Neil Lennon in shock at Kris Boyd over Rangers vs Celtic incidents
Neil Lennon was left stunned by comments made by Kris Boyd about two collisions in the clash between Rangers and Celtic at Ibrox.
After the hosts took an early lead in that Old Firm clash on Thursday (2 January) through Ianis Hagi, they were able to maintain one-goal lead until half-time, as they looked to end a poor run against their rivals, on the way to a 3-0 win.
One flashpoint came on the stroke of the break, when Jefte was booked for the ‘Gers after catching Celtic’s Nicolas Kuhn in the face with a trailing arm as both competed for the ball by the corner flag.
Speaking about the incident at half-time on Sky Sports coverage of the game (4.08pm), former Celtic player and manager Lennon dismissed suggestion the full-back should have received anything more than a booking, saying: “No not for me, it’s a flailing arm, I don’t think he’s meant to swing it or anything like that.
“Sometimes it looks really bad from that angle, but when you see it from this angle I don’t think there’s any real malice in it. He’s not looking at Kuhn, he just catches him in his body position. The linesman’s stood right there, if he thought there was anything untoward it would have been more than a yellow card. I think that’s the correct decision.”
Former Rangers striker Boyd then chimed in by adding: “Yeah I think it’s a natural movement to be honest, I don’t think it’s anything worse than Alistair Johnston’s on Hagi, when he comes through the back of him.”
With that referencing an aerial duel between the two in which Johnston caught Hagi in the back of the head with an elbow around the half-hour mark without any punishment, Boyd then looked on smugly as host Eilidh Barbour laughed.
Lennon meanwhile looked at Boyd in astonishment, as he responded: “Where did that come from? Honestly.”
Rangers vs Celtic incidents warranted no more punishment than they got
Football Insider Opinion
It was no surprise to see that there was no more than a booking for Jefte or any card at all for Johnston as a result of these comings together.
The clash between Johnston and Hagi was an honest duel with seemingly no intent with the elbow, so there was no need for any booking for the Celtic man there.
By contrast, Jefte’s elbow was more reckless, but did not appear to be overly malicious, so a yellow card for that felt a fair outcome as well.
As a result both decisions felt like the right ones for referee Don Robertson to make in the circumstances, which is important given the immense high stakes of this fixture.
Even so, as someone with such a connection to Rangers, it is no surprise to see Boyd aiming a dig at Celtic over in a way that gets one over on them.
Indeed, with the hosts cruising to an emphatic victory that may ease some of the pressure on manager Philippe Clement, this is a fixture that has left Boyd with plenty to smile about.
In other news, Rangers are set to sign a new deal worth over £20million.
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