Red card Shearer, red mist Gullit

AN OUTBURST by Ruud Gullit which is likely to result in disciplinary action by the Football Association deflected attention from the ignominy of Alan Shearer, sent off for the first time in his career. The England captain's immediate punishment is a one-match ban to be served in the home game against Wimbledon on 21 August, while the penalty that may be imposed on the Newcastle manager will only be known once a report on his spat with the referee, Uriah Rennie, at the final whistle reaches the FA.The growing tensions at Newcastle, where Shearer is widely predicted to take over the managerial chair from Gullit, and a frustrating opening game of the season in which the Magpies' strike-force suffered from inadequate service and had no answer to Julian Joachim's 75th- minute goal, hardly helped the temper of either man.

AN OUTBURST by Ruud Gullit which is likely to result in disciplinary action by the Football Association deflected attention from the ignominy of Alan Shearer, sent off for the first time in his career. The England captain's immediate punishment is a one-match ban to be served in the home game against Wimbledon on 21 August, while the penalty that may be imposed on the Newcastle manager will only be known once a report on his spat with the referee, Uriah Rennie, at the final whistle reaches the FA.The growing tensions at Newcastle, where Shearer is widely predicted to take over the managerial chair from Gullit, and a frustrating opening game of the season in which the Magpies' strike-force suffered from inadequate service and had no answer to Julian Joachim's 75th- minute goal, hardly helped the temper of either man.

Shearer's shame, a 71st- minute exit for two bookable offences - both unsporting behaviour - in his 100th match for Newcastle, was overshadowed by the eruption of Gullit. On the final whistle, he angrily brushed aside the fourth official, Jeff Winter, to make his feelings abundantly clear to Rennie.

"I blame him for the fact that we lost the game," Gullit said. "There were five yellow cards in the first half alone. It was not a hard game. I lost because of the referee.

"You can fine me whatever you want. I'm right and I know that I'm right. He can report me, whatever he likes. It does not make any difference."

The sending-off did seem as unnecessary as the feud between Shearer and Colin Calderwood had been unseemly. It had started in the very first minute, with Shearer complaining about being penalised for falling into Calderwood. It ended in the 71st when, on the edge of the centre circle, the England captain backed into Calderwood - the pair's gentlest contact of the afternoon.As Shearer had already been booked in the 38th minute, when Mr Rennie suspected that he had used his elbow on Calderwood, the referee felt he had no alternative but to dismiss Shearer."The referee has to be someone who guides the game and not a major part of the game," Gullit said. "I have never seen a referee be such an influence as he was today. He made bad decisions all through the game. We have to save the game from bad influences otherwise it will be destroyed."

Although John Gregory will be reported for his first-half touch-line antics, Villa had no such complaints. "We thought he handled the game in a strong and correct manner," Gregory's assistant, Steve Harrison, said. "It's all about opinions. I went in to take the team sheet in before the game and Uriah made it clear in no uncertain terms what he wanted."

As well as taking action against Shearer and Gregory, Mr Rennie booked seven other players. It was unfortunate to say the least for Newcastle who are rebuilding both on and off the pitch. Although two stands at St James' Park are roofless to the elements, the foundation of Gullit's team looked fairly solid until the sending off.The revolving door at St James' Park is clearly already complete - nine players have gone and four have arrived in the 11 weeks since Newcastle lost the FA Cup. Of the 11 who started on that grey May day only six were asked to open the new season.

But with David James' peroxide appearance in goal, Villa were equally unfamiliar, making six changes from the last game of last season. Despite his injudicious pre-season comments, Ugo Ehiogu remained in the centre of the three backs and immediately gained aerial superiority over Shearer.Unsurprisingly, given all the changes and the referee's frequent interventions, it took 20 minutes for the game to achieve any pattern. The highlight was a morale-boosting nutmeg by Warren Barton through Dion Dublin on the edge of Villa's area, and a subsequent corner from which Alain Goma hit the crossbar with a header.

For all their midfield dominance, Newcastle still lacked supply to the front. At the interval, Kieron Dyer replaced Marcelino as Franck Dumas dropped back. After a couple of neat touches the £6m starlet drove down the right and although no one read his cross, Newcastle were alive. Didier Domi exploded from left back to set up Temuri Ketsbaia and James could only fist away uncertainly his swerving shot.

Still the yellow cards flowed until, inevitably, they turned to red.Before Gullit could reshuffle, the damage was inflicted by Villa's main threat, Joachim.

Mark Delaney, on his Premiership debut, stole down the right and his cross found Joachim unmarked. With the merest of touches, his header found the corner of the net and ignited the blue touch paper.