Callum McGregor has criticised the VAR decision that led to Auston Trusty being shown a red card, warning that football will be “finished” if players are sent off for similar incidents every week.
The Celtic defender was dismissed after television footage appeared to show him reacting to Jamie McGrath during a clash at a corner kick in Sunday’s costly 2-1 defeat to Hibernian. Celtic officials have lodged an appeal in the hope the card will be rescinded, allowing Trusty to be available for this weekend’s meeting with Rangers at Ibrox.
McGregor accepted that Trusty took a risk but said he was shocked by the severity of the decision when the match was level at 1-1.
He said: "Yes, it’s an emotional game and there is so much on the line. I’m not blaming Auston at all — in fact, I think it’s the opposite.
“I see that kind of thing at every free kick and every corner in almost every match we watch. If players are going to be sent off for that, then we might as well stop playing football altogether if it’s going to be a red card every single week.
“The main thing for us is that we have to make games easier for ourselves because you can’t always be chasing matches. Otherwise, you’re depending on late miracles all the time. To win a league, you need plenty of things to go your way, including good decisions.
“In my view, what happened on Sunday was the wrong call. Auston maybe gives them the chance to act, but honestly, that situation happens at almost every corner or free kick in football. It’s been part of the game for decades. I think it’s a poor decision, and if we stay with eleven men, we probably go on to win the match.”
Celtic’s late loss to Hibs — their seventh league defeat of the campaign — dealt a serious blow to their title ambitions, especially after leaders Heart of Midlothian defeated Falkirk and Rangers dropped points against Livingston.
The Hoops now trail Hearts by six points, with a game in hand, ahead of Sunday’s crucial Old Firm clash. McGregor admitted the champions are now under heavy pressure and may need to win all of their remaining 11 fixtures.
He said: "We’re definitely not out of the title race. But we’ve put ourselves in a tough position and now we need to win some very big games.
“That’s not impossible for us — we’ve done it this season and over the last few years, so we have that experience. If both teams keep winning, I don’t think anyone would say much has changed.
“The league is very competitive. The top four, five or six teams are all strong sides. We’ve put ourselves under pressure because normally you can afford a draw now and again.
“But now, realistically, we probably need to win almost every game. There will still be twists and turns, though, and the most important thing is that we stick together. There will be frustration and disappointment, but we’re nowhere near finished.
“We have to keep pushing, keep battling, and that’s exactly what we’ll do.”
