if he doesnt want to play for us its a waste of time bringing him back, we have enough of those sort already
He'd be a good Championship player IMO and think he'd put in the workrate. As said by someone else he'll sort out the non-triers. Providing he stays out of trouble I'd welcome him back. TBH we have missed him this season - we wouldn't have played as bad.
Totally agree with all of that. If JB would put his mind to it he could help us big time next season.
Thought this was an interesting thread to bump as it was about prospect of Barton returning back in May. The way things are looking now maybe SB will want to do some âunbelievable revisionisâm of his own. Also in the very anti-Barton brigade were: SurreyRanger, Flyer, Rrrrrs, Dens Hoops, Eamon, SB, Norway, awjm, Goldhawk, bowlesnumber10. And Rrrrrs if you were at the first game I hope you stuck by your superior morals and marched straight down to the box office for a refund when the team was announced. Bit of a shame you want be able to go to any games this year. DT, Frome, Rangers4ever were sat firmly on the fence. Myself and Ezwoldo, Raving, Sutfol, Saddlebags, Rodney,IwasanotherwatfordR, AStamford Brook, Igor can feel that maybe we got this spot on after all.
He has started well. I think not getting SP means we may try and hang onto him but I am certain if a Prem club is brave enough to go for him he would jump at the chance.
Think thats a different argument and in any case I'm not sure there's a player in the club who wouldnt go to a prem team if given the chance.
Peter Damage, I have not been to HQ this season so far! Go **** yourself! We are 3 league games in and the window is still open, no surprise he's toeing the line. How short sighted are you???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-PIckHrZ0o Ha, great reaction. Hopefully you dont goto any games Be an added bonus if promotion this year comes with him playing every game and then he plays regularly for next two years. Be great to have you sitting at home with your high and mighty morals and missing out on that. Maybe that might do you a favour and it will encourage you to take a look at yourself and your own elevated sense of self-importance
School Holidays is it? Very insightful response, I have no need to continue debating my morals with someone I don't know or on currant form, would want to know! Ps. Having an opinion or morals isn't the same as being 'self important'
It has never been about the player. It is the person Joey Barton, and what he stands for I don't want at my club. I agree he seems a totally different man at the moment. Maybe he has grown up and put all the **** behind him? Maybe not? One thing I know is I don't want to find out the hard way again. Have always liked the way he played and was on the pitch, never had a problem with that, you know what you get with him. And if you go back to when he first signed I was very happy with the signing believing the leopard had changed his spots. Of course it hadn't. He seems genuinely happy at the moment, laughing and enjoying himself with us. The way he has stood up against meaty challenges without retaliation has impressed me, can he keep it up? The proof will be when the window has slammed shut and he's still here and played a couple of matches. Like rrrrs says, he could be toeing the line to get the move he wants. Lets wait until October and we'll know if he's the one to lead us ok?
To be honest, I'm just not that antagonised/offended/upset etc by Joey Barton the person. Everyone's entitled to their opinion but I don't really feel any hostility towards Barton on the basis of his past indiscretions. Sometimes I get the feeling that he's bottling it all up and suddenly everything will explode - but I guess we'll have to wait and see.
I take much the same approach. Judging the last two home league matches - I like what I see. I've used this analogy before; but it's a bit like the old school bully - on his own patch he's a nuisance. When the neighbouring school come looking for a scrap, we stand behind him because he's our enforcer, on our side.
He has started really well, and I can see why some would suspend their distaste if he is doing a good job. However, isn't anyone else suspicious about his new found attitude? I suspect he's putting himself in the shop window. Joey will always put himself first.
Interesting to see people still so divided - but that's what the forum is for... to instigate discussion and opinion sharing. What worries me (especially for the pro-Barton brigade) is that it's almost certain he will go. As was suggested above, if a Prem club comes in for him he will go, and the reason he is playing so well (and trying so hard) is because his is putting himself in the shop window. Giving people a reminder that (despite his high wages) he has something to offer. Take his other option... If he was sitting on his arse, petulantly refusing to play and generally behaving like a troublemaker, who in their right minds would take a chance? He has to keep his head down, work hard and prove he is worth the risk... and while he is doing that I think someone will think he is worth that risk (my guess would be Sunderland... or maybe that's just a mischievous desire to see him and de Canio kicking the **** out of each other!) Nailing my colours to the mast - I would rather he had been shipped out before this season started and never played for us again, and I said so at the time. The fact that he is still here, and playing, is clearly not under my control (or any of yours) so I just have to deal with it. If he plays well and we win games then perhaps he will win us *all* over (again), but since he is generally only a *** paper away from punching someone, perhaps it's only a matter of time before he reverts to type and the whole dismal cycle starts again. On further point... he is not the only midfielder in the country (or Europe/the world) that could do a job for us... but my biggest fear is that when he leaves (because I think he will and that's what he is playing well & working hard for) it will be too late to find a replacement.
I’m not at school but neither do I need to justify my age or my job because unlike you I’m not self-important. Self-righteous is perhaps a more appropriate description of you. Add to that hypocritical. I’ve gently poked fun at you because I think your self-righteous opinions are over the to and you told me to ‘go **** myself?! I think it’s you who looks more like they're on a school holidays. I poked fun at you because your moral stance over him is to me ridiculous. I mean looking at his on and off the pitch behaviour: Off the pitch- A guy with a ****ty upbringing and a seemingly dodgy family has been violent in his private life. I’m not too happy about but really its nothing to do with me and where appropriate its been dealt with by the courts in the right way and he’s served his punishment and to me it looks learnt from it (with room for further improvement). Would any of that make me feel so strongly that I refuse to pay to see him play for my team while he plays, obviously it’s an emphatic NO. Yes he’s slagged the club off and that is my main problem with him. I think he has been been given far too much overt praise on match days and I really struggle to see myself ever singing his name at a game BUT he’s better than what we’ve got and Suarez has disrespected Liverpool and will be forgiven. Rooney has also disrecpted United has been forgiven. Far bigger clubs and far better players but the premise is the same. Would hs comments about us stop me from watching the club itself.: NO again. On the pitch I was fuming about his behaviour to get a red card at City. But whether that would make me refuse to pay to see him play again it’s an emphatic NO. He’s better than what we got and so far I’m being proved right and hopefully that may continue. So how you justify your decision to not go to a game with Barton in the team is in my view laughable. As is you to suggest that I’m a school kid when you want to tell me to go **** myself. That only adds to my belief that your really do need to have a look at yourself and stop worrying about Barton
All footballers put themselves first. It's cynical to be assuming that Joey Barton is suppressing some latent character flaw to convince others to invest in a contract away from Loftus Road. But if this is to be believed, then at least at the moment this choice and the presumed 'imposter behaviour' aligns perfectly with the team 's requirement for committed, controlled and team ethic performances.
Good post. Just on your last point, I do think it would be difficult to bring a player of similar quality to Barton to play Ch football. He's not the greatest midfielder ever but he probably is still top-flight quality. That alone would be difficult to replace, IMO.
