QPR striker Mackie defends skipper Barton from boo-boys Submitted by tribalfootball.com on Fri, 03/23/2012 - 01:44 QPR striker Jamie Mackie has defended skipper Joey Barton. Barton was booed off the pitch by Rs fans before they stormed back to beat Liverpool this week. ""You don't like to see that, especially towards your captain," Mackie said. " "He was probably the happiest lad in the changing room after the match. "He is the team captain and he wants us to win games whether he is banging the goals in or not and we are lucky to have him. "He is our captain and he has probably got the biggest part to play in the run-in." http://www.tribalfootball.com/articles/qpr-striker-mackie-defends-skipper-barton-boo-boys-3037351?utm_source=taxonomy_landing_page
The lad is a footballer....do not get too uptight by the word "probably" He meant it more as....he has probably got the biggest part to play or possibly the second biggest part to play.... and not Sparky is probably going to drop him Mackie is just saying something politically inert because he was asked a very loaded question by a dumb-a**reporter
Guardian/Paul Doyle QPR team-mates back Joey Barton as the fans turn against him Midfielder admits he played badly against Liverpool Mark Hughes backs him despite loss of form Share 2 reddit this Paul Doyle guardian.co.uk, Thursday 22 March 2012 18.30 EDT Article history Joey Barton was substituted in the rousing 3-2 win over Liverpool. Photograph: Clive Rose/Getty Images The Queens Park Rangers forward Jamie Mackie has backed Joey Barton to overcome the ridicule heaped on him by the club's supporters during Wednesday's 3-2 victory over Liverpool. Although that match ended in euphoria for the home crowd, their mood was very different in the 62nd minute, when the hosts were trailing 1-0 and Barton was substituted by Mackie. Barton was booed off the pitch by large sections of the Loftus Road faithful, who were evidently dissatisfied with the captain's error-strewn performance. "You don't like to see that but Joey's an immensely strong character so I don't think we need to worry about it," said Mackie. "He's our captain, our leader. He never hides, whether he's having a good or a bad game. He's probably got a bigger part to play than anyone [in QPR's fight against relegation]. He wants us to win games whether he is banging the goals in or not and we are lucky to have him." Barton later took to Twitter to confess that his display had been "awful" and "the worst of my career" but criticised the home fans for turning on him. It is worth wondering whether his prolific use of Twitter intensifies the scorn directed at him when he plays badly, as his willingness to expound his views on a whole array of subjects seems to encourage others to voice their views of him. It is also likely that supporters feel justified in demanding more from him because he has described himself as one of England's best midfielders and because, if the brags that the Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Karl Henry claims Barton made during QPR's win over Wolves in September are accurate, he is one of the highest-paid players at the club, earning �80,000-per-week. Yet another motive for the booing could have been to convey a message to the club's manager, Mark Hughes, who has consistently picked Barton despite a series of inconsequential performances. The player hinted on Twitter that his form has been compromised by having to occasionally play on the right-hand side of midfield rather than in the centre but that position is scarcely alien enough to convince fans that it qualifies as a reasonable excuse for mislaying as many passes as he did against Liverpool. Nor was it only against Liverpool that he has struggled. Barton's form has been poor ever since he got sent off in January's 2-1 defeat by Norwich City, yet he has continually been chosen ahead of the likes of Mackie, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Akos Buzsaky. A significant number of Rangers fans seem to think Hughes should alter this selection policy. But the manager, like Mackie, suggested he retains his confidence in Barton, stressing that the player has "a big part to play" in the season's run-in. Barton, unsurprisingly, agreed: "form is temporary, class is permanent," he tweeted pointedly. While Barton was aggrieved by the derision directed at him, it did not detract from his delight at Wednesday's result. Mackie said the captain was "the happiest player in the dressing room" after the victory over Liverpool. The comeback has reinforced the players' conviction that they can remain afloat in the Premier League this season despite their daunting fixture list. Currently two points clear of the relegation zone but having played a game more than 18th-placed Bolton Wanderers, QPR must take on all of the top five teams in the league in their remaining nine matches. "With the talent we've got in the dressing room, it doesn't matter who we're playing," said Mackie. "We just needed that little bit of belief, that little bit of confidence. It doesn't matter how good you are as a player, confidence goes a massive way. To come back from 2-0 down against a team packed with quality like Liverpool, it's got to give everyone belief in what we're trying to do. We've got a great chance of picking up results now." "We're under no illusions. We're right in the mixer and we could get relegated. We've put ourselves in that position and were the only people who can get ourselves out of it. We can't feel sorry for ourselves. "If we'd lost against Liverpool the doom-mongers would have been out saying we're down already. We've got nine games left, a very, very tough run-in. But every single game we're going to rack up points and definitely give it a good shot." http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/mar/22/joey-barton-qpr-jamie-mackie
I suppose the players and coaching staff have to come out and support Barton and I'm sure he'll start on Saturday. He shouldn't of course!!
I don't think Barton will or should start Saturday unless Derry is too knackered to start another game 3 days after Liverpool, in which case I think Barton should play instead of him as defensive central holding midfield with Diakite. If Derry's Ok, I'd only use Barton as sub for him if he can't last 90 minutes. Barton's self confidence and form will probably need more time to heal!
Good article if you Ignore the Barton bits because you can taste the enthusiasm shown by Mackie it's just infectious and lets hope all his team mates do as well.
I have said for a while that we need players like Mackie, Derry and Hill to keep us up. They care and sweat blood for their team!! SWP and Barton need to be benched. SWP would be a good impact player, using his pace when the game gets stretched late on.
At last! An article that actually gets to the crux of the question of Barton's impact on team performance, an issue that many if not most fans have been stewing over for months, culminating in the open hostility shown by fans' the other night. At least we're all on the same page now and whether he admits it or not, something Joey either works on to put right or ignores at his peril. Personally, I have never been a Barton knocker and have looked for the positives in his contributions - in the hope of witnessing the emergence of a passionate and influencial skipper leading by example in the mould of greats like Venables and Roeder from years gone by. Trouble is, it just hasn't been happening has it? Whilst all those losses against the lesser lights cannot be directly attributed to Joey B, the immediate turn around in both our spirit and fortunes against Liverpool cannot be ignored either. Regardless of their necessary public statements to the contrary, the owners, manager and players now have it imprinted in their communal mind-set that Joey's been a bit of a jinx - and a spell on the bench might be the only way to reduce him into finding both form and a fresh approach to the opportunities Rangers offer him. If there was sufficient humility in the mix, players like Barton and Wright-Phillips would take a leaf out of Shaun Derry's book and adopt the no-nonsense simple ball, pass and move technique; and the positive influence that has seen Derry become a consistently effective prem player, regardless of age or fitness.
Well said Jamie Mackie. I will support all 11 players picked by the Manager on Saturday, no matter who they are.
I know mate. It just strikes me that, throughout all these endless debates about Barton, you have come across as a bit holier than thou! I get the impression that you think you're a more loyal supported because you didn't cheer and clap when he was taken off. I may be wrong....it's just an impression I get.
