Barton responds to red card

13 May 2012 20:17

Joey Barton has apologised to QPR's players and supporters after being sent off in the 3-2 defeat at Manchester City.

But the controversial midfielder also insisted he did not deserve to be dismissed and revealed he tried to get a City player sent off as well. Barton saw red for elbowing Carlos Tevez and then kneed Sergio Aguero, an incident which sparked a mass confrontation.

"Can do nothing but apologise to the players and the fans. Still don't think its a sending off. Tried to take 1 of their players with me..." Barton wrote on Twitter.

He continued: "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. #reallynotbother #wearesafe.

"Still not my proudest moment but who gives a ****, we are safe..........and that is all that matters."

The score was 1-1 at the time, with Djibril Cisse cancelling out Pablo Zabaleta's opener for City, although Jamie Mackie gave the visitors a shock lead after Barton's dismissal.

Although stoppage time strikes from Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero handed City the win and the Barclays Premier League title, QPR's safety was ensured following Bolton's draw at Stoke.

"To all those nuggets who've been tweeting about relegation all season.......u were wrong. #chinup," Barton added.

"To those same nuggets, the ones that constantly wrote us of all season. See u in the Premiership next season... #comeonur'sss."

Source: PA