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.
Washed up. Idiot. Thug. Barton needs to be done with football.