Newcastle United stand-in manager Alan Shearer is set to fine Joey Barton after the combative midfielder was sent off in the club’s 3 – 0 defeat away to Liverpool.

Barton’s two-footed challenge on Xabi Alonso earned him a straight red card and did nothing to lighten Shearer’s mood with his team still in deep relegation trouble with just 3 matches left to save themselves.

It was Barton’s first game since late January but he’ll now miss the rest of the season.

Speaking to BBC Sport, Shearer said:

I wasn’t happy. I was bitterly disappointed at the way that happened.

I asked him to stay calm in the heat of the battle but it was a stupid tackle and he deserved to be sent off.

It’s about 90 minutes, not about 75 or 80 minutes. It’s about keeping calm for 90.

I think it would be wrong to discuss his future now but I’m not very happy.

This game wasn’t going to save our season today but the next two will.

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