RAGING ROBERT
Snodgrass in F-word rant at OWN fans on night of mayhem
NEWCASTLE started life without Yohan Cabaye by failing to win a game they utterly dominated and allowing Norwich to escape with a valuable point as tempers exploded.
Robert Snodgrass clashed with his own fans and Loic Remy and Bradley Johnson were sent off when a tangle near the touchline descended into a pushing contest. It ended with the pair pressing their foreheads together before the Norwich midfielder reacted as if he had been butted.
Alan Pardew slammed Johnson for his ‘stupid reaction’, and claimed he should be ‘ashamed of himself’ but, perhaps unsurprisingly, Chris Hughton did not agree.
‘I assumed something else must have happened, other than Bradley Johnson pushed Loic Remy in the chest,’ said Hughton. ‘But, apparently he was sent off for that. I don’t think he would have been sent off if Remy hadn’t been sent off. Bradley hasn’t gone down on the floor.
‘All he’s done is pull his head away. He certainly didn’t deserve to be sent off. It was a soft one.’
It was one of those nights at Carrow Road. There were no goals, but the woodwork rattled four times and Snodgrass launched a four-letter tirade at supporters who had sarcastically applauded one of his corner kicks.
When they suggested he ought to be able to beat the first defender, the Norwich winger shouted at them to ‘f*** off’. The crowd jeered and sang for Nathan Redmond, on the bench. Moments later, they booed the home team off at half-time.
Snodgrass, who almost won the game with a diving header in the final seconds which was saved by Tim Krul, went back to that corner of the ground after the final whistle and applauded the supporters, and they applauded in return.
He gave them a thumbs-up and Norwich boss Hughton said: ‘There’s always passion out there. Robert is hard-working and passionate. I didn’t see it and I’m not aware of it but it’s my responsibility to find out and I will find out.’
It was a surreal moment. Norwich were still in the game despite being totally outplayed and this was a rare foray into Newcastle territory. John Ruddy combined some excellent goalkeeping with good fortune to keep Newcastle out. Remy hit the woodwork twice with wonderful efforts and Hatem Ben Arfa made a terrible mess of one glorious first-half opportunity.
Ruddy made a smart save, low to his left from Remy and another when a cross from Moussa Sissoko on the left was sliced towards his own goal by Sebastien Bassong.
The England goalkeeper continued to come under friendly fire. Diving out to intercept another low ball whipped into the goalmouth, Ruddy pushed the ball into the path of Bradley Johnson who toeended it against his own post.
Norwich improved in the second half, and Gary Hooper went close with a terrific shot on the turn which struck the bar.
Although his team were splendid in many ways, it was not the sort of clinical finishing display Alan Pardew would have hoped for after the club accepted a bid for Cabaye, who scored five in his last seven before his transfer to Paris SaintGermain was agreed for a fee which could rise to £25million.
Cabaye left Norfolk for the French capital yesterday to have a medical and discuss personal terms and Borussia Monchengladbach striker Luuk de Jong arrived in Tyneside with a view to completing a loan move until the end of the season.
‘This club is never going to be about one player,’ said Pardew. ‘Yohan Cabaye would get in my all- timetime top Newcastle teamteam. For usus, he was outstanding. We wish him the very best. I hope our fans do. He wanted to leave. We were honourable to him. He’s got a dream move.
‘We have to use that money wisely now like we did with Andy Carroll. That’s how we are going to have to break into the Champions League.
‘We had one or two targets we had earmarked and we’re chasing them.
‘We hope Luuk de Jong will have a medical tomorrow and will come on loan. He’s a player we really liked when he was in Holland. He scored a lot of goals. And went to Germany, where it didn’t quite happen for him. So it’s a second opportunity.’
Hughton said of Wes Hoolihan not playing: ‘We are clear of the fact. There was a bid for him which we turned down. There was a transfer request that we said no to.
The Norwich boss added: ‘It was my decision not to involve him today. My thoughts haven’t changed. He’s still very much a Norwich player.’