Former top referee Steve Conroy believes Robbie Neilson's blast over VAR is a 'bit rich' given how the Hearts manager used to play.
It was a night of drama at Parkhead as Celtic fought back from being 1-0 down to Neilson's men to secure a 3-1 victory on Ange Postecoglou's 100th game in charge of the league leaders. It was Daizen Maeda, Kyogo and Sead Haksabanovic who got the all-important goals in the first of a double header between the Glasgow and Edinburgh sides.
And one flashpoint came under the microscope when defender Alexandro Bernabei caught Hearts man Nathaniel Atkinson with VAR checking for a potential red card offence. Nick Walsh was in operation at the VAR centre but decided no further punishment was due after the Argentine was already yellow carded.
READ MORE: Robbie Neilson in Celtic red card 'decapitation' blast as Hearts boss hammers VAR 'shambles'
Yet Neilson took to his press conference to blast the decision from referee Euan Anderson, even claiming the only way to get a red card at Parkhead is if there was a 'decapitation' of a player. But Conroy insists that is 'rich' coming from the former Jambos man who wasn't afraid of a hefty challenge during his days as a player.
He told Grosvenor Sport: “I find Robbie’s comments rich. He was hardly a shrinking violet when he played. It was the old adage, if it moves, kick it and if it doesn’t move, kick it anyway because it will move later.
“Maybe he’s trying to noise things up ahead of the Cup game between Hearts and Celtic this weekend and maybe put a seed of doubt in the ref’s mind. Many managers have tried this sort of tactic.
“I can understand why some people thought it might be a red card – but it certainly wasn’t akin to a decapitation. I think a yellow would have been the right call because I don’t think there was excessive force and I don’t think Bernabei was endangering Atkinson.
“It wasn’t an innocent challenge, but he was hardly trying to maim him either. VAR took a look and decided it wasn’t red, and they can’t advocate a yellow."
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