Hughes - Why I Dropped Capt Barton

JOEY Barton was told in a face to face with his manager this week he still had a part to play at QPR.

But boss Mark Hughes has given no indication it will be against Arsenal at home later today.

In fact, there was more than a concern from Sparky, Barton had failed to adapt to a new role before being dropped last week.

The Rs captain played wide right when at Newcastle, but his manager reckoned those performances with the Magpies were a distant memory.

“I told Joey from my point of view – and he understood,” explained Hughes.

“I played him slightly out of position wide right and he played a number of times there for Newcastle. He hasn’t played there for a while and that compromised his performance level.

“But I expect him still to play a part from now until the end of the season.”
Apart from a misfiring captain, Hughes would dearly like to keep 11 players on the pitch against the Gunners.

Djibril Cissé’s red card at Sunderland last week was the second in as many months for his new club and the club’s sixth of the season.

Hughes insists the dismal stream of players headed for an early shower has seen points down the plughole that might ultimately lead to them being washed up in the Championship.

“Certainly in two of the games they (red cards) were directly responsible (for defeat),” he said.

“Against Sunderland we weren’t play well when Djibril got sent off, but you never know what might have happened in the second half. After he went, that was never going to happen.

“In other games, they’ve had a direct impact when we were in the ascendancy.”


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