Which stoppages were these?
Brewster going off to get stiches?
Diamond getting stretchered off and being replaced.
I'm maybe being slightly unfair on the Celti players. What annoys me is that the referee gives the freekick when there is little or no contact and the same freekick would not be given against them.
Hesselink get to barge his way about and back into the centre half, but if the CB stands up to him Hesselink suddenly stands still, looks to the ref, and gets a freekick.
No problem with Brewster...he didn't fall to the ground without moving for 90 secs till the ref stopped the game, got the magic spounge and jump up again AOK. even though he did have a head injury. And he left the field without any great delay to the game, so no issue there either. I've said before, Celtic defenders are clumfers and its only a matter of time till someone's caraer is ended ( Caldwell on Fernandez was close)
However, others from Aberdeen did go to ground easily and the ref stopped the game, against the rules...come on juve red, play the game, you were there and couldn't have missed all the stopages to the game?
...it actually stopped the flow of the Dons more than Celtic's feeble first half attempts, but Aberdeen were 1-0 at the time..as for Diamond...no one touched him...he overstretched, so not a Celtic issue....however I did have a problem with claims of bad sportsmanship when Naylor threw the ball in when he was down as the ref had attended on him , moved away, he got up, the ref blew the whistle instructing Naylor to play the ball back into play, then he went down as Naylor was attempting to pick someone out...if he delayed any more then he could have a technical foul throw given against him for not playing the ball in...
the acid test...how much extra time was added on to both halfs and why? Even the Radio commentators made remarks about it and put the blame at the Dons going down easily.
Setanta took great delight on zooming into Stachan every time an Aberdeen player went down and the ref stopped the game, just to get his reaction...and I think it was obvious what he thought was going on...perhaps one of the reasons why the dons fans were giviing him abuse, who knows?
As for JVoH we have to disagree big time...it seems to me if he even merely rubs up against a defender its a foul.
Look to the replays of the fouls...2 in 3 you'll see his shirt pulled and elbows over his shoulders time and time again, but 2 in 3 he gets a foul against him...