Parker backs red card for Campbell

Former England defender Paul Parker has insisted referee Mark Halsey was right to red-card Sol Campbell during last night’s stormy clash at Highbury.

Rival bosses Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson were in opposing corners as they assessed the centre-half’s dismissal for an apparent elbow on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, which if it is not overturned will see Campbell hit by a four-match ban, ruling him out of next month’s FA Cup final.

The Arsenal boss claimed there had been no intent behind the swinging arm, while Ferguson said incidents of elbowing were becoming an increasing blot on the game.

Parker though could not see how Halsey could have reached any other conclusion, and rejected the notion that Solskjaer had made the most of the incident.

“As far as I am concerned, the referee only did what you would want him to do,” Parker told MUTV.

“Something happened right in front of the linesman and he got it 100% right.

“Sol Campbell was trying to shrug him off. I don’t know if he meant to catch him with the elbow but he definitely moved his arm back.

“As for Ole making the most of it, I can guarantee if someone hits you in the face with his elbow, it knocks you backwards.”

Parker though is refusing to get carried away with the idea that United have taken a decisive hold in the title race.

With Graeme Souness bringing Blackburn to Old Trafford on Saturday, the former Red Devils favourite knows danger is lurking just around the corner.

“Blackburn are not going to come to Old Trafford and make it easy,” he said.

“They have an ex-Liverpool man in charge and they will come and try to slow it down.

“The most important thing is to get an early goal, just to settle everybody down and stop them getting anxious.”