He might come back thinking he has something to prove but I don't reckon many at QPR care what he thinks. Take a look at the papers, tweets, blogs etc and you won't find much in the way of support for Barton. He'd nearly made up for his poor form and attitude in the last 3 or 4 home games but that couldn't wipe his slate clean for the months of half arsed effort he'd put in and the obvious disruption he'd caused to the rest of the team (Adel in particular). Money talks and the board have to decide if the bad press and bad feeling that keeping Barton on will weigh up against the reported £12mil + it might cost us to get shot. He should be up for sale at a cut priced rate to anyone who wants him or even a free but his claims for a high wage will put off most clubs. Barton and players like him (El Hadj Diouf anyone?) will always find a club. Their "worth" will be more important to some clubs than any toxicity they drag around with them. For all of those wearing Barton shirts at Loftus Road I can only hope you have binned them already!
If this incident gives us an opportunity to get shot then we should grab it with both hands. Regardless of his lack of self control and the fact that he acts like a brainless thug he simply has not delivered on the pitch. Yes, he had a half decent run in but then so did many others and most of his performances prior to the crucial subbing vs Liverpool were inept. Along with SWP he more than anyone was responsible for our gross under-achievement in the mid season. At £80k a week Hughes must surely be desperate to re use the funds if the opportunity arises. Oh, and also he's simply not a QPR man, never was, never will be.
Barton has Leeds United written all over him ... NW signed him and spouted bullshit that he has already wanted him in his team Loan him out, sell him anything get away from QPR. When we were playing QPR style Barton didn't fit. Over the season he was poor however at times even i was fooled as he played very well but in the end she showed his true colours ... I don't mind the punch up stuff but he hasn't the talent nor he is a captain ... in fact he hides. Wannock and him nearly buggered us up big time and IMO we would have finished below Wolves if change didn't happen
You make a good point here except Liverpool - I believe they were close to affecting their own reputation
The Times today has a similar story: that Hughes had already decided to offload Barton before the Man City game. I pray that the story is true.
The only thing in his mitigation is that he will maybe justly consider himself the victim of cheats with the two red cards that he has received. Was there any contact with Tevez when he went down holding his face? Same with Bradley Johnson by the look of it. He was probably targeted on both occasions and then the red mist came down. Anyway the FA will now hang him out to dry. Lucky for his own psychological state that it didnt cost us relegation as i suspect he would have gone back on the falling down water and given up being a pacifist.
Yes, I think there is a lot of truth in this Igor. I do think Barton is an asset to have as a player, as the central midfield holding player / destroyer you describe. My problem with Barton is the cancer he has shown in the dressing room, and the unrest, breaking up of bonds he seems to cause, and to a lesser extent the games he misses through suspensions. On balance I think we are best getting rid of him, BUT we need a replacement in this central holding midfield role, Derry can't go on forever, Diakite will be great but looks better in a more attacking role, someone like Parker would fit nicely - Barton plusd a few bob for Parker, Harry?
Maybe they've shaked hands? Look quite pally in this on celebrating survival. please log in to view this image
I have to agree with this. I went to 6 home matches this year. At home to Blackburn there was a chant of 'There's only one Joey Barton' at home to Liverpool there was, as we all know, a fair amount of abuse hurled his way. At home to Stoke there was again chants of 'There's only one Joey Barton'. We are fickle, we forgive and we forget, as long as a player is playing well.
Your English is excellent, Igor, and don't apologise for a typo! I make them all the time. I agree with Croydon, that you make good points, apart from, as he said, Liverpool where the owners had to step in and stop Dalgliesh publicly trying to justify what Suarez had done. On reputation, the way I looked at it was that on Sunday, the City/QPR match had a massive worldwide audience. Many viewers were hearing about Queen's Park Rangers for the first time. Great news from a business sense, since it's the start of pushing the brand worldwide. What newcomers would have seen without the Barton incident, was a team with incredible backbone trying to defy massive odds (it's widely known the City owners have spent nearly £1bn since 2008). But then there's Joey. OK, red card, get off the pitch. But the kicking and attempted headbutt and attempt at a fight with Balotelli must have left most neutral viewers speechless. Sadly, many will remember that about QPR now. We don't need it.
I dunno Goldhawk. Look at Ice Hockey, Rugby and a few other sports. What we saw on Sunday, was just a lttle spiteful hand bag throwing in comparison to what we see on our TV screens from other sports. I think the game was great publicity for QPR - we weren't boring despite parking the bus, we scored 2 great goals with style, and we showed some fight!! It would have been even better if we had won 2-1, but nevertheless a lot better publicity, than losing a boring game timidly 3-0.
Balotelli himself has made more bad publicity to city in a year than any QPR player in the clubs whole history. As some say any publicity is good publicity. Football itself has suffered horribly from bad publicity in form of a football hooliganism. As oslo pointed there are many sports where "bartonkinda" behaviour is more familiar. IMO bartons behaviour could only bring little more intrest from the world. As crazy it may sound. Any sport that is depended of money which comes from spectators ,tv watchers and advertisers wants to their product look as exciting and intresting as possible. It have to be full of sportstars with their high quality performances ,but want some drama too. In city-QPR match there was all and that barton chapter just been one of them. Maybe children dont have to see that kind of behaviour but top football isnt only for the kids. In bartons case this time joey himself takes the consequenses and suffers the punishment.
Well if giving Tevez what he deserved was the point then Barton failed miserably! There was barely a connection. Tevez played being hurt for as long as it took to get Barton a red, and then he was up and ready to rumble, with Barton. Tevez should have had red for his swings plus cheating injury and ensuring Barton got sent off.