Clarets Mad Tw*t of the Week 2002/03 – Week 4

Tw*t of the Week Alex Ferguson watches Keane get his red card at Sunderland

Ferguson’s crime was to defend his player at Sunderland last Saturday. Yes we expect managers to defend their players and we expect them to say they haven’t seen things when they clearly have. What we don’t expect is a manager to admit to having seen his player elbow and opponent on video and then allow himself to be interviewed and make it clear that it was a nothing offence.

Eventually, having made a complete and utter fool of himself, he had to admit that he was wrong but tried to have us believe that he had seen it from the wrong angle. Obviously he wouldn’t have seen the incident as it happened because with it being close to the end of the game he would have been too busy checking his watch.

Ferguson then got himself involved with Sunderland’s Niall Quinn who was clearly only trying to calm the situation. Television viewers with even the slightest of lip reading powers could see what the by now irate Ferguson said to the home team’s player coach.

It is clear that he wasn’t watching much of the action otherwise he would have seen that Keane would have gone off earlier but for the intervention of the excellent Uriah Rennie and he would have also seen that both Keane and the younger of the Neville sisters could have gone off in a bizarre incident.

Get a grip of your squad Ferguson and please stop defending them when clearly they are out of order.

Runner up Roy Keane finally sees red from referee Uriah Rennie

Not satisfied with causing mayhem at the World Cup and not satisfied with writing a book that has the game in turmoil he took it upon himself to turn in a performance that could have seen him sent off no less than three times.

He launched into his own player, Neville sister two, after the full-back could have been sent off himself. This brought about further use of offensive language from Neville and but for the referee quickly moving in to calm it down both could have seen red.

Then he completely lost it after allowing himself to be wound up by the less than bright Jason McAteer. Referee Rennie’s intervention here has seen him criticised. He pushed Keane away and in doing so did his utmost to keep twenty-two players on the pitch. Well done Mr. Rennie, you should be getting applause for this not criticism.

Having got away with all that though he decided to have one last go and just a few yards from the referee stuck his elbow into McAteer’s face. There was only one decision and off he went. With all the other things happening he will face a long ban. His club have moved swiftly and decided to get an operation out of the way during this period.

What a pity that the FA cannot wait until he is fit before implementing his suspensions.

Tino Asprilla - made Darlington chairman George Reynolds look pretty foolish with his on/off transfer

It is difficult to comprehend that Asprilla would have been seriously interested in playing 3^rd Division football at Feethams, he had only returned to the North East initially in the hope of resurrecting his career at Newcastle. Bobby Robson didn’t share the enthusiasm and so Reynolds stepped in.

Reynolds of course has his finger on the pulse and recently offered Michael Knighton a position once the latter had finally sold Carlisle United. Even the nastiest of Carlisle fans wouldn’t wish that on Darlington and Reynolds.

The Darlo fans are pleased to be honest, they have little faith in Reynolds getting anything right and they are aware that any team Asprilla plays for doesn’t appear to achieve anything. There are players like this, ask Derby’s Kinkladze and Ravanelli. I wonder just how many relegations these two have been involved in.

So it is Ferguson, Keane and Reynolds this week. Apart from Asprilla we have had a number of nominations for referees. Mick Fletcher received some votes for his handling of last week’s Burnley v Crystal Palace game whilst Jeff Winter picked up votes for another poor performance at West Ham.

However it hasn’t taken last year’s Tw*t of the Season to rear its ugly head. Yes, Barry Knight is back. Thankfully for now he has kept clear of Burnley games following his handling of the home game against Wolves last season.

Last Saturday he sent off Shaun Wright-Phillips after the KKMC player had given away a penalty. It was clearly the wrong colour of card and the arrogant official has been put under so much pressure this week that he has been forced into reviewing it and has rescinded the red card.

Whilst this man is allowed to continue refereeing we will continue to get these problems.