MANCHESTER (AFP)
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.
Barton 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 similar 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' 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."
