Joey Barton claims Gervinho incident stopped Arsenal move By Michael Da Silva BBC Sport New Queens Park Rangers captain Joey Barton claims he was very close to joining Arsenal last month. But the midfielder, 29, a Newcastle player at the time, said an incident in the Magpies' draw with Arsenal which led to opponent Gervinho's dismissal ended his hopes of a move. Barton was criticised for going to ground too easily as the forward was red-carded by referee Peter Walton. "If I hadn't played against Arsenal, I may have signed for them," Barton said. "There were a couple of conversations [with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger] but that's different to actually signing. "The Gervinho incident happened and there's nothing I can do about it now. If it happened again, I'd like to think I'd deal with it differently. "Things happen for a reason and there's a lesson to be learned from it. Right now we sit above Arsenal in the table - hopefully that's the case in May." Barton was made available on a free transfer by Newcastle after the player criticised the way the club was being run on Twitter. He played two games for Newcastle this season - against Arsenal and Sunderland - before making his QPR debut against his former club. Barton said: "There were a couple of offers on the table but now I'm really happy to be at QPR and in London. We play an expansive and exciting brand of football and can hopefully surprise a few people this season." Barton was in the news this week for claiming Wolves midfielder Karl Henry was an "idiot" and "inferior" after a clash between the pair in QPR's 3-0 victory. Henry responded by calling the former Manchester City player "embarrassing". http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/15008071.stm?
I do wish the them fools at BBC sports TV unit get off Barton's back or I will get `Jock & Snowy` on to them also that fool called Da Silva, where is he from Portugal? as I live there now so maybe he could come back and do some real work for a change!! Jim Lad!
More fool them for not getting him. He's got issues potentially but Warnock is the master of managing players and making them cohesive. If you replaced one of their powderpuff midfield with Barton I think they'd be odds on for 4th spot.
Barton and Wenger in the same dressing room? It would be like the Left Bank of the Seine c. 1949 with their playful existential banter. But of course Albert Camus was a goalkeeper.....
Yep. What use would Arsenal have for a combatative midfielder with character, flair and experience, eh?
Who, Albert Camus? Wrote a mean book, and even a dead philosopher may have let in less than 8 in one game.....
Not too surprising - set your sights high and then reduce them to a realistic level. First England standard players. Now AW is probably scouring NPC fringe players and will eventually (with current progress) ask everyone from the Dog and Duck over 50s 5-a-side team. Nothing to brag about Joey.
Lol. I don't think a canoe would have been much use - he could barely handle his car... ...I'll get my coat.