Personally I think Lee Bowyer's reputation went before him as the Football Association rejected his appeal against his Boxing Day dismissal at Liverpool. Noway was that a red card tackle, but the fact it was Bowyer who waded in, suddenly it is a different matter.
Bowyer was in the squad for Wednesday night's postponed clash with Charlton Athletic because United decided to appeal. But that argument was dismissed and Bowyer (who has been sent off four times in just over 12 months in a United shirt) will now miss the Magpies' New Year's Eve trip to Tottenham Hotspur, as well as the home game against Middlesbrough and the FA Cup meeting with Mansfield.