SPL

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers hit with SFA charge after match officials criticism

By Sports Desk March 06, 2024

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has been charged by the Scottish Football Association for his criticism of the match officials after his side’s 2-0 defeat by Hearts on Sunday.

The Northern Irishman has been cited by the compliance officer and faces a hearing on March 28 after his contentious comments following a showdown at Tynecastle in which he claimed “the game was decided by the officials, on the field and outside of the field”.

Rodgers was particularly angered by the decision to send off Yang Hyun-jun in the 16th minute for catching Hearts’ Alex Cochrane with a high boot and also the call to award the hosts the penalty from which they scored their opening goal after the ball landed on the arm of Tomoki Iwata – who knew little about it – as he tried to win an aerial duel.

Rodgers was particularly scathing of VAR John Beaton for intervening in the red-card incident.

“For John Beaton to actually look at that in VAR, supposedly under no pressure, and say that was a sending off, I find that incredible,” said Rodgers on Sunday.

Rodgers went on to label the officiating of the match as “incompetent”.

“In my time up here I’m not one to have a go at refs because I understand it’s a very, very difficult position they are in,” he said.

“I try to respect decisions and give the benefit of the doubt. But I think when I see that level of incompetence, which 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.”

Rodgers has been charged for a breach of the SFA’s rule 72, accused of “criticising the decision(s) and/or performance(s) of any or all match official(s) in such a way as to indicate bias or incompetence on the part of such match official.”

Rodgers’ charge comes 24 hours after it emerged that Celtic had failed in overturning Yang’s red card.

If found guilty at his hearing later this month, Rodgers could find himself banned from the technical area for the April 7 showdown with title rivals Rangers at Ibrox.

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    After gaining “belief” from Southampton’s narrow defeat at Manchester City, Russell Martin will hope to build on his side’s subsequent first win of the season against fellow relegation candidates Wolves.

    Martin’s side secured a first win and first clean sheet of the season in a 1-0 victory over Everton last time out, lifting them above this weekend’s opponents in the league.

    Wolves, on the other hand, remain one of just two teams in the league, along with Ipswich Town, yet to register a win having drawn 2-2 with Crystal Palace on Saturday.

    Southampton are riding a wave of momentum that started with a narrow defeat to the defending champions as the Saints gave City a scare at the Etihad 10 days ago.

    "Today has given me even more belief. But we have a massive two weeks ahead, starting on Tuesday,” Martin said on Saturday.

    While the hosts remain favourites against Martin’s newly promoted side, Southampton will now travel to Molineux with their self-belief reinforced.

    "It's a big relief, I have happiness, pride and gratitude with the players, the staff, owners and the board. It's been a tough period,” Martin confessed following their first victory.

    "The guys stuck with it, the way they work, the way they train, they're an amazing group, I love being here and I want to drag it out for as long as I can.

    "It's huge for us as a team, as a group, as a club, and the clean sheet as well. We played some beautiful football, some brilliant football and had to dig in at times.”

    If there is a winner in the West Midlands, that side will end the weekend off the foot of the table, with Wolves having just three points to their name after squandering a 2-1 lead against Palace.

    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    Wolves – Rayan Ait-Nouri

    Ait-Nouri currently boasts the second-most goals in the Wolves squad (three) and the joint-most assists (two), being level with Nelson Semedo for the latter.

    But his services in defence will be equally crucial if the hosts are to get a result. Wolves have now conceded at least twice in nine of their 10 Premier League games this season, including each of the last seven in a row.

    It’s their longest run of conceding multiple goals in consecutive league games since a run of nine between February and April 2012, when they went on to finish bottom.

    Southampton – Jan Bednarek

    As the visitors have not proved prolific in attack so far this season, they will need a fine showing in defence if they are to take points away from the West Midlands, having earned just one clean sheet so far this term.

    Bednarek leads the Southampton squad for clearances (56), blocks (14), and interceptions (15) so far this season.

    Having featured in all 10 of the Saints’ games, he has also provided a crucial aerial presence in the defensive third, having won the most aerial duels in the squad (12).

    MATCH PREDICTION: WOLVES WIN

    Wolves have won each of their last five Premier League games against Southampton, their longest winning run against any opponent in the competition.

    Despite keeping a clean sheet in their first-ever Premier League meeting with Wolves in September 2003 (2-0), Southampton have now conceded in each of their last 11 against them in the competition.

    Yet momentum is possibly on the visitors’ side. Southampton’s 1-0 victory over Everton last time out ended a run of 22 Premier League games without a win, and a run of 21 without a clean sheet in the competition.

    They last won consecutive top-flight games in February 2022, the first of which came against Everton.

    Wolves, meanwhile, remain winless in their 10 Premier League games so far this season (D3 L7) – only in 1983-84 have they ever had a longer run without a win from the start of a league campaign (14), going on to finish bottom of the top flight that season.

    OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

    Wolves – 54.3%

    Draw – 23.5%

    Southampton – 22.2%

  • 'It's not good enough', says Everton's Lindstrom 'It's not good enough', says Everton's Lindstrom

    Jesper Lindstrom delivered a blunt assessment of Everton's performance against Southampton, as Sean Dyche's team prepare for a crunch fixture against West Ham.

    Everton suffered a 1-0 loss at Southampton on Saturday, as the Saints claimed their first Premier League win of the season.

    That defeat snapped a five-game unbeaten run in the league, albeit Everton are still only on nine points after 10 games.

    Saturday's trip to West Ham, whose coach Julen Lopetegui is under pressure after a poor run of form, represents a big game for both clubs.

    And Lindstrom, who joined Everton on loan from Napoli in July, said there are few excuses for the Toffees.

    "We want to win games, we want to win points, we want to win games like this. It's not good enough," he said, as reported by the Liverpool Echo.

    "Overall we have to demand more of each other. We have to train hard, we have to keep going.

    "The first half especially was not good enough, was not what we expected. We are a much better team than we showed.

    "The second half was better we were running more, fighting more, creating chances. I think we deserved at least a point with all the chances but on the other hand I don't think we deserved it because I know we can play much better than we did.

    "In the first half, we were too far from each other. From my perspective, my touches were not great.

    "It was better in the second half. We created good chances of receiving the ball high but didn’t have the last part, the shot."

    West Ham lost 3-0 to in-form Nottingham Forest last time out.

    After that match, Jarrod Bowen told Premier League Productions: "We've been on the receiving end of a lot of defeats by a lot of goals, so we need to look at ourselves as players. I think that's a given, but I think we've got to accept this feeling, accept it today, move on and in the last game before the international break we have to put it right."

    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    West Ham - Jarrod Bowen

    Bowen has scored in his last two Premier League home games for West Ham, last scoring in three in a row at the London Stadium in February 2022.

    The England forward has also had a hand in five goals in his last six league games against Everton (three goals, two assists).

    Everton - Dominic Calvert-Lewin

    All three of Calvert-Lewin’s Premier League goals against West Ham have come at the London Stadium, with the last two coming in 1-0 wins for Everton.

    Only against Newcastle United (five) has he scored more away goals in the competition than he has at West Ham.

    MATCH PREDICTION: WEST HAM WIN

    West Ham have conceded 15 goals in the opening 15 minutes of Premier League games so far in 2024, the most such goals any side have conceded in a single calendar year in the competition. Five of those have come so far this season, a joint-league high, along with Ipswich Town.

    However, having lost their first three Premier League home games this season, West Ham have now won their last two at London Stadium. They last won three in a row in May/August 2023, while they last did so in the same campaign in October 2022.

    Everton, meanwhile, have lost their last three Premier League away games against London sides by an aggregate score of 12-1. They last lost four in a row in the capital between January and September 2018.

    West Ham have won five of their last eight Premier League games against Everton (L3), as many as they had in their previous 30 against them (D9 L16).

    However, the Toffees - who won the corresponding fixture 1-0 last season - have taken more Premier League games in total (29) and away from home (13) against West Ham than they have against any other opponent.

    Dyche's team have lost their first four Premier League games this season, conceding 13 goals in the process. However, they have lost just one of their subsequent six (W2 D3), with their four goals conceded the fewest of any side in that time.

    OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

    West Ham - 50.2%

    Everton - 24.6%

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  • 'One game at a time', says calm Slot after Leverkusen thrashing 'One game at a time', says calm Slot after Leverkusen thrashing

    Arne Slot insisted he will continue to look at "one game at a time" after leading Liverpool to a 4-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League on Tuesday.

    Luis Diaz's second-half hat-trick along with Cody Gakpo's 63rd-minute strike spoiled Xabi Alonso's Anfield return, moving the Reds top of the 36-team standings. 

    Liverpool have now won all four of their Champions League games under Slot. It’s only the second time that they have won all four opening games in a single season. 

    The Reds are now top of both the Premier League and Champions League, though Slot was keen to focus on the next task, which comes in the shape of Aston Villa on Saturday.

    "I don't know if it was that much to do with intensity, but we took more risk," Slot said. 

    "They overloaded the midfield a lot, and we adjusted at half-time and took the risk to play one v one all over. We had better chances in the first half and they weren't a goal threat.

    "As much as this time, how good they are in Europe, sometimes a strong target man is better than someone a bit faster.

    "Curtis Jones did an incredible pass, and then you have someone with the pace of Lucho to finish it off. The pass was as good as the goal, in my opinion.

    "You don't look ahead as a manager in the next three months. You're always one game at a time. We've got Aston Villa on Saturday, another tough game."

    Diaz's treble saw him become only the second Colombian player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League, after Faustino Asprilla for Newcastle against Barcelona in 1997. 

    And he insisted that things have started brightly for Slot at Anfield, but said his team-mates must continue to perform to have something to show for it at the end of the season.

    "The most important thing is the three points in this edition of the Champions League so we can keep progressing in the competition," Diaz said. 

    "Things have gone so well with the new manager, it wasn't easy for him to come in and fill Jurgen Klopp's shoes.

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    "We have top-quality players all over the pitch and I really enjoyed playing in that position today. I'm just happy to be on the pitch.

    "I need to go and find that ball now because I need to keep it somewhere special at home."

    For Alonso and Leverkusen, meanwhile, it marked a first Champions League defeat since 2022, while also conceding four or more goals in an away match in the competition since 2013 against Manchester United.

    "It's painful the result more than the performance, probably," Alonso told Amazon Prime.

    "But this is the Champions League, this is the highest level, and today it wasn't enough for us."

    "It's too early to tell, but I can see that Liverpool have a very good balance, a very complete team.

    "They work with 11 players, and they have the power to hold a clean sheet, which is important in the Champions League.

    "In the Premier League, let's see. It's early to tell but it's looking good."

    Alonso, who won the Champions League with Liverpool in 2005, was serenaded by the home supporters at Anfield during the contest. 

    "I tried to separate the game and the pain from the result from the nice feelings to come back. I'm really happy and thankful for that reception," he added. 

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