Brendan Rodgers serves up Rangers penalty throwback as Celtic boss reminds VAR snipers officials are not 'machines'

Brendan Rodgers has jumped to the defence of the under-fire VAR officials who failed to award Rangers a Premier Premier Sports Cup Final penalty, reminding the spot kick snipers that they are not "machines."

SFA refs chief Willie Collum has this week been forced to admit that the Light Blues should have been awarded a stoppage time pen in last Sunday's 3-3 Hampden blockbuster, when Liam Scales hauled down Vaclav Cerny on the line of the penalty box after grabbing on to the Czech as he made his way into the box.

The Ibrox club hit back at Collum telling him that the blunder had "damaged the credibility of Scottish football." But Rodgers has tried to offer the Clydesdale House crew an out, following the lead of SFA CEO Ian Maxwell who warned that VAR will "never" be perfect: "I've been involved in 20 Celtic Rangers games now and I always feel there's a narrative sort after the game, in each game," said Rodgers.

"Should there have been a penalty? Should there have been a red card? Should they have not? Should there have been a goal? Even penalties that are awarded when it's offside! So there is always something in the narrative so I can understand why you would maybe look at it. When I see it and evaluate it, the images that I've seen, it was probably given for the initial foul which was clearly not on the line. But of course it then moves on and goes on to be the penalty aspect.

"But the bottom line is, whatever happens in the game, you have to get on with it. We can only control what we can and that was to go on and win the game.

Asked if there was a bigger issue at play with the VAR process not doing what it is supposed to when an error is made, Rodgers told Sky Sports: "It's always been acknowledged that even with VAR,