Mag here. So, we're 10 games in (soon to be 11). I was just wondering how Barton has been doing for you guys? How has he been playing? Has there been any evidence of him causing any disruption? I haven't really been keeping tabs so a quick briefing would be good.
I think he's only had one bad game. Otherwise he's either been quite good or great. He's ran around more than any other player in the team, I think. He generally has a great attitude on the pitch and has kept his temper well under control.
I sense he is going through the motions a bit and is certainly not united behind the team. His off field stuff seems more important. I have never rated him at most on here know however I am always prepared to alter my opinion as or if he grows into the team. He honestly thinks he is a good player which is the problem 4/10
He's played ok. Thinks he's a much better player than he is. Rumours that he is undermining other players with his comments and criticisms. Looks to me like he hasn't got his heart in the club, but maybe that will change!
He's improved recently by keeping his mouth shut off the pitch and putting in good performances on it.
I was gutted when he left us and wondered how we would get on, but we have done well. When I have seen him for QPR his passing has been awful, also I think Warnock should take captains armband off him. When he was our captain I felt it was too much for him.
Think you're right Eleanor, although his passing has improved of late, it was shocking when he first joined.
He needs to start getting his feet to twitter rather than his brain, for me to much talk and not enough action
He's not been great when played wide right but was very good in the second half at Spurs in the middle. Some people will always slate him but he's had some decent games, most notably Wolves away.
Definitely more to come from Joey, but I think there were some unrealistic expectations as well - he is a ball winner and distributor, not Messi. Best thing for me is that for the last couple of weeks the twittering etc seems to have died down. Hopefully now we will play him in the middle a bit with Faurlin. Warnock has little choice on this with Derry knackered, but Joey put in a good shift there v Spuds second half. I think we will be happy with him as a player by the end of the season. As a person he has to be whiter than White for a lot of us ( me included) to avoid criticism. Worrying that Toon seem to be so much better without him......
I think that captures him quite well. He obviously has a huge ego, and whilst he is a good player, he almost certainly thinks that he's better than he really is. Ultimately that sort of attitude can come across as arrogance, and when you combine that with Joey's tendancy to be very outspoken, it can cause trouble within the ranks.
I have quite a feeling now that Joey was responsible for some dressingroom tension whilst he was here. Him and Nolan inparticular. Many of our best players are quite quiet or timid guys (Coloccini, Tiote, Krul and so on) so if Barton was there gobbing off, there may have been tension which damaged the team bond. Cabaye even mentioned in an interview once that training sessions were often 'tense' while Joey was around. Now he's gone, we have Cabaye who has filled in most of the gaps Joey used to fill (creative playmaker-style passing), and Obertan, whilst not as good as Joey, ran run like ****, stretch defences and put crosses in, which is all the winger really needs to do for now. Plus, all the players can feel more comfortable and can open themselves up and express themselves a lot more. Basically, Cabaye and Obertan combined are miles better than Barton and Nolan combined. People were often gobsmacked as to why we were so eager to shift Nolan, Barton and Enrique, thinking that it would lead us back to a relegation struggle. However, perhaps Ashley was onto something all along. Perhaps him and the staff knew that without these three very outspoken players in the team, the other lads would be able to flourish.
I think hes played ok up to now. Better performances to come. Must have been a big shock leaving a club like Newcastle and then coming to Rangers.Looks like a natural captain which is what we have missed for a long time.
I fear the same thing for us too. Our most creative player(Taarabt) has already been hounded out of the team!!(Standing back now...waiting to receive incoming!!).
