Daily Record’s Scott McDermott Calls Celtic ‘Lucky’ — But the Rules and His Ibrox Title Tip Tell a Story

Scott McDermott Celtic comments have provided another remarkable talking point after Celtic’s emphatic victory over Dundee United.

The Daily Record journalist claimed Celtic “got lucky” over two major decisions. Yet that argument becomes difficult to sustain when the actual handball rules are applied.

McDermott accepts Camilo Durán’s goal should stand under the current law. At the other end, he believes Dundee United had a strong penalty claim involving Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Where exactly was the luck?

McDermott’s full verdict in the Daily Record was: “The rules state that Duran’s goal should stand. But how Willie Collum can say it doesn’t compare to Falkirk’s last week is baffling. They’re almost identical and the inconsistency is driving fans crazy. Celtic got lucky with Oxlade-Chamberlain’s handball at the other end.”

That final sentence is extraordinary. How exactly did Celtic “get lucky” when the ball appeared to strike Oxlade-Chamberlain high on the shoulder? McDermott has already conceded that Durán’s goal was correct under the rules, so his argument effectively amounts to Celtic being “lucky” because the officials applied the law correctly at one end and didn’t award a penalty for an incident at the other that appeared to strike the shoulder.

Scott McDermott Celtic claim clashes with the decisions

The Oxlade-Chamberlain incident is particularly difficult to understand.

Replays appeared to show the ball striking him high around the shoulder area. Officials didn’t award a penalty, and the incident provided little evidence that Celtic had escaped an obvious handball offence.

Then there is Durán’s goal.

Kasper Høgh accidentally handled the ball before Durán eventually scored. VAR checked the incident and allowed the goal to stand.

Willie Collum subsequently explained why.

Høgh’s contact came as a consequence of his playing action and was considered accidental. Crucially, Høgh wasn’t the player who scored.

That distinction matters under the current handball law.

Whatever anyone thinks about the wording of that law, Celtic didn’t create it. The officials simply applied it.

A legitimate goal isn’t Celtic “getting lucky”. It is a legitimate goal.

Scott McDermott Celtic verdict meets an interesting prediction

There is also some relevant context surrounding McDermott’s comments.

Earlier this year, the Daily Record writer made an extremely bold prediction about this season’s Premiership title.

McDermott tipped the Ibrox club to become champions in 2027.

His prediction was unequivocal: “I’m tipping Rangers to be champions in 2027.”

That doesn’t prove McDermott supports any particular club. There is no credible evidence required to make that allegation, nor is it necessary.

His published prediction speaks for itself.

Readers can therefore decide what weight to attach to it when assessing his latest Celtic commentary.

McDermott is perfectly entitled to question the handball law or debate whether decisions are consistent across Scottish football.

However, acknowledging that Celtic’s goal was legal before describing them as “lucky” is difficult to reconcile.

Celtic didn’t bend the rules.

They didn’t receive a goal that should have been disallowed.

Officials followed the law and awarded it.

Perhaps Celtic weren’t lucky at all.

Perhaps another perfectly legitimate Celtic decision has simply been turned into a controversy it never needed to become.

Key Takeaways

• Scott McDermott claimed Celtic “got lucky” with two major decisions against Dundee United.
• The Oxlade-Chamberlain incident appeared to involve contact high around the shoulder area.
• Willie Collum explained why Høgh’s accidental handball was not punishable.
• Durán scored the goal, making that distinction crucial under the current handball law.
• McDermott previously tipped the Ibrox club to become Premiership champions in 2027.
• Correctly applying the rules isn’t Celtic “getting lucky”.