Deeney faces ban for ‘gouge’ idiocy
SO OFTEN praised for his passion, Troy Deeney could be forced to pay for taking it too far after pressing his thumbnails into the face of Stoke’s Joe Allen.
Though shown a yellow card by referee Michael Oliver at the time, the Watford captain could still face retrospective action from the Football Association for his act of idiocy.
Whether Deeney, who was laughing throughout the incident, is reprimanded or not depends on Oliver’s report. If the referee saw the act and cautioned the skipper accordingly, then it will be case closed.
Yet if all he saw was a mass brawl that started because of Deeney, the FA will be permitted to act.
What should worry the 29-year-old is replays suggest the official’s view of his gouging-type attack was blocked by Ryan Shawcross. Deeney and Watford will find out today or tomorrow whether a charge is coming.
The scuffle occurred in stoppage time at the end of the first half, when the visitors were leading 1- 0 thanks to Darren Fletcher’s fine volley. The Hornets’ skipper failed to give the ball back to Stoke, who had kicked it out following an injury, and tensions boiled over.
Both clubs could also face charges for failing to control their players.
This comes two weeks after Deeney hit the headlines for his brutal honesty over Arsenal, who he said lacked ‘ cojones’ after Watford’s dramatic late win against the Gunners at Vicarage Road. He said at the time: ‘I’m big, strong, and I do all the ugly stuff you don’t want to do, and I’m going to make it horrible for you.’
Deeney certainly made it so for Allen, with social media users quick to point out the Stoke midfielder is ‘half his size’.
It takes two to tango, of course. Allen arguably instigated the confrontation by squaring up to Deeney before the Watford man overstepped the mark.
That is perhaps why he downplayed it afterwards. ‘It was handbags really,’ Allen said. ‘I really like Troy, he is a good guy, and a really good player. It was nothing personal. We were clinging on and expecting the ball back. They were chasing the equaliser and decided to play on.
‘I’m disappointed to get a yellow because I’m now walking a bit of a tightrope.
‘He is a big guy and we were both laughing. I knew I was beaten in that situation — I have a bit of a bad habit of picking the wrong fights.
‘But there wasn’t really much to it and I’m sure Troy will say the same thing.’
Referees have to review their decisions every Monday after a weekend’s match, including explaining what they could have done better. Oliver will be a busy man today.
Fletcher’s strike was one straight from the training ground after a Xherdan Shaqiri corner found him 20 yards out. Mark Hughes revealed how they had been practising it, with a few having gone closer to the corner flag than the goal, but it worked when it mattered.
Stoke’s first away win of the season comes as a great relief to Hughes, as pressure was beginning to build.