DeAndre Yedlin has pointed the finger of blame at himeslf and apologised to Newcastle United fans and players for his sending off in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Wolves at St. James’ Park.
The American full-back was dismissed for a tug on Jota after he was adjudged to be the last man by referee Mike Dean.
The Magpies held on valiantly but were finally undone by a 94th minute Matt Doherty winner.
Speaking after the game to the Chronicle, Yedlin said: “Obviously I just got caught on the ball a little bit and whether it was or wasn’t a red card, he’s given it.
“I apologise to the fans and my team-mates. I think the effort they put in for the rest of the game was unreal.
“We just fell a little bit short but I take full responsibility for this one and that’s all I can say.”
OPINION
To lose a game in the manner that Newcastle did on Sunday will always hurt, and for now Yedlin’s apology will do little to appease Newcastle fans. It is big of him to come out and hold his hands up, however, and in time, the Geordies will come to respect him for it. In truth, Mike Dean’s decision was debatable, and on another day the American might well have avoided a dismissal. That being said, it was poor from Yedlin to get caught out in the first place, and downright amateurish of him to give Dean a decision to make. The red card capped a dire performance from the full-back and in many ways it will paper over a lot of the fundamental cracks in his game. If Newcastle are serious about avoiding the drop, they cannot avoid to give away points like they are, and at the moment, players like Yedlin are the crux of their issues.