Unlike many other SPL managers who have had more than their fair share to say about referees robbing their sides of points by making incorrect calls in matches against the Old Firm clubs in recent years, Hearts manager Csaba Laszlo refused to publicly slate Craig Thomson for awarding the late penalty that handed Rangers an unlikely victory at Tynecastle yesterday.
After seeing their opponents reduced to ten men early on after Kevin Thomson’s wild challenge on Ian Black, Hearts had been cruising along looking as though it was only a matter of how many they’d win by, but in the end they had to rue their inability in front of goal and a genuine lack of good breaks on the day, including the incorrect decision made by Thomson to award the late penalty.
Csaba, who was clearly seething about the decision, somehow managed to keep his dignity however, when he said:
‘What I think about the penalty isn’t important. You saw it yourself and you must decide for yourselves if it was a penalty.’
‘I won’t talk about the referee’s performance. If you look for mistakes by others and don’t find any by yourself you’re a wrong human.
‘The referee gave the penalty and when he gives it he doesn’t take it back.
‘I am more upset about the chances we had to score and didn’t take.’
While I’m all for managers having a real go in public when they feel that their team has been genuinely cheated, it’s pleasing to see Csaba taking this approach. We all know it was a case of yet another crucial decision going against Hearts in a match against a team from Glasgow to add to a very long list of similar incidents compiled over literally decades, but Csaba is right to be focusing on how his own team could have prevented the referee from having any say on the result of the match whatsoever.
The bottom line is that if Hearts had taken just one of the many chances they created whilst a goal to the good in that game, then we wouldn’t be talking about a defeat here, and resolving that problem is what Csaba and his players need to be channelling their energies into right now. I hope he finds a solution to his goalscoring problems soon….!
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‘The referee gave the penalty and when he gives it he doesn’t take it back’. Well … not entirely true, considering it happened to us TWICE last season !! But you’re right that its good to see Csaba keeping a dignifed silence on it. Actually, I don’t think the TV eveidence proved anything one way or the other. Neither Wallace or Bouzid seemed to protest.
The challenge was made outside the area and the momentum of both players took them inside. I don’t blame Thomson for giving the pen as from his angle it probably looked it. The linesman on the other hand…..well, they never overturn decisions to award penalties do they? Oh…hang on….!
Nothing good comes out of questioning referees in Scotland, because they are clearly above criticism. The situation cannot improve because it’s perfect as it is – Rangers got their win, after all.
It was clearly outside the box, it’s as plain as the difference between black and white.
Not so sure about that DT. Looked right on the line, when you slow down the replay. Did Bouzid’s knee connect with Naismith’s chest/stomach ? It wasn’t clear from the replay. A clumsy challenge – but no protest from Bouzid. If that’s the standard for giving penalties this season, fair enough. But we all know that most teams suffering similar challlenges from OF players in the box won’t get them.
Was there any contact at all? Looked as though he simply went down under a clumsy-looking challenge as per most ‘fouls’ these days.