When push comes to shove

As we'd anticipated, the Silver Fox is up on a misconduct charge for his shove on assistant referee Peter Kirkup during Saturday's win over Spurs. Minimal though the contact was, I don't think he can really have any complaints if a brief touchline ban is forthcoming - as he himself accepted, it wasn't exactly edifying conduct and the FA, with their emphasis on the Respect agenda, are likely to take a dim view of it.

It may well not have made any difference, but personally I'd have preferred to see more contrition in his post-match interview, rather than his beaming declaration that the incident was "ridiculous". A straight-faced expression of regret and an apology (rather than just saying "I'll have to apologise") might have stood him in better stead when he comes before the panel.