Trusty Sent Off, Appeal Rejected

Celtic defender Auston Trusty will miss three domestic matches after his red card against Hibernian was upheld following an appeal. The incident occurred during Sunday’s 2-1 defeat, with Trusty receiving the dismissal after a review initiated by video assistant referee Grant Irvine.

Trusty was sent off for striking Hibernian midfielder Jamie McGrath’s arm with his hand during a corner. The appeal, lodged by Celtic, was ultimately unsuccessful, leaving the club without a key player for upcoming crucial league games against Rangers, Aberdeen, and Motherwell.

O’Neill Calls VAR Process a “Nonsense”

Celtic manager Martin O’Neill has voiced strong criticism of the VAR process, describing the situation surrounding Trusty’s red card as such a nonsense. O’Neill questioned the intervention of VAR, stating that the referee had initially assessed the incident and deemed it not worthy of punishment.

“I did the interview after the game and someone asked me if we were going to appeal. I said that I was not sure because appeals in this day and age are seemingly worthless. When I got the information from the club coming back on what was said in VAR, I decided, yes, absolutely (we would appeal).” Martin O’Neill

O’Neill highlighted the referee’s initial assessment, stating, The referee, as he told me on Saturday, has seen the incident. It is not as if he hasn’t seen it. he was watching it. He expressed concern that VAR is effectively re-refereeing games, potentially undermining the authority of on-field officials.

“When he is asked by a very excited man in VAR saying, ‘delay, delay, delay, delay’, and they ask him (the referee) and he said ‘no, it is nothing, I am just going to have a word with the players’, and then he has to trot over to change his mind. In time, we won’t need a referee. VAR will do it from wherever they are doing it from because that is what they did.” Martin O’Neill

Concerns Over Referee Authority

O’Neill further elaborated on his concerns, suggesting that the current system is debilitating for referees. He argued that asking a referee to overturn a decision they’ve already made after seeing the incident firsthand is problematic.

“They asked the referee to overturn something that he has actually seen. He has seen it and not missed the incident. Of course, that would be a different issue. He said it was nothing and that he was just going to have a word with the players. So, I have got a player who will miss three games. It is such a nonsense.” Martin O’Neill

Team News Ahead of Stuttgart Clash

Despite the controversy, O’Neill confirmed that all available players, excluding defender Julian Araujo, have traveled for the second leg of their Europa League play-off against Stuttgart. He dismissed suggestions of fielding a weakened team, emphasizing the quality of the players at his disposal.

“A weakened side? We’ve got very, very decent players here at the football club. All players, I reckon, in the squad have all played in the first team. Whatever side we put out won’t be a weakened team because the players are capable of playing.” Martin O’Neill

FAQ

What is the length of Auston Trusty’s ban?

Auston Trusty will serve a three-match ban.

What did Martin O’Neill say about the VAR process?

Martin O’Neill described the VAR process as such a nonsense and expressed concerns about its impact on referee authority.

Which matches will Trusty miss?

Trusty will miss crucial league games against Rangers, Aberdeen, and Motherwell.