[Archived] Citeh To Sack Barton?

[broadsword]

It's in the Mail that he will try to see out his contract at Newcastle, all three years of it.

Newcastle will try to terminate his contract by alleging gross misconduct, but I'd wager they'll have a tough time getting him out.

[speeeeeeedie]

Rovers should sign Barton. He's exactly what we need; a young, English, box to box midfielder with an eye for goal. We should be able to get him on the cheap as well due to his status as damaged goods and the possiblity that he may end up doing bird again some day. He might be a complete n0b but most footballers are. The latest incident has brought up all his ills. He was p!ssed off and put in a stupid tackle out of frustration, plenty of players have done that.

Bellamy is rated by many as the best striker we've had since Shearer yet he's been in trouble numerous times; slapping a girl in a nightclub, belting Riise with a golf club, nearly giving Bobby Robson a heart attack but the fans loved him when he was here. The national media don't care about us so Barton may give us some extra coverage.

[Pugg]

It wasnt a red card challenge - thats the pathetic thing. If he had got a yellow card then there wouldnt be this massive over-reaction from the Geordies who are simply looking at get out clauses from big contracts incase they get relegated.

I must admit, I heard about it before I saw it, and I expected to see a really terrible tackle. When I saw it though, I thought 'is that it?'. Massive over-reaction from the media.

[gumboots]

You have to wonder where they get their ideas from. 'The fans haven't taken to Big Sam...'? Seems to me most have!

Actually there are plenty on here who have but equally plenty who are questioning his style and tactics, so it's not a universal yes. Most approve of the results but have yet to warm to him in the way they warmed to previous managers

[Gav]

Got to say that I think Barton has been badly treated in relation to the Alonso sending off. Yes he went right through him, but would the media have jumped on this if it hadn't been Barton?

He’s also alleged to have told Shearer that he has no idea about tactics or players, which is a tad worse that the sending off in my book.

Sadly as a club we’re in the market for such players, if we can get Barton back to his form of a few seasons ago he’d be a good asset.

Whilst I still believe Diouf is the devil, Barton isn’t far behind him in my book and not someone we’d chose to play for the club, but that’s the market we find ourselves in becuase we're skint.

[rovgers]

Imo if it was any other player who had commited that foul on sunday against another team, there wouldn't be half the fuss there is now.

Didn't he get suspended by newcastle for what he said after the match rather the foul? I mean most people would argree, getting 2 points out of 15 and only scoring 1 goal in the process is pretty sh@t! Shearers tactics during those games have also been sh@t, so I suppose Barton was talking the truth.

Would I want playing in blue and white, I don't know but after all the fuss the media made of the incident then I'm not so sure. Were ever he's playing football next season he'll always have the press ready to pounce on any little (or large) indescretion he makes!

[alexanders]

I know I would love Barton fighting for Rovers at Turf Moor next season!

Can anyone find the tackle at Alonso, pretty please?

[Hughesy]

The media frenzy is unfair - another sign of media trying their best to wreck a player. His tackle wasnt a red, and if it was anoyone else we wouldnt of heard anything more about it after monday morning papers.

As for Bartons comments to Shearer - he was right. Shearer should of come out and backed him, saying it wasnt a red and he only got it because of his reputation. Instead he choose to go into the dressing room and lay into him infront of the rest, telling him it was a cowards tackle.

Adebayors tackle last night was 10 times worse - but he got a yellow, and no media attention.

Would people complain if we signed him, he scored 5 or 6 in the season and played 30+ league games? I dont think so. If anyone is denying he is better than our current midfield then they are talking from their back-side.

Edited May 6, 2009 by Hughesy

[CrazyIvan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSBBjINSWyc

Here

[riverside returns]

Jast watched the tackle on the link above and it is quite clear that Barton got the ball first. Yes he then went through Alonso but if Alonso wants to put himself in that position and then show the ball then what does he expect. It is a far better tackle than Adebayor from last night, that was nasty.

He does have a good engine, passing ability and a determination to win which has been missing from our midfield. In fact, Warnock did a similar tackle on Saturday at Man City and we all applauded his commitment.

[leftfooter]

It's in the Mail that he will try to see out his contract at Newcastle, all three years of it.

Newcastle will try to terminate his contract by alleging gross misconduct, but I'd wager they'll have a tough time getting him out.

Bryan, Newcastle had the opportunity to fire Barton for gross misconduct when he was sent to prison, but declined and chose to reaffirm the contract. That time has lapsed.

Regarding gross misconduct at Liverpool. By all accounts Barton reacted in kind to a public reprimand from his boss and both he and Shearer were apparently squaring up to one another. If Newcastle were to fire him, I'd wager Barton would have good grounds for wrongful dismissal. If Newcastle wish to rely on the rules of employment or contract law, they must themselves abide by them.

As for the red card; if Newcastle claim that's grounds for dismissal, good luck to them! Alan Smith was a couple of inches away from a far more reckless challenge in the first half abd they shouldn't be surprised to see their players pulling out of tackles and a taking risk avoidance measures (I.E. preserving their employment staus) for the remaining 3 games.

Edited May 6, 2009 by leftfooter

[Hughesy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSBBjINSWyc

Here

Watch that tackle, then watch Adebayors tackle from last night which was about 6 inch up the shin of a united player.

Which was worse?

Its unfair treatment, he is being made a scapegoat instead of his manager backing him. Until all this happened I wanted Newcastle to stay up, now I dont, I hope they go down.

[DE.]

Unfortunately for Barton, his numerous actions off the pitch ensure he will get treated unfairly. That's life, and it's a web he's woven himself.

For what it's worth, I think Barton will desperately try to cling to his NUFC contract for as long as he can. There's no way he'll get 65k p/w anywhere else.

[Hughesy]

No I wouldnt do that, but that was some time ago now. Since Newcastle took him back (from prison) and gave him another chance, he hasnt done anything wrong yet (including the tackle on sunday).

[DE.]

I think what angered Shearer was the fact it was a stupid tackle that didn't really need to be made like that. Whether he won the ball or not, there was absolutely no need to go flying in, especially with his reputation. Whether it was a red or not, the nature of the tackle was ill-advised and his sending off means Newcastle are one player down in their fight against relegation. Good for us, bad for them.

[Hughesy]

According to reports Shearer & Barton were not squaring up, Shearer had a go at barton, he then told him what he thought & Dowie did react and was in Barton's face, at which point he told him he was a 'prick'.

Shearer didnt react according to the reports.

[b12_simon]

If Barton was squaring up to Shearer then it's blatant insubordination. If it was about to turn violent then it was most likely because Barton won't be forcibly told when he's wrong. His ego is too big for a player. And he's got nothing to be egoistic about.

We don't know exactly what went on between the 2. Barton's got form for changing room indiscipline but it's entirely possible that Shearer overreacted or decided to make an example of an unpopular player.

[CrazyIvan]

If Barton was squaring up to Shearer then it's blatant insubordination. If it was about to turn violent then it was most likely because Barton won't be forcibly told when he's wrong. His ego is too big for a player. And he's got nothing to be egoistic about.

The tackle didn't need to happen. Joey Barton didn't need to tackle the player the way he did but, having said that, it wasn't a red card offence but a yellow. The referee sent Joey Barton off partly because of reputation and partly because the tackle looked a lot worse than it actually was from a distance. The fact the media has jumped all over him just sums up how his reputation precedes him. There was a bust-up with Shearer, fair enough that can be sorted out and should have been kept in house. It's been splashed across the newspapers ever since. Do players have arguments with managers? Is the Pope catholic? Should it result in a player being canned by the team he plays for? Only if something more happens than just an argument and there is no evidence of that here. Is Joey Barton being victimised, because of his prior behaviour, by the press? Absolutely. Does that tackle have anything to do with Joey Barton's record of violence? Not at all and it shouldn't come in to it. It seems like Joey Barton has assaulted someone when all he has done is a rash challenge in a game where Newcastle were losing badly. If the person making that challenge was, for example, Michael Owen would the reaction be anywhere near as vitriolic and extreme? I don't think so.

Reputation and history is not an indication of how a person will behave in the future.

[Ricky]

In the same match Alan Smith had a much much worse lunge but failed to make contact, this obviously hasn't been mentioned at all!!!!

I don't like Barton one bit but I can imagine us going for him, just think he's the type of player we'd look at. He'll be cheap or free and with something to prove. It could be the shrewdest signing ever or could be a disaster.

[boris bear]

Unfortunately for Barton, his numerous actions off the pitch ensure he will get treated unfairly. That's life, and it's a web he's woven himself.

For what it's worth, I think Barton will desperately try to cling to his NUFC contract for as long as he can. There's no way he'll get 65k p/w anywhere else.

I cannot imagine that we have £65k per week to pay him.

The tackle wasn't as bad as I expected but it was totally unnecessary. He has only has himself to blame for all this media attention with his previous antics.

Someone mentions the media trying to wreck his career but he doesn't need them he's making a pretty goood job of it on his own.

[gazsimm]

Joey Barton will be one of our best players if we signed him, no doubt about it the guy has got talent, If sam can sort his head out he would be a quality signing for us.

[alexanders]

He even has a cap.

[Hughesy]

Reputation and history is not an indication of how a person will behave in the future.

Probably the most valid post of the lot so far.

Since he has come out of jail (At which point he said he had changed), what has Joey Barton done wrong?

[tcj_jones]

OK I've seen that replay of Barton's tackle and he definitely got the ball. It's also quite clear though that his main intention was to wipe the player out. Therefore, it should have been a yellow.

Although the Liverpool players have a right to be annoyed in this instance, I swear that, in general, as soon as a player goes to ground, the ref's first thought is to blow the whistle, give a free kick and dish out a card and the opposition players to react angrily as if a crime has been committed.

[bellamy11]

Probably the most valid post of the lot so far.

Since he has come out of jail (At which point he said he had changed), what has Joey Barton done wrong?

Joey Barton said he had changed long before the incident which saw him sent to prison.