‘I can’t defend that’ – Hibs boss red card reaction as Celtic loss deals hammer blow to Euro hopes
‘I can’t defend that’ – Hibs boss red card reaction as Celtic loss deals hammer blow to Euro hopes.
Reigning champions draw level with Hearts, but the Easter Road side has their own issues.
Hibs manager David Grey refuses to defend Jamie McGrath for the red card challenge that contributed to a close home loss to Celtic. Grey says that Falkirk are now “breathing down our necks” in the frantic race for a backdoor admission into European football.
Grey made no attempt to defend midfielder McGrath for his “dangerous” lunge on Celtic fullback Alistair Johnston with the game barely 20 minutes old, admitting that his team must now win all three remaining games AND rely on Motherwell dropping points over the final stretch of the season.
The reigning champions won 2-1, despite Joe Newell equalising the visitors’ opener in first-half injury time.
‘No malice – but a definite red card’
Grey, who has seen his club receive FOUR red cards in three consecutive defeats to Aberdeen, Hearts, and now Celtic, stated: “I can’t defend the judgement for the red card. I think it’s a clear red card. Where he captures him.
“I don’t believe there is malice in it. The infraction is not deliberate, but it is definitely a dangerous tackle. A definite red card.
“And everything I’ve said all week about giving yourself the best chance of winning the game.” To do so, you must keep 11 players on the pitch.
“So that’s Aberdeen, down to 10 men after whatever it was, 16 minutes, 14 minutes in the Derby, then down to nine men, and now, did we get to 20 minutes? I’m not sure; maybe 19 or 20 minutes. Winning football games is extremely difficult.
In that circumstance, you should stay in the game. And we’ve done a great job at it.
We negated Celtic, despite their clear domination, but shots from distance, which is what you need to attempt to do, get bodies in front of the ball. Players defended the box with their life.
“What upsets me is that the two goals we conceded were avoidable. It’s not as if we’re outmatched in that position, which is the trouble.
“And then, during the last 10 minutes, you want to stay in the game long enough to give yourself and the other players the right to have a real try. Substituted in a pair of strikers for some freshness and directness.
“You’re clearly losing the game, so you can go all out at that point, taking a lot more risks.
“And then we get one of the game’s best chances and fail to capitalise. And you might only get one of them, like we did, which was the difference today.
“If that goes in, the players would have got, for all the defensive duties they got, the point in the game.”
Four Hibs players in red-card blunders
Grey responded to the recent spate of players being sent off, with McGrath joining Grant Hanley, Raphael Sallinger, and Felix Passlack in the hall of shame, saying, “Yeah, I think it’s clearly all different types of ones.” I’ve certainly defended a few of earlier ones for a variety of reasons, including the text of the law.
“Grant Hanley’s is only a decision. The custodian makes an error by simply losing his bearings as a custodian, and he is sent out according to the letter of the law.
The Felix one is possibly slightly different because he’s making amends for a mistake in which he pops it in the middle of the pitch.
Read more on Straightwinfortoday.com
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.