Joey Barton - an Arsenal point of view

Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has rubbished Joey Barton’s claims that he could have joined the Gunners had it not been for his ugly clash with Gervinho on the opening day of the season.

The QPR new signing was heavily linked with a shock move to the Emirates during the summer, and recently revealed he held ‘a couple of conversations’ with Arsene Wenger about a possible switch.

However, Gunners chief Hill-Wood appears to have dismissed the midfielder’s remarks, insisting he Wenger’s supposed interest in bad-boy Barton was news to him. ‘It's not something the board heard about and if it was a serious proposition I certainly would have expected us to,’ said Hill-Wood.

After Arsenal’s fiery encounter with Newcastle back in August, which ended with Gervinho and Alex Song picking up three-match bans for altercations with Barton, Wenger admitted his admiration for the player, and hinted he had considered the possibility of bring him to north London.

‘Nobody dismisses signing Barton but I don't think we envisage doing that at the moment,’ said the Frenchman.

‘I like the courage of the player, he's a good player. Sometimes there's trouble with his temper but he's a great player.’

 

‘a couple of conversations’ with Arsene Wenger:

AW: Please stop abusing my players or I will have to frown and wave at the 4th official for an extended period (or at least until the TV cameras have had time to zoom in on me).
JB: Not my fault, Arse me old mate, they don't seem to like me. Any chance that you could stop your prima donnas swinging their handbags at me otherwise I might have to show them what really constitutes a red card offence.

AW: Why do you want to play for an unfashionable club like QPR with all those irksome English players? You could come to Arsenal and I would teach you to play the beautiful game and also how to dress with French style in classy body warmers.
JB: I do believe your players have just gone on strike in the French style, Arse. Oh no, my mistake its just a work-to-rule: "All first team players shall not disrupt the perfection of a 250 pass move by shooting for goal".

 

I'd rubbish those claims too. Wenger only signs soft cnts, and foreign too. His lack of appreciation for good ol' fashion British steel is coming back to bite him in the arse.nal.

Wish JB would stop banging on about it though. It's like he's still trying to convince himself he made the right move. I hate twatter.