Barton relishing QPR's final day showdown with Manchester City Midfielder says he can't wait for the game and hopes to pour cold water on his former side's title hopes, while admitting he needs to be criticised to get the best out of him 9 May 2012 14:08:00 By Ross Jackson QPR midfielder Joey Barton is relishing his sideâs clash with Manchester City on Sunday and says the title challengers need to "get a reality check" if they think it will be an easy game. City go into the game needing a win to seal a first top-flight title since 1968, while the west London club are languishing perilously above the relegation zone and know a defeat could put their Premier League status in jeopardy. The encounter will also see the return to the Etihad Stadium of Mark Hughes, and Barton says he is relishing the clash and the Hoops will punish City if their attitude isnât right. "I can't wait for the game. I can't wait to go to Man City. They expect us to turn up and them to probably stuff us and win the league," Barton told reporters. "If that is their attitude, they will get a reality check, it's 11 men against 11, there is a lot of pressure out there. I can't wait for it." Barton himself has endured a turbulent season. Since his move to the Rs from Newcastle, he has come under criticism at times from his own fans. The skipper has bounced back well and has recently been praised by his manager for his performances, and Barton says he needs criticism to perform to the best of his ability. He continued: "I'm a weird, weird, peculiar individual. If people praise me, I don't get the best out of myself. I only get the best out of myself when people say I'm not good. "I'm one of those players who needs a rocket up my backside."
"I'm a weird, weird, peculiar individual" - Cant disagree with that! He'll be a hero if we get a result on Sunday though.
Biggest game of most of the players careers and we gave them a real scare at our place when we were a weaker team. Wishful thinking to say City will take us lightly.
This sunday is nothing to do with the biggest prize in world football. Its really about Joey's self esteem and emotional state.
Anyone else thinking that our survival may rest on our ability to keep 11 men on the pitch? I'm beyond making any predictions now, all I want is a number 17 or higher against our name on Sunday evening.
I've said it before, the Club should have a policy of not allowing players on Twitter. Nothing, I repeat, nothing good comes from it. We had Bothroyd getting abuse earlier this season, Sunderland's McClean was receiving death threats yesterday and now Barton is back on winding the opposition up as if they weren't sufficiently up for it already. If no other Club has done so already, it would be good to be the first Club to ban its usage.
I think this was a press conference Swords. Although I agree on Twitter, it's just a tragic piece of kit for the socially inadequate. Unlike this board of course.....
Everyone knows JB is a weird bloke. I really really hope Balotelli plays as that would be our best chance of winning but him getting sent off. However hed be on the bench if Mancini has any sense. Its just not worth the risk.
The vast majority of postings on there go unread, its all people spouting crap thinking they are self important but no one actually reads it (bar the famous people). At least on here, people actually read the bollocks everyone posts.
If Barton needs criticism to perform at his best then we simply need to get him on here - he'd be winning World Player of the Year by now...
Can I light the blue touchpaper? As one of Barton's biggest critics I have to own up to being mildly impressed by his recent performances (Stamford Bridge aside). There I said it.
I agree and its all since he was given the bird against Liverpool. Maybe the chaps slating the boo boys should own up to being wrong on this one? Just a thought.
