The full Brendan Rodgers rant on VAR as Celtic boss goes after Beaton and more during 'incompetence' tirade

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers held nothing back when it came to John Beaton and Don Robertson after a 2-0 defeat to Hearts.

The first half of the Premiership clash was marred by VAR decisions, with Beaton the main man operating the tech. Alex Cochrane handed an early penalty to Celtic with a challenge on Yang, which Adam Idah failed to convert.

Yang was then sent off for a high boot on Cochrane after a VAR review, with Robertson initially deeming the challenge a yellow. Tomoki Iwata was next to be penalised for a handball inside the Celtic box which allowed Jorge Grant to fire Hearts ahead, and Lawrence Shankland would be denied by a marginal offside call by the ref tech.

He struck in the second half to seal defeat for the Hoops, after they missed the chance to go top following Rangers' loss to Motherwell on Saturday. Rodgers was not happy post-match and here is his full post-match takedown on proceedings in Gorgie...

Thoughts on the game?

"My feeling is that the game was decided by the officials. On the field and outside of the field. You guys will know me long enough to know that I don’t really comment on officials – they make mistakes and whatever else. But today that felt like really really poor officiating.

"The first one is the sending off when there is no force. Show a still image of that and of course and you will see a foot up with the head near it, but it’s not the reality of the move. Don got it actually right on the field.

"It was a high boot, so it’s a yellow card – no malice or force. For John Beaton to actually look at that in VAR, supposedly under no pressure, and say that was sending off? I find that incredible. The second one is worse. If you have a penalty go against you for that then there will be penalties every single weekend and midweek.

"I don’t know what he is supposed to do. Tomo is jumping, he got a nudge, he is coming down, the ball falls on to his arm and there is no intention to move. Then you get the penalty against and he gets the chance to look at it and see it. That really left us with an uphill task in the game and credit to my players.

"They kept going, their keeper has made a few good saves. If we get one of them it changes the momentum of the game. But it was a poor day for the officials."

Speak to officials?

"I spoke to him in the tunnel just briefly, but it’s a waste of time if I’m honest. There is no change and I also think as well that VAR is not the problem here. That’s clear. It’s competence. And I think the first one is a great example of the game being refereed outside of the pitch.

"This is the thing everyone is talking about, that the officials do their job and if it’s something that’s clear and obvious maybe step in. The referee made the decision and someone outside made another decision to say it was a sending off. So that’s the game being refereed outside of the field and in big games that costs you."

Managers talk about it?

"I think is discussed and I have the delegate wanting to speak to me. Waste of time, waste of energy, because there is no change. vI’m not one who comes crying about referees, be it here or the EPL, because I understand there will be mistakes made. But that today was awful officiating in what was a big game for us."

Will Celtic complain about Beaton?

“I don’t know. We will go away and have a look at it. But it doesn’t’ change anything, that’s the reality. It was so disappointed.”

Worst officiating you’ve had in two spells here?

“I think so. In my time up here I’m not one to have a go at refs because I understand it’s a very very difficult positon they are in. I try to respect decisions and give the benefit of the doubt. But I think when I see that level of incompetence is the only word I can use, then that makes me worry for the game. In such a tight title race, which it is and it’s fantastic and great to be involved in, that can make the difference. And that today made the difference for us.”