Celtic red call justified as Alan Hutton even disagrees with Peter Grant on Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

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Celtic secured a vital three points over the weekend against Motherwell, but the talking point remains the referee’s decision-making involving Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Starting in the heart of the midfield, in place for the injured Callum McGregor, the former Premier League star found himself at the centre of a massive red card debate following a robust challenge on Motherwell’s Elijah Just.

While some feared a dismissal for Oxlade-Chamberlain, the decision to stick with a yellow has split opinion down the middle, leading to a fascinating clash of perspectives between two former players from Glasgow.

Former Celtic captain Peter Grant admitted he was ‘very concerned’ by the optics, suggesting the midfielder was ‘very, very fortunate’ to remain on the pitch.

However, Alan Hutton completely debunked the idea of a red card, relying on his own experience to defend the tackle.

“I used to do that every week,” Hutton countered. “Every tackle isn’t a red or a yellow card… I think he gets to it first. There is a contact, and it is what it is.”

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Alan Hutton defends Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s tackle on Elijah Just

Interestingly, 67 Hail Hail shared a nuanced take over the weekend, agreeing that the initial challenge was indeed a yellow and not a red.

However, the site noted that Oxlade-Chamberlain was arguably more fortunate with a subsequent second challenge that many felt should have resulted in a second booking.

While the first red call was justified as a yellow, the aggregate of his afternoon suggests he was a lucky man to see out the full 90 minutes.

Either way, it’s interesting to see and hear such differing views on Oxlade-Chamberlain’s challenge, when pundits across the land are usually biased towards their side.

But not Grant or Hutton, who, on Premier Sports, explained why they think Oxlade-Chamberlain should and shouldn’t have seen red.

Darrell Currie: “A tackle in the first half that Jens Berthel Askou was talking about after the match, too. Saying, ‘it was a bad one.’ Was it a red card? How concerned were you at the time?”

Grant: “I was very concerned. You can see he has gone to try to play the ball. To be fair to Just, he put his foot in, and Alex has got him down the back.

“But from what I have seen this season. It could easily have been a red card. I don’t think anybody would have argued against it. If he had given a red card, and went over to his monitor. I don’t think he would have changed his mind. That’s for sure. He was very fortunate.

“From what I have seen this season. I thought he was very, very fortunate.”

Hutton: “I used to do that every week. Every tackle isn’t a red or a yellow card. I watched that, and I think he gets to it first. There is a contact, and it is what it is.”