on a weekly basis.
“I saw people doing mental gymnastics all week trying to figure out why it wasn’t a penalty [Goldson]. Maybe that’s because it was a penalty and there’s nothing to figure out.
“That’s where it’s frustrating for supporters, not just of our club. That could be a decision that sends a club down, relegates them. If someone watching our game, the Premiership, can clearly define to me with the decisions we’ve had so far what is a handball, without trying to justify decisions, I’d be very surprised. I think it’s a bit of a mess at the moment.”
