Hearts red card triggers pundit apoplexy as Celtic hero Chris Sutton tells Willie Collum 'you pooped it'

The decision to send off Hearts star Alex Cochrane against Celtic has been rinsed by the pundits - with Chris Sutton declaring VAR official Willie Collum "pooped it."

The defender was chasing down Daizen Maeda on the right flank at Tynecastle when the Japan international tumbled under pressure from the Jambos' defender. Referee Nick Walsh initially opted to book the full-back, but was sent to the monitor by Collum in the VAR room just before the half-time whistle. That saw the man in the middle overturn his original call and brandish a red card for the Hearts star.

That left a packed Tynecastle reeling with doubts over whether Cochrane was the last man or if Maeda would have been in a goalscoring position as he neared Zander Clark's goal. Sutton was quick to take to Twitter to insisted the decision should not have been given, stating: "That’s not a red card… Willie Collum in the VAR hut has absolutely pooped it…

Walker told Sky Sports commentary raged as he said: "I think this is a horrible use of VAR. I think the game has been so good, but the game has now been ruined. You just get the feeling that if the referee can send a player off they will."

BBC Sportsound's Michael Stewart was left in disbelief, stating: “What an absolute shambles. “See the way Nick Walsh strolls back onto the park - it’s so dramatic and everything about it is part of a show. “It’s utter garbage. “Not a single player was disrupting the original decision. No wonder the Hearts bench is furious."

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