Blackburn and Everton must wait to see whether the English Football Association will make an early example of them to demonstrate they mean business over the disciplinary crackdown announced last Wednesday.
Only three days later an Ewood Park "friendly" has provided a swift test of the FA's will to apply their misbehaviour mandate which prescribes stiff punishments, especially for mass aggression. This game offered a 12-man brawl as tempers exploded, after which only Everton's £2.5m sterling Danish international midfielder Thomas Gravesen was sent off by the referee Eddie Wolstenholme.
Gravesen now faces a ban for violent conduct, ruling him out of Everton's first three Premiership matches - although Walter Smith is lodging an appeal - but both clubs know they could be hit by financial sanctions if the promised hard line is taken even before the season starts. The FA's spokesman Steve Double said yesterday: "We will await the referee's report before deciding whether or not action should be taken."
Predictably, Smith and his Blackburn counterpart Graeme Souness disagreed over Gravesen's dismissal after a wild tackle on Gary Flitcroft, prompting the brawl in which Blackburn's Nathan Blake appeared to throw punches but was only cautioned.
Smith said after his side's 2-1 defeat: "There was no doubt he (Gravesen) should have been booked, but after that initial incident he was not the instigator of the problem. He was then the victim of the aggression."
Souness countered: "I don't think the boy can really complain. If he plays like that in the Premiership he's in for an interesting 12 months."
Blackburn's manager refused to lambast his players but, referring to the FA crackdown, conceded: "You have to be a bit more cautious now, or you are not going to be much use to your manager sitting in the stands all the time.
"But we are in the entertainment business and the first thing the paying public want to see is people working hard and showing passion.
Matt Jansen scored two fine goals for Blackburn, the first division promotion favourites, with Danny Cadamarteri pulling one back for Everton, who gave Paul Gascoigne another 45-minute run-out before he became one of nine second-half substitutions. Manchester United followed their Roy Keane-inspired 2-0 win at York with a 8-1 hammering of Shrewsbury at Gay Meadow yesterday, the champions scoring five times in the second half.
United set the tone after only three minutes when Nicky Butt struck with thunderous 25-yard left-foot shot. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer scored twice, his second with a wonderful overhead kick, with Teddy Sheringham, Michael Clegg, Quinton Fortune (2) and David Healy completing the rout.
Nick Barmby marked his Liverpool debut by scoring their opening goal in a 4-1 victory over Freiburg in front of an 18,000 crowd in Germany. The £6m sterling recruit from Everton scored after 18 minutes and there were also goals from his fellow England players Emile Heskey, after 40 minutes, and Michael Owen in the 54th.
Steve Staunton completed the scoring after 74 minutes as Gerard Houllier fielded a different 11 players in each half. Among them was the Germany defender Markus Babbel, acquired from Bayern Munich.
