Villa & A Bagfull Of Barton Trouble?

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Lisa Smith, Villa correspondent for the Post, says that Joey Barton might be heading to Villa Park.

The midfielder, who is being forced out of Manchester City after yet another bust up, is apparently keen on linking up with Martin O’Neill.

On the one hand we’d get a very good – not to mention nasty snarling – player. The type we’ve missed for a while. On the other hand, we’d also land ourselves with an out and out yob. I guess if anyone can sort him out, it would be Martin O’Neill, or Big Sam who is also linked with wanting the player for Newcastle United.

Barton beat up team-mate Ousmane Dabo and was suspended.

The Post quote a family friend as saying:

‘Joey is a talented player and is attracting a lot of interest from clubs including Newcastle, Villa and his own boyhood team Everton, as well as Middlesbrough, Celtic and Portsmouth.’

I guess if he is available for a low fee, he is bound to attract interest and managers always think they’ll be the one to calm a wild player down, if they can he could be a great signing, but…. but…. but….

The Vital Newcastle site put it well when they said: Psychopath link and it looks like their fans aren’t keen on the idea of him playing for them either!

His crimes according to the Newcastle editor:

1) Now then, now then – stubbing out a cigar in teammate James Tandy’s eye at the clubs’ Xmas bash. Barton was dressed as Sir Jimmy Saville at the time.
2) Far East Furore – Alleged to have assaulted a 15 year old Everton fan whilst on tour in Asia during pre-season.
3) Blue Moon – Bared his arse at Goodison Park following abuse from the Toffee’s fans.
4) Taxxiiiiii – Arrested for assault and criminal damage in a dispute with a taxi driver. (He is still on bale for this)
5) Decking Dabo – Suspended by City at the end of last season for attacking Ousmane Dabo during a training session. Fled the country with scumbag agent Willy McKay.

The family friend continues in the Post:

‘he has told his family that he is really most interested in moving to either Villa with O’Neill or Newcastle with Big Sam because he feels they are both good man managers who will give him the support he needs. He has a clause in his contract which says any club prepared to come in with a bid for at least £5.5 million can talk to him so we will have to see what happens.’

Right, so we have to pay £5.5million for a bag full of trouble then our manager has to ‘support’ him. Ok…. ahem.

And this will really sell him to the Villa and Newcastle fans: ‘Joey is a Blue, an Everton fan by heart but he is not sure how the fans would take to him there after he ‘mooned’ at supporters in the Premiership clash at Goodison earlier last season. Life is rough for Joey at the moment. He cannot go out in Liverpool or Manchester at all because there is always a fan waiting to have a pop at him and he is basically living like a recluse apart from the odd game of golf.’

Stop it, stop it, I’m weeping.

The flip side, according to this family friend, is that Joey only reacted to being pushed ‘three times in the face and only lashed out in the end to defend himself.

Adding, ‘He just wants to settle down, play the football we all know he is capable of and get himself a regular place in the England team.’


Barton has so far been capped just once, making an appearance as a substitute in England’s 1-0 defeat at the hands of Spain in February.


But his family believe he would be an international regular if he could settle down and let his football do the talking.

So, what do you reckon, can we tame the yob and end up with a good player – lets face it, we’ve not had a nasty type who can get the game by the scruff of the neck for many a long year, or would we be bringing in a bag full of trouble?

Most things I can excuse, I was never a saint when I was young, but stubbing a cigar in a young lads eye? No thanks, not the sort of person I could clap or cheer as a Villa man.

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