Ally McCoist insisted Mohammed Kudus did not deserve to see red during West ham's defeat to Tottenham in the London derby, despite a moment of madness from the midfielder.
Kudus had fired the visitors into an early lead at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, before Dejan Kulusevski levelled for Spurs before the interval.
Ange Postecoglou replaced James Maddison with Pape Matar Sarr at half-time and the hosts returned revitalised following the restart, with a quick flurry of goals.
Yves Bissouma put Spurs into the lead before their advantage was doubled when Alphonse Areola turned the ball into his own net, before Son Heung-min completed the rout on the hour mark.
Frustrations were evident among West Ham players as they tried to force their way back into the game and Kudus lashed out at Micky van de Ven during the closing stages.
However, a VAR review subsequently determined that the midfielder should be sent off
The midfielder was initially shown a yellow card after appearing to kick the Dutch defender while he was challenging for the ball before slapping him during the resulting melee.
Van de Ven was also booked for shoving Kudus following the incident.
A subsequent VAR review ultimately overruled the referee's decision and Kudus was give his marching orders, much to commentator McCoist's chagrin.
'I'll be honest, I'm probably old-school,' McCoist said on TNT Sports. 'Give him a booking and let's get on with the game.'
After being sent off for violent conduct, Kudus will likely face a three-game ban which will come as a significant blow for Julen Lopetegui's side.
The 24-year-old has started every Premier League game this season for the Hammers, and had opened his account for the campaign with a goal in their 4-1 win over Ipswich earlier this month.
Kudus will now likely be unavailable for West Ham's trip to Old Trafford next weekend, and subsequent clashes with Nottingham Forest and Everton.
Defeat on Saturday means the Hammers have won just two of their opening eight Premier League games this season.