He gave an interview post match. He practices pens with the rest of the team, by all accounts he scores them when they do em in training. He backs himself. Many outfield players do not when it comes to pens. He said post match he wanted to work the goalie who was maybe carrying a knock at the time. I'm guessing he's not a send the goalie the other way penalty taker, more a pick yer spot and execute.
I don't know what really constitutes a handball anymore. Outside of the blatant hand to ball, which you seldom see these days cos the players tend to have their hands by their sides a lot more when defending the box. I saw Pep getting interviewed last season or maybe the early part of this season and he said he wasn't sure what a hand ball was anymore. So i don't mind admitting my lack of surerty.
The most clear cut recent hand ball was Shankland's at the weekend, no idea what he was thinking, or how the ref missed it. He had the look of someone confronted by Chris Hansen in a strangers kitchen, he totally knew what was coming. Pretty obvious call. Same day, one of two at Ibrox.....ball bounces between two players, ricochets up...glances against a hand...ref rightly waves it off, then VAR to ref, "you better have a closer look". It would have been farcical had it been given. Ref sticks to initial decision, thankfully. But my point is, some idiot in VAR room clearly felt it was a handball. I really wish Sportscene would have the balls to show examples from other games where pretty much the same handball resulted in a penalty in one but the other did not. But I'm sure they are not allowed to do that.
Completely understand the sentiment, but I simply don’t want another team with artificial turf in the SPL, especially having just got rid one. I think I hate turf more than I do VAR .. and that’s saying something. As far as playoffs, do or die ( well not quite) for St Johnston and Ross County tomorrow. Given my links to the Highlands, I’ll be rooting for the Dingwall team. Plus, well , St Johnstone have Craig Levein as manager, which was almost as baffling a hire in the SPL as Neil Warnock.
I’m pretty sure it’s not being shown on any U.S channels. I searched a few days ago even though I’m down in the Grenadines at the moment. I’ll be relying on BBC iPlayer on my iPad. ( you can download app and finagle location for free pretty easily). Failing that, I suppose you could sign up for Celtic TV if you felt like splashing out $18 . I can’t remember who had the rights for it last year although I just happened to be in Scotland at the time. I think part of the problem this year is that it’s head to head with the FA Cup and not staggered like previous years. It’s bizarre it’s not been shown… who had the rights for showing the earlier rounds? I want to say it was ESPN but could be wrong. Pretty certain Paramount had the rights to the League Cup matches.
Ha, what’s funny is my wife text me that link about an hour or so before you posted. She’s American but totally into all things Scottish. She has more of a pulse on what’s going on over there than I do. Best line in that commercial for me was the mannschaft reaching a semi.
