Newcastle boss Alan Pardew has defended midfielder Joey Barton by likening him to former Premier League stars Paul Ince and Bryan Robson.
Barton was involved in an altercation with Arsenal's Gervinho during the sides' goalless draw, which saw the Ivorian sent off. Gunners boss Arsene Wenger said afterwards that the Newcastle midfielder should have also been shown a red card, but Pardew has dismissed the Frenchman's remarks.
"Joey is a competitive player and I have played with a lot of competitive players," the Newcastle boss said in a post-match press conference. "Look at someone like Paul Ince, a lot of incidents happened around him and even Bryan Robson who was the captain of England.
"They are competitive players and there are going to be incidents when they put in full-on tackles or get involved in something they don't like. They have got character. That is why they are great players."
Newcastle will next face Steve Bruce's Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, August 20.
