Joey Barton

[MikeH]

For those who don't know who he is, this is him modelling the latest Newcastle united away strip:-

[Glenn Beasley]

His short time on the pitch for Newcastle on Saturday clearly showed he's learnt bugger all whilst in the nick....

[victormeldrew]

Do explain that one please Glenn??

[Glenn Beasley]

Do explain that one please Glenn??

Well he came on and first thing he did was lunge into a tackle and then walk off with a smirk on his face, not really looking to be Mr Popularity is he???

[A380FWWOW]

I think the poll says it all, 88% against him!

[victormeldrew]

Thanks for the explaination Glen

Totally agree with the general view about this lad...with good reason not popular. Hope I am wrong but fully expect him to do something stupid again soon.

However I think your observation regarding his appearance at the emirates at the weekend demonstrate that many who have an opinion have little knowledge of the game of association football.

Barton is a midfield player, and part of that is being expected to make tackles. Bartons tackle to which you clearly refer was actually a very good takle indeed..had Stephen Gerrard,Michael Essien, Paul Scholes, made that takle no comment would have been made. Barton himself was then up ended off the ball maybe seen as poetic justice by the somewhat blinkered bandwaggon jumpers. I always find that if you have played the game or watched it at a few levels it helps when seeing the reality and maybe helps when making a comment. We on UKAR get a tad impatient when we see stupid comments regarding this hobby...to suggest Bartons actions at the emirates were remotely wrong really make the clown at an airshow who is determined that the Typhoon is actually a "Stealth Bomber" look like a mensa candidate! Lets be honest referee Rob Styles who is quite clearly the most appalling referee after Uriah Rennie, who had a perfect view would have given a free kick and sent the guy off if he could have done so. Judging by the much "not remotely needed assistance" he gave to Arsenal throughout the match at least.

Glen I guess you have never turned out on a Sunday Morning.....

[flying figgis]

He's a total thug, and by allowing this farce to continue, Keegan is endorsing loutish and anti-social behaviour as acceptable.

[DanO1978]

Playing devil's advocate here, should Newcastle just write off their £7m investment in him though? Newcastle United have to be run as a business just as any other club. There are books to be balanced, and I reckon in business that's what has to come first.

The club are in a rather invidious position to be honest, damned if they do, and damned if they don't.

[AdamN]

Barton is a midfield player, and part of that is being expected to make tackles. Bartons tackle to which you clearly refer was actually a very good takle indeed..

A fair tackle, maybe, but 'very good' it was not. Unless tapping the ball whilst falling over and shoulder barging the opponents knees is now a high standard of play... Contains 'some language' at the start He wasn't far off doing some serious damage to Nasri's leg, had his studs been in the ground.

And yes, maybe other players would have got away with it, but you'd also like to think they'd have to sense to restrain themselves a little bit, especially if they're currently extremely unpopular, and have just spent an amount of time in prison for assault.

Scumbag.

[DeanW]

Scumbag.

Sums him up nicely Adam! I think it's shocking how he's just been allowed to walk straight back into the squad and start getting his stupidly expensive wage again.

[tomcatforever]

Newcastle's Joey Barton has been banned for six games, with another six suspended, by the Football Association for assaulting team-mate Ousmane Dabo.

Got off lightly

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 599647.stm

[John_E]

Well thats definitely a 12 match ban then because lets face it, he's incapable of keeping himself out of trouble long enough for the other 6 matches to be expunged. He'll probably go out on the lash tonight to celebrate leading to some form of alcohol-fuelled carnage. What an absolute

[flying figgis]

The guy is a total waste of space and in my opinion, should be banned for at least a couple of years in the way an athlete is if he/she tests positive for a banned substance. In reality, what Barton has done is worse than this. My son is, like many other boys (and girls), mad about football and is influenced by the conduct of his heroes..thankfully, Barton is definitely not one of them. Therefore, this kind of behaviour should be rewarded with a lengthy ban, and not just a few games. My only issue with Keegan was that he appeared to support this cretin in the face of huge opinion to the contrary.

[AdamN]

My only issue with Keegan was that he appeared to support this cretin in the face of huge opinion to the contrary.

Not only that, but there's a line of clubs waiting to snap him up if Newcastle let him go. Idiots.

[stuart n]

Playing devil's advocate here, should Newcastle just write off their £7m investment in him though? Newcastle United have to be run as a business just as any other club. There are books to be balanced, and I reckon in business that's what has to come first.

The club are in a rather invidious position to be honest, damned if they do, and damned if they don't.

There are rumours that a certian "Lord Martin" is interested in signing Barton. Will be interesting to see what the Collins brothers make of that....

[KevinJ]

It just goes to show just how morally bankcrupt football at the top end has become, that a complete is still even considered worthy of a job.

How long before people see the light and stop going, and the big foreign investors drop their new 'toys' for something else? How long before the loyal Newcastle supporters finally realise that the club they love is laughing at them, just like Chelsea and now Man City? Premeirship football lives in its own little world now full of chancers and money grabbers, all pretence at it being a sport has long gone.

I'm done with premeirship games, preferring the more honest lower leagues where there is still some degree of sportsmanship and honesty because the big money hasn't ruined it yet.

Greed and arrogance, sums it all up perfectly.