Rangers did what they needed to at Ibrox, but the talking point afterwards was a red card. Rangers beat St Johnstone 4-0, yet the result was overshadowed by a contentious red card shown to Kai Fotheringham in the 74th minute. The scoreline was never in doubt by then. Kevin Kelsy scored twice, with Ryan Naderi and Tochi Chukwuani adding the others, and Derek McInnes got the response he wanted. But once the dust settled, the sending-off was all anyone wanted to discuss. [britbrief](https://britbrief.co.uk/sports/football/rangers-v-st-johnstone-red-card-pundits-question-sending-off.html) [livescore](https://www.livescore.com/en/news/football/team/rangers/daily/sunday-rangers-daily-news-20261025/)
The incident itself was a slide on Nico Raskin. VAR deemed Fotheringham’s tackle worthy of a sending off, and the decision was far from instant. After a lengthy delay, referee Chris Graham issued a straight red card. That pause is exactly what pundit James McFadden seized on while speaking on BBC Sportscene. He argued that the time it took to reach a decision suggested the official was torn about what he was seeing, and he used the word “conflicted” to describe it. He said Graham was sent to the monitor by the VAR and took a long while to decide, despite seeing the slide, the contact and the force on the follow-through. [DAILY RECORD 🔵 Rangers v St Johnstone red card gets universal verdict as pundit insists referee was ‘conflicted’ +2](https://www.shango.media/daily-record-rangers-v-st-johnstone-red-card-gets-universal-verdict-as-pundit-insists-referee-was-conflicted-11981288)
McFadden’s argument was not that the tackle was clean. He accepted that Fotheringham got the ball and then caught Raskin on the follow-through, which would normally be an easy red. His point was about the threshold. He questioned whether it really endangered an opponent or involved excessive force, and said he felt for the player. Freeze the frame and it looks ugly, he suggested, but in real time it carried less force than the still image implies. Fellow former pro Steven Thompson agreed, saying he saw no endangerment and no malice in the challenge. [shango](https://www.shango.media/daily-record-rangers-v-st-johnstone-red-card-gets-universal-verdict-as-pundit-insists-referee-was-conflicted-11981288) [shango](https://www.shango.media/daily-record-rangers-v-st-johnstone-red-card-gets-universal-verdict-as-pundit-insists-referee-was-conflicted-11981288)
Interestingly, the most important voice in the building was not looking for a fight. St Johnstone manager Simo Valakari said he had no complaints about the decision. That sits awkwardly beside the pundits’ sympathy and explains why coverage has been so mixed. One report said pundits agreed on the dismissal while one argued the referee looked conflicted, while another framed McFadden and Thompson as disagreeing with the red altogether. Both readings exist, and it depends on whether you focus on the letter of the law or the spirit of the tackle. [britbrief](https://britbrief.co.uk/sports/football/rangers-v-st-johnstone-red-card-pundits-question-sending-off.html) [livescore](https://www.livescore.com/en/news/football/team/rangers/daily/sunday-rangers-daily-news-20261025/)
That is the heart of the debate. Modern red-card rules are blunt, and a challenge can meet the criteria on paper while feeling harsh on the pitch. A player who wins the ball, loses control on the follow-through and catches an opponent will always split opinion, especially when the review drags on long enough to make everyone doubt themselves.
For Rangers, the controversy is a footnote. The win closed the gap at the top of the table, and they will take the momentum into a busy spell. For St Johnstone, it meant playing the final 16 minutes a man down in a game that was already gone. The real lesson may be about consistency and communication. If officials and VAR are going to take their time, supporters deserve a clearer sense of why. Until then, every marginal red card will produce the same argument, and this one will not be the last. [britbrief](https://britbrief.co.uk/sports/football/rangers-v-st-johnstone-red-card-pundits-question-sending-off.html)
