Greg Taylor slams VAR as he points out fatal flaw that he reckons led to Celtic losing Daizen Maeda to red card

GREG TAYLOR slammed the freeze-frame VAR decision that saw Daizen Maeda sent off.

Celtic’s Japanese winger was shown a red card for a late challenge on Atletico Madrid’s Mario Hermoso.

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Maeda was initially booked for the first-half flashpoint.

But Slovakian referee Ivan Kruzliak was instructed to take another look on the pitchside monitor.

And Taylor insists Maeda’s tackle was made to look much worse when the challenge was paused on screen.

Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers was also fuming Atleti boss Diego Simeone did his best to influence the official – with the La Liga players also surrounding the whistler out on the pitch.

Taylor said: “Daizen is okay.

“I actually thought he started the game really well and had the beating of their wing-back.

“But it’s a really sore night.

“The red card is a big moment and when VAR looks at a still image, I think it gets a bit silly.

“Their reaction also influences the decision too.

“They had four of five men around most decisions – they are notorious for that, aren’t they?

“With VAR, I don’t know what the answer is. 

“It’s above my station in terms of the fact that we are just out there trying to perform. 

“The actual tackle, the Atletico player goes in swinging so Daizen has then got to protect himself in terms to go and compete in the challenge. 

“Once you go to a still image, it can look as bad as it did, I’m sure.

“So I don’t know what the answer is going forward but I don’t see real benefit in what VAR is bringing right now. 

“I think it’s difficult once when it goes to a still image in that instance. 

“It’s there to try and enhance the game and help the referees.  

“But I think it’s a wee bit false when show it alone like that.

“I’d like to think we could have given them a better game with 11 men. 

“We did at Celtic Park against a difficult opponent.  

“At the start of the game we’d a decent amount of the ball and decent comfort in the game but when you lose one goal and then a man and it’s difficult from there.”

Taylor is unhappy with the manner of the goals Celtic conceded on a dire night where nothing went their way.

But he still reckons Celtic should have coped better when they were reduced to ten men.

They were 1-0 down at the time.

But after losing a second goal right before half-time the second-half became a damage limitation exercise.

Taylor added: “Listen, they are a really, really top quality team that created a lot of chances.

“The red card is such a big moment.

“But after that we could have equipped ourselves better with ten men. They’re a top team, of course they are, but we should at home we can really compete.

“The first two goals hurt the most because they’re avoidable.

“They had a shot from the edge of the box after a first phase set play. 

“We know it’s going to be a long second half after the second goal goes in.

“But we still try to get the next goal to see where it could take us.

“The first 15, we limited them to just a couple of chances, but once the third goes in you know it’s an uphill battle from there.

“They are a strong opponent with real quality.

“Their subs came on and they stuck one right in the to corner. It was just a real hard night.”

Celtic’s Champions League campaign is now hanging by a thread.

But they have two games left – away to Lazio and at home to Feyenoord – with Taylor refusing to give up hope.

It seems highly unlikely now they can claim one of the top two spots in Group E.

But Taylor reckons they can still finish in third spot and drop into the Europa League beyond Christmas.

Asked how the team will lift itself after this, he added: “It’s football. It’s going to be a hard 24/48 hours. 

“It’s a humbling night in terms of the fact that we wanted to come here and get a positive result and we’ve not done that. 

“But in football there’s always another opportunity just around the corner and it’s important that we finish strongly before the international break 

“We’re still in this competition and we’ve got to try and get six points from the next two games. 

“The other game in the round doesn’t really go for us tonight in terms of Lazio winning but we want to show progress in this competition. 

“We want to try and certainly finish on a higher points total than last year and see where it takes us. 

“Celtic have won in Rome before so we can still set up a grand stand finish. That’s exactly the aim. 

“We need to learn from tonight because it’s obvious that we should have out on a better performance for the travelling support and we hope we can do that when we play Lazio.”

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