English Premiership
Barton bites back after red
2012-05-14 10:23
Manchester - Joey Barton apologised for his red card at Manchester City but the controversial QPR midfielder insisted he was only reacting to provocation from Carlos Tevez.
VIDEO: QPR's Joey Barton red carded against Manchester CityBarton was dismissed in the 55th minute after an off-the-ball incident in which he elbowed Tevez in the face after the City striker had hit out at him.
He exacerbated that foolish action by kicking City striker Sergio Aguero after being shown a red card by referee Mike Dean and is likely to face an extended ban next season after two more moments of madness in a career scarred by similiar incidents.
QPR eventually lost 3-2 after conceding two stoppage-time goals and Barton conceded he had let his team-mates down but, with Mark Hughes's side safe from relegation following Bolton's draw with Stoke, he quickly pointed the finger at Tevez in a series of posts on Twitter.
"Can do nothing but apologise to the players and the fans. Still don't think its a sending off," he wrote.
"The head was never gone at any stage, once I'd been sent off, one of our players suggested I should try to take 1 of theirs with me...Never worked but god loves a trier.
"Think a few people are forgetting Tevez started the fracas by throwing a punch to the head...?
"Right am off for a bit. Gonna enjoy QPR still being a Premiership club with all my team-mates. Cheerio people."