Barton: Finally growing up?
It’s a fact that Joey has been less than wholesome in his past, and we all know why so there is no need for me to bring it back up again. But can his bad boy days remain in the past, or are they likely to surface again at some point in the future? If the ugly side of Joey Barton is to stay hidden, then he must learn to keep calm and must realise that because of his actions of the past he now becomes an easy target for everyone. Only he can change that, by rising above any provocation, something that he has appeared to be doing this season.
Of course, Joey has been unlucky with injuries this season, but now he is back and looks to be returning to match fitness we are beginning to see some glimpses of why we bought him, with the through ball at Plymouth for Wayne Routledge being a prime example. Moments like that could be key in the Premier League next season, the ability to unlock a defense with a pass like that is something a fit Joey Barton can give us, so we have to hope that he stays injury-free whilst enjoying himself over the summer.
“Yeah, you could say I’ll enjoy this summer a bit better than the last two! Twelve months ago, we were relegated and I didn’t know what the future held for me, and two years ago I knew I was facing prison,” Barton said today.
“That was scary and even now I wonder how I got through it. The flip side is that it was my own fault and I got what I deserved. I took the punishment on the chin and have tried to become a better man since. For some people that will never be enough, but today I am satisfied with who I am and the journey I’ve had to take.”
Which is fair enough, but there is more. It appears Joey wants to become a role model for other people who need to reform their lives, and believes he has the blueprint of just how to go about reforming your character;
“A lot of kids won’t look at the Beckhams and the Owens as role models. Maybe they’ll look at Joey Barton and think, ‘He made lots of mistakes, he went to jail and he came back’. That’s what drives me on – to be a shining light to people who messed up.”
“I don’t have responsibility for my actions when I drink and I can’t afford to make the same mistakes again. Staying off alcohol keeps me out of places where you are likely to find trouble.”
“I live a monk-like existence flitting between the training ground and the golf course and have a bit of interest in horse racing.”
As I said earlier, it’s a strange one with regards to Barton. He is in the last chance saloon in the eyes of many and will always attract publicity due to his past. But when he is fit, firing on all cylinders and keeping his nose clean then he can be such an asset to Newcastle United. There are also people who are finished with him and feel he is being given a chance when perhaps he doesn’t deserve one, which if course is their opinion.
What do you guys think?
………..whey...
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a mean whata graet man
Personally think he’ll be a huge asset in the premiership. Right now we’d have no chance in hell of signing a player in his position of his quality were we to sell Joey- we wouldn’t be an attractive enough option and we wouldn’t have the money anyway. Keep him on the books, if he keeps out of trouble I can see him finishing his career with us (injury free with any luck!)
Sounds as though Joey’s seen the light.
However, when he’s with his team-mates in-season, there’s a lot of peer pressure on him to keep on the straight and narrow.
The summer’s coming and soon he’ll be off the leash as it were and whilst he sees an opportunity to “enjoy this summer a bit better than the last two”, it’s very much up to him whether it is a trouble-free one.
He’ll have to exert a great-deal of self control and humility to cope with the temptations, the sniping an baiting that’ll face him.
Has Joey got that will to survive and develop into a real role model for kids?
That’s very much up to him and for sure, it won’t be easy for him.
If he has learned some lessons and hopes to live like a compartive monk. I hope he doesn’t emulate Rasputin as his role model!
Let’s wish him well in his rehabilitation and look forward to seeing an older and wiser player next season.
Devon
“we have no chance in hell of signing a player of Bartons quality…”
I couldn’t disagree more tbh. Decent player, but do people on here really rate Barton this highly?
Aye well, just remember….
Rasputin was a monk
well he had some bad habits.
he’s improved alot since he first signed,then he couldn’t trappist a bag of cement.
Well, whatever I think of him, there is no way anyone is going buy him so that’s where you have to start from.
I think he should never have been signed, and should have been sacked at least twice since. Last chance saloon went some time ago for me. I think he’s never put in a performance to justify his cost (money and otherwise) and I believe that, even off the booze, he will soon give in to his need for antagonism and aggro, either on the field or off it.
HOWEVER…
I really hope he makes me eat those words. If he keeps going in the right direction and delivers a stellar season for us next year with no ‘indicents’, I will love seeing it and respect him for it.
Come on, Joey – prove the likes of me wrong, fella. If you can do that it genuinely would be an inspiring story.
Trojan @ 6.
Ouch.
joey,stay off the drink,when you’ve had a few you tend to put the rasbootin.
Actually, he looked a wee bit porky at Plymouth the other night, and he’s getting a bit philosophical these days.
Not so much a monk as (brace yerselves)…
A deep fat fryer.
Sorry. It’ll never happen again.
joey barton’s wife is opening a manicure salon in newcastle it,s called cadfael’s.
43 appearances in 3 years @ £65 thousand good english pounds per week = £10 million good english pounds in total.
we believe joey is a better talker than a footballer and should have his own talk show.
comments welcome.
i wonder if he friar tuck it up the tail pipe whilst in choky.
well ed he wouldn’t look out of place in the jezza kyle show.
Whumpie….. A deep fat fryer…..
who was often seen tucking into a monk fish?
Boom, boom, boom!
Devon – at last, something to disagree upon! People were starting to talk…
I haven’t seen anything from Joey which suggests he’s any more capable than Nolan or, more importantly, Guthrie at a fraction of the cost. He certainly isn’t worth more than the both of them put together, which is what he costs. Even at Plymouth he constantly lost the ball and often looked short of pace and lacking in ability to read the game.
However, that one pass at Plymouth (to Routledge) gives me hope that I may yet get to see why he cost so damn much. I hope so, ‘cos we’re stuck with him and that’s OUR £3.5m a year going into his pockets.
Or the buddhist monk who went into a kebab shop on Percy Street and asked to …… make him [at] one with everything!!
So, he pays with a £10 note and no change came over the counter. When he asked whether he should expect some change, he was told that change comes from within!!!!
Yuk.. or should that be Yak?
15 TROJAN 69 says:
April 28, 2010 at 3:33 pm
well ed he wouldn’t look out of place in the jezza kyle show…
Or Songs of Praise
He’s on contract till 2012, doubt anyone will buy him until he’s proven he can do it in the prem after all his injuries / personal problems – we’re stuck with him so hopefully he can have a good pre season and start playing like the Barton of old (big ask).
On another note I reckon Krul may be off next year, his contract expires in 2011 and if he aint getting game time I can’t see him sticking around, wouldn’t be surprised to see us offer him a new contract, him turn it down and we end up selling him
To be honest Fraser Forster is a decent backup but he’ll also want games after playing almost a full season for Norwich
I know people are always going to diagree with me when it comes to Joey, but I’ve always rated him highly. I remember clearly thinking whilst he was at city that he had potential to be an England regular if he sorted out his attitude, and he eventually got his cap (albeit just the one, lol)
Every time I’ve watched one of our games live when Joey’s had a sustained fun of form and fitness he looks like a total stand-out player, two perfect examples of this are against Villa at St James last season and against Spurs at White Hart Lane the year before (under Keegan and Kinnear respectively)
He plays with more passion than most on the pitch and is a hard-tackling player with a good engine, as well as creativity to match. Just always been a player I’ve rated very highly, and I really hope he proves me right next season!
Spyro- when I say I don’t think we’ll be able to attract a player of his quality or price-range, I was really referring more to established premiership CM’s- other than O’Hara I don’t really see who else we could attract? This of course doesn’t include shrewd overseas signings etc, so I apologise; it was a fairly generalised statement to make.
Whumpie says:
April 28, 2010 at 3:41 pm
I think the fact that he’s played about 15 games in 3 yrs hasn’t helped and when he has, he’s been pushed out wide – He ain’t no winger that’s for sure.
joey may be the main man next season,all depends whether the son of sam,is going to put his hand in his pocket,we all know from experience he’s tighter than a coat of paint.
TROJAN 69 says:
April 28, 2010 at 4:20 pm
“joey may be the main man next season,all depends whether the son of sam,is going to put his hand in his pocket,we all know from experience he’s tighter than a coat of paint.”
Tight enough to put £100 million into the club to secure it’s financial security?
He’s our player, like it or lump it!
When he’s fully fit & played in the right position, he’s a canny player too.
He’s making all the right noises & trying his best to change his former recalcitrant ways.
That should be applauded.
Let’s get off his back.
Are we so quick to judge Carroll?
We’d be better off trying to head him off at the ‘pass’
& get him ‘on-side’. Pfffftttt!
Maybe Joey can have a word?
Stuart – good point. Needs better advice on his footwear and to be played in the middle. Guthrie was utter pants out wide too, and we’ve seen what he can do now we’ve got real wingers to allow him back into the middle.
As many have said – we’re stuck with him, so let’s look forward to what I hope will be a continued recovery and a big step towards repaying the club.
As for living like a monk; I reckon thinking like one (particularly a Buddhist one) may be a good move. He should read some Dalai Llama books; that’ll help him react the right way when those cheating shits in the prem inevitably try to wind him up.
i reckon we should without doubt keep him….hes our best all round midfielder and one of our few players with attacking ability and the ability to unlock a defence! regardless of how well he has played, he has always givin a crap and put in the effort(an excuse many give for butt) but unlike butt he has had a couple of very good games over the last year or so! when he gets a run of games(in the correct bloody position), he contributes a lot to the side. his main problem in my eyes is injuries! if he has another season like the last few in that regard, then get rid for any price! i have a slight feeling that he could be one of our key men next year(injury permitting) and i feel he is one of only a few that wont find the premiership hard to re-adapt to
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=104997476209650
Some cracking old pics of all things Newcastle. Some belting memories in there from my life and before, and some brilliant phots of St James’ Park.
You dont need Facebook to have a look, just click the link and then on the ‘photos’ tab near the top of the page.
Brilliant
loved old photos,still think old grand-dad tops are best like,wyn the leap had to ask his mam if it was ok to join the toon,what a good agent she was
I loved the old pics of SJP, and when it started getting redeveloped. It’s a stark reminder of just how far we have come.
toonsy,
Cheers mate, the photo’s are fab.
ice,
Big John still looks as fearsome as ever. eh
From 1961 to 1964 the price of a program doubled from thrupence to a tanner, f*****g ell mate, tak aboot inflation!
From Toonsy`s photo`s.
TGS ay m8 he does,always felt sorry for him off pitch often seen him after training sitting in cafe for a couple of hours in newcastle all by himself,looking like he had all the troubles in world,great player like
And hey! Joey has seen the light and the error of his ways, he`s a good guy now.
So no messin with joey please, awright !
Amstel time y`all, later.
He’s a good boy now, as long as you keep him off the beer
Joey Barton is our best central midfielder, we haven’t yet witnessed a fully fit Barton, when we do I’m sure it will change opinion and he’ll be a fans favourite. We should go back to City and sign Michael Johnson, very talented, if he can stay fit.
some boy that jose m tec the best boss ive ever saw imo
Icedog,
Jose is good but half his skill is in telling his players to cheat and winning over the referees. Not exactly a role model… I can’t stand him.
Mourinho,
what a guy!
If he was good enough for ‘wor Bobby’, he’s good enough for me.
Taught him everything he knows.
Some really great pics on that link toonsy, top stuff mate.
An “interest in horse racing” – ohoh! Cue headlines: ‘Barton Blows Bonus!’. Let’s hope & pray not. All the best to Joey in finding his life, regardless of football activities.
JJ,do you really belive he is the only manager that does that come on,hes the best most of us will see love him or not sorry he is the best and as clint says wor bobby showed him the way, so what do you say about wor bob,think about it m8.
barca cheated at chelsea last year did they not?
Bang on ice.
Italian teams knew how to ‘cheat’ long before Mourinho came along.
As do spanish etc.
CLINT,made me think back and smile,playing with a real good c/h one day,other team had real pacey c/f i said you will have to watch this guy m8,he said dont worry hes not that fast limping lol
Where there’s a will……………..
Exactly how do teams cheat ?
Soh, Morinho is`nt his own man, everything should be down to his training by Sir Bobby ?
Is it only Spanish and Italian sides that know how to cheat, have any EPL teams learned ?
Say what you like about Mourinho, he is a damn good coach. When it was 11 v 11 last night I still though Barca would go through, but when Inter went down to 10 men I always had a feeling that Barca wouldn’t be able to break them down.