Steven Thompson and James McFadden Disagree With Rangers Red Card Decision After Sportscene Replay

Rangers’ comfortable 4-0 victory over St Johnstone was overshadowed by a second-half sending-off that sparked debate among BBC Sportscene pundits.

The Light Blues were already three goals ahead when Saints midfielder Kai Fotheringham was dismissed following a VAR review of his challenge on Nicolas Raskin.

Kevin Kelsy had scored twice, while Ryan Naderi also found the net to put Derek McInnes’ side firmly in control before the controversial incident unfolded.

Fotheringham had entered the match at half-time, replacing Josh Fowler, but his afternoon ended prematurely in the 73rd minute.

Referee Chris Graham initially decided against showing the midfielder a red card. However, VAR official Andrew Dallas recommended an on-field review, prompting Graham to examine the challenge on the pitch-side monitor before changing his decision.

The dismissal subsequently became a major talking point on BBC Sportscene, where former Scotland internationals James McFadden and Steven Thompson questioned whether the challenge warranted a red card.

James McFadden questions Kai Fotheringham’s dismissal

McFadden felt the point of contact made the challenge look worse than it was, arguing that the level of force involved did not justify sending Fotheringham off.

Speaking on BBC Sportscene, he said: “I don’t [agree with this decision], but I can understand when you see the point of contact, it doesn’t look great.

“I don’t think there’s an enormous amount of force in it.

“He goes to ground, he wins the ball, his follow-through catches Raskin above the ankle, which you would normally say that’s an easy red card.

“Chris Graham is sent to [the pitch-side monitor] by Andrew Dallas. He takes a while to get the decision; I mean, there’s not a lot to see.

“You can see the initial slide, you can see the contact, you can see the force and the follow-through; I don’t know why he’s taken so long.”

Although McFadden acknowledged that the contact above Raskin’s ankle could make the tackle appear dangerous, he remained unconvinced that the incident met the threshold for a sending-off.

Sportscene presenter Thompson shared that assessment, suggesting Fotheringham had attempted to withdraw from the challenge after winning the ball.

He said: “Once he’s started sliding, he wins the ball, he can’t take his legs away and, in fact, I think he does try to take his legs away at the point of impact.

“For me, there’s no endangering a player there. I don’t think there’s any real malice in the tackle.”

McFadden added that he did not believe the challenge involved the excessive force or brutality required to justify a red card.

His comments underlined the disagreement over whether the nature of the contact alone was sufficient to warrant Fotheringham’s dismissal.

Simo Valakari offers a different view of Rangers controversy

While the two BBC pundits questioned the decision, St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari appeared to accept the referee’s verdict.

Following the defeat, the Saints boss admitted he had no complaints about the red card, acknowledging that his player’s leg was high during the challenge.

Although he described the incident as unlucky, Valakari recognised why Graham had decided to send Fotheringham off after reviewing the footage.

Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett also backed the decision, telling Ibrox News that the dismissal was justified.

Hackett argued that Fotheringham had been out of control while making the challenge on a slippery surface.

That left the incident attracting contrasting assessments from the television pundits, St Johnstone’s manager and a former referee.

McFadden and Thompson believed the midfielder had made sufficient contact with the ball and questioned whether the follow-through involved enough force to warrant a red card. Valakari, meanwhile, accepted the decision, while Hackett supported the referee’s intervention.

For Rangers, the incident did little to change the outcome of a convincing afternoon at Ibrox, with McInnes’ side already holding a three-goal advantage when Fotheringham was dismissed.

However, the debate surrounding the tackle ensured that the sending-off became one of the main talking points after the final whistle.