SFA VAR warning after Celtic-Rangers incident as O’Neill future comes under scrutiny

Celtic’s difficult run of results continued on Sunday as Rangers claimed their second Old Firm victory in the space of a week with a 1-0 triumph at Parkhead.

Ryan Naderi’s early strike was enough to settle the derby and hand Derek McInnes another significant victory over Celtic.

The result leaves Rangers just two points behind their city rivals at the top of the Premiership after recording six successive wins.

Celtic, meanwhile, are facing a very different situation.

Martin O’Neill’s side have now lost three matches in a row, having already been beaten by Rangers in the League Cup before suffering a Europa League defeat against Ferencvaros.

The latest Old Firm setback has increased scrutiny on O’Neill, with questions now being raised about whether he will remain in the Celtic dugout.

O’Neill set to consider his future

Journalist Graham Spiers has claimed that O’Neill is considering his position and could use the upcoming international break to make a decision over his future.

The Celtic boss appeared visibly frustrated after Sunday’s defeat, with his team unable to respond after Naderi’s early goal.

Celtic now have an unusually long period without competitive football.

Their next fixture is not scheduled until a trip to Motherwell on October 11, giving O’Neill 21 days away from competitive action.

Spiers reports that the manager is also planning to spend some time away with his wife, potentially giving him an opportunity to assess the situation before deciding whether he wants to continue in the role.

Former referee raises VAR concerns

The derby defeat has also generated debate over a first-half incident involving Rangers defender Emmanuel Fernandez.

Fernandez was booked inside the opening five minutes for a foul on Camilo Duran.

A little over ten minutes later, the Rangers defender was involved in another challenge, this time against Celtic forward Benjamin Nygren.

Nygren appeared to get the ball beyond Fernandez before going to ground, but referee John Beaton allowed the game to continue without awarding a foul.

Former referee Bobby Madden has since argued that the second incident could have resulted in another booking.

Speaking to the Daily Record, Madden suggested the challenge met the criteria for a yellow card because it brought an attacking move to an end.

However, the key issue is that Beaton did not award a free-kick in the first place.

Under the existing VAR framework, that distinction is important.

VAR can intervene in situations involving a potential straight red card, but it cannot instruct the referee to issue a second yellow card.

As a result, even if the video assistant referee believed Fernandez’s challenge warranted a booking, there was no mechanism for VAR to recommend that he be sent off for receiving a second caution.

Could it have changed the title race?

The hypothetical consequences of a dismissal are obvious.

Rangers could potentially have spent the majority of the derby with ten players, leaving Celtic with a numerical advantage for a significant portion of the match.

There is no guarantee that would have changed the final result, but it would have altered the circumstances of the game considerably.

The incident has attracted additional attention because of the current league standings.

Celtic remain top on 18 points after seven matches, while Rangers have moved onto 16 points.

That leaves just two points between the sides at the summit.

Had Rangers been reduced to ten men and Celtic gone on to win, the gap could have been substantially different.

That is precisely why decisions such as this can attract greater scrutiny as the season develops, even though it is impossible to establish what would have happened had the decision gone the other way.

For Celtic, the VAR debate is another frustration to emerge from an already difficult week.

Who could Celtic turn to if O’Neill leaves?

Should O’Neill decide that he no longer wants to remain at Parkhead, attention would quickly turn towards possible replacements.

Kieran McKenna has previously been linked with the Celtic job and is reportedly someone the club’s hierarchy admires.

There are, however, significant obstacles to any potential move.

McKenna is reportedly focused on securing an opportunity with one of England’s leading clubs rather than moving to Scotland.

Manchester United and Tottenham have been mentioned as potential destinations, although any future managerial vacancy would depend on developments at those clubs.

Celtic would also face a sizeable compensation bill.

Ipswich are reportedly due around £8m if McKenna leaves before next summer, creating another financial hurdle for the Scottish champions.

The club’s ownership has previously been reluctant to commit substantial sums to managerial compensation, despite the reported admiration for McKenna.

English vacancies could complicate matters further

The managerial landscape in England could also have an impact on Celtic’s options.

Pressure has reportedly been building around Roberto De Zerbi and Michael Carrick, meaning vacancies at major English clubs could potentially emerge.

If McKenna remains determined to work at the top level of the English game, any such openings would likely be more relevant to his ambitions than a move to Scotland.

For now, though, Celtic’s immediate concern is not the identity of a potential successor but the direction of the current campaign.

The international break gives O’Neill time to reflect on his position, while Celtic’s hierarchy will have to assess the team’s recent performances.

At the same time, the SFA faces renewed questions over the limitations of its VAR protocols after the Fernandez incident — a decision that has become another major talking point from an Old Firm clash with the league title already in focus.