Furious Ross County boss Malky Mackay insists VAR mistakes are going to cost people jobs.
The Dingwall manager was disgusted at a decision to award Celtic a penalty in his side’s 2-0 loss to the champions. Mackay’s anger stemmed after defender Alex Iacovitti was deemed guilty of handball as he tussled for a cross with Cameron-Carter Vickers with the game goalless. Referee Willie Collum did not see the offence, but was called to the monitor by VAR official Steven Kirkland.
Collum instantly pointed to the spot after seeing the footage, but Mackay was infuriated at that intervention and says teams will be relegated and livelihoods will be affected by such calls. He blasted: “I’ve looked at the penalty about half a dozen times and I cannot believe that’s where the bar is set with VAR right now. It’s going to cost jobs, it’s going to cost clubs promotion, relegation, Europe, whatever you want to call it. I look at standards right now and there are mistakes all over the place. It’s incredible that’s where the VAR is set right now.
“Two players go for the ball bravely with their heads. Carter-Vickers and Alex both throw their heads at it and the ball goes between their heads and it hits Alex on the back of his arm. It’s ball to arm.
“Someone is going to have to explain to me how you jump for a ball in the box and have your arms at your side. Physically, it can’t happen. I’m looking at where the bar is set in England and where it’s set in Scotland and, right now, we’re not where they are.
“Clubs are paying for this. I was really disappointed with that, intervening like that, the fourth official had told me we were now over time, so I was standing at the back of the tunnel.
“I could see the referee start to debate and discuss and then come over to the monitor. I thought: Surely not?”
Mackay spoke to Collum at the interval and explained: “He said it was the laws of the game and he has to give a penalty for the laws of the game. It’s an interesting concept, I was surprised at how quickly he made the decision because you will see pundits debate it all week.”
Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou confessed he was in the dressing room at the time of the award. Iacovitti gave his version of events and said: “I was explaining to the ref that I’m bigger than him so my arm is tight with him.
“He’s flicked the ball and it has skiffed my arm, so I don’t know what I can do? It’s one of those things, it’s really tough conceding a penalty with a minute to go until half-time, so that was annoying.”
As well as the penalty, Mackay’s team finished with 10 men after sub Ross Callachan suffered an injury in the final seconds having come onto the pitch just minutes earlier with County’s boss having already used the three available windows for changes. Defeat leaves the Highlanders four points adrift of 10th placed Kilmarnock and just two ahead of basement boys Dundee United.
But Mackay remains defiant and said: “I was really proud of my players. I’ve just told them if they play like that in the next eight games we’re going to do okay.
“I thought the first half we played in a way that negated Celtic and their pattern of play. I thought we were really brave in the second half, we made them make errors, more so than I’ve seen Celtic make this season.”
