Richards Keys gets involved in the Newcastle debate - Surprising comments?

Richard Keys believes Newcastle United have a strong chance of winning an appeal against Anthony Gordon’s red card.

Anthony Taylor brandished a red card without hesitation after Gordon thrust both his hands into the face of Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke in what has been dubbed a “moment of insanity” by Ally McCoist.

Gordon’s petulant shove acts as a punch in the gut for a fanbase who will head to Wembley hoping to see the Magpies end their 70-year domestic drought in the Carabao Cup final.

As it stands the 24-year-old will miss the clash with Liverpool during his three-match ban, and Sky Sports suggest the club will not be appealing. 

Keys weighs in on Gordon debate

Richard Keys has made some surprising comments on the Anthony Gordon red card fiasco, using another much discussed moment from the weekend’s FA Cup action to justify a Toon appeal.

It seems naive to believe that Gordon’s red card could be overturned but Keys, who is rarely sympathetic or supportive of anything relating to Newcastle, is of the opinion it is an unjust punishment. 

Writing in his latest blog following a weekend of FA Cup fixtures, he said: “You watch Liam Roberts’ assault on Mateta…Mateta ended up with 27 stitches.

“I know why Anthony Taylor sent Gordon off at Newcastle. Gordon was daft and probably deserved to go, but it’s mad to think right now he’ll serve the same ban as Roberts.

“I hope Newcastle appeal it. I’d say they’d have a 50-50 chance of winning. I’d like to see them win it. Gordon should be allowed to play in the Carabao Cup Final.

“I’ve argued for years that when it comes to a final we want to see the best players on the pitch. It’s a showpiece so why not? If we restricted punishments to the competitions that bookings or red cards were picked up in – that would happen more often.

“If you’re sent off in a league game your ban should apply to league fixtures. The same with the FA Cup. It’s simply wrong that Gordon will miss a cup final because he got sent off in a league game. I’d make an exception for something like Roberts' challenge mind you.”

Keys final comment is confusing (Gordon was sent off in the FA Cup, not a league game) but his point stands that he'll be punished in competitions he hasn't been sent off in. It does feel very much 'clutching at straws' to me.

Gordon won’t avoid punishment

Keys make a fair point that when you look at Gordon’s challenge compared to that of Millwall’s Roberts, it feels mad that both equate to the same punishment - but the rules are the rules.

If you raise your hands and intentionally strike another player in the face then it’s difficult to argue that it’s anything but violent conduct, at least Roberts could argue that his intent was to play the ball even if it was a horror challenge.

Ultimately it’s a bit like comparing apples to oranges as they’re two completely different situations, but both players made a mistake that within the rules warrants a three game suspension.

From a Newcastle perspective obviously it’s a shame that Gordons isn’t a one game ban, but that's the position the winger has put us in - not the referee or the rulebook.