Martin O’Neill has hit out at the use of VAR after describing the process behind Auston Trusty’s red card as “such a nonsense”, with the defender now set to miss three major domestic fixtures for Celtic.
The controversy stems from Sunday’s 2-1 William Hill Premiership defeat to Hibernian at Parkhead, where Trusty was dismissed in the second half following a VAR intervention.
Referee Matthew MacDermid initially allowed play to continue, but after being alerted by VAR official Grant Irvine to an incident at a corner involving Jamie McGrath, he reviewed the footage and issued a straight red.
Celtic’s subsequent appeal was rejected, meaning Trusty will sit out league clashes against Rangers, Aberdeen and Motherwell. The decision has also prompted the club to call for an urgent review of VAR procedures.
Speaking ahead of Celtic’s Europa League play-off second leg away to Stuttgart, O’Neill did not hide his frustration as he revisited the moment and its wider implications.
“I did the interview after the game and someone asked me if we were going to appeal,” said O’Neill.
“I said that I was not sure because appeals in this day and age are seemingly worthless.”
However, after reviewing the details of the VAR exchange, O’Neill felt the situation demanded a challenge.
“When I got the information from the club coming back on what was said in VAR, I decided, yes, absolutely (we would appeal against).
“I’ll tell you why. 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.”
The former Celtic boss was particularly critical of how the on-field decision was revisited.
“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.”
O’Neill stressed that VAR should be used to correct clear errors, not to override decisions referees have already judged in real time.
“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.”
While acknowledging the value of technology in certain scenarios, O’Neill warned of its growing influence.
“I am all for people who have missed something dramatic (looking at VAR) in a game that constitutes something they should have a look at.
“But when a referee sees the incident himself and then what he is being asked to do is, ‘No, you didn’t see that; you saw something else’, – that has got to be debilitating for a referee. It’s got to be.”
For Celtic, the fallout is significant both on and off the pitch, with Trusty sidelined and renewed questions swirling around how VAR is shaping key moments in Scottish football.
Toosin is a dedicated sports writer with a strong background in crafting engaging and insightful content. With experience at Goal, he has developed a sharp editorial sense and a refined storytelling approach that brings depth and perspective to sports journalism. His passion for the game goes beyond the headlines, as he captures both the excitement of the sport and the compelling human narratives behind each event. Toosin’s work resonates with a broad and diverse audience, making global sports stories accessible, relatable, and impactful.
