Should Charlie Adam's challenge on Wayne Rooney in Stoke's 2-1 defeat at home to Everton have been punished with an orange card instead of a red?

There will be those who say Charlie Adam’s foul on Wayne Rooney was an obvious red card.

Then there are others who judge it a yellow.

And so, like most arguments with two sides, there ought to be an option for compromise, certainly when the stakes are this high.

Could anybody seriously complain had referee Martin Atkinson shown an orange card?