Pundits debate Fabricio Coloccini's red card in Tyne-Wear derby

Graeme Souness, Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville had different views on whether Fabricio Coloccini deserved to be sent-off in the Tyne-Wear derby.

Sunderland picked up their first win of the season and continued a hot streak of derby form with a 3-0 victory against 10-man Newcastle on Super Sunday but the game changed on the referee's decision to award Sunderland a penalty just before half-time. 

Magpies skipper Coloccini was dismissed for a last-man challenge on Steven Fletcher, allowing Adam Johnson to fire the hosts in front from the penalty spot late in the first half.

Souness thought the referee got the decision spot on.  

He said: "For me the correct decision has been made, Fletcher is going to get to the ball. 

"I don't know what he's thinking, Coloccini has cost his team. I think it's a red card as well. The weight of the pass from Defoe is perfect, I think Fletcher is going to nip it around the goalkeeper and score. It's a goal scoring opportunity being denied."

Meanwhile, Neville disagreed with Souness, believing Coloccini did make a foul but should have stayed on the pitch. 

Speaking on the Gary Neville Podcast, he said: "I thought it was clumsy from Coloccini; I think he could have been more clever. The ball wasn't there to play - it wasn't within his radius of control.

"Usually when you see a player stepping across someone they can shepherd it out for a goal-kick or back to the 'keeper. He didn't make it look like a coming-together, he thrust his shoulder in.

"I think it was a foul but the ball ran through to the 'keeper and it didn't feel like a red card. It did feel like a foul though and it was something Coloccini could have dealt with a lot better."

Watch the full analysis on the Coloccini incident in the video at the top of the page.