John Collins did not hold back on punditry duty after Celtic were denied what looked a clear penalty during their 2-1 win over Hibernian at Easter Road.
The moment came in the first half with Celtic already pushing for control. As the ball rolled toward the byline, Josh Campbell tried to see it out, but Benjamin Nygren stayed tight and was brought down as the opposition marker leaned into him.
Play continued. There was no immediate intervention from referee David Dickinson, and despite the incident being checked, VAR Don Robertson chose not to get involved.
It was a key moment in the match. Celtic were building pressure and had already seen chances come and go. A penalty there could have changed the flow of the game entirely.
Collins was watching closely and made his feelings clear as replays were shown.
He said: (BBC Sportsound), “If that goes to VAR, it’ll be a penalty, without a shadow of a doubt.
“Surely the VAR is going to come in here? The referee hasn’t seen it, obviously!
“That’s as blatant a penalty as you will ever see.
“I’ve just watched that on the screen.
“If the VAR have not given that as a penalty, then every single one of them involved should be sacked.
“It’s an absolute shambles.”
The decision will raise more questions about how VAR is being applied in these moments. From Collins’ view, the contact was clear enough to warrant a second look and a different outcome.
That pattern showed again later in the half when Celtic conceded from a set-piece. Small moments, missed calls, and lapses all fed into a game that never felt settled.
Even with the win, these incidents do not go away. Players and staff will look back at them, especially with so little room for error in the run-in.
With three games left, every decision carries serious significance. Celtic got the result this time, but the debate around VAR is not going anywhere.
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