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Totally agree. Replacing him would see us having to change the way we play a lot as with him we effectively play 3 in the middle allowing Nolan to get forward freely. A traditional winger would curtail this a bit. Highlights the point that Pardew still doesn't know how to use Nolan yet, and is why he probably ought to be sold as well sooner rather than later, believe it or not.

That's kind of what I've been expecting to happen, and your point will be forgotten by many by the time some start saying 'but we made some really great signings last Summer like Joe Bloginho and John Doecescu...'

The way Pardew sets us up and, going on his past and the players we're being linked with, where he's going to take us, Barton is becoming steadily more obsolete, though. I think it's a mistake and a shame as when Joey had a good game he played in a great system and I loved the games that came out of them, but there you go... As a player, he doesn't fit nearly so well nowadays.

Just for your information, he didn't come pre-Ashley. Ashley's responsible for his contract, as well as Smith's and Colo's.

No. Certainly not with Pardew as manager, anyway. Stunningly big if, though.

I recognise your point, but in turn I also want to point out it's Pardew who's saying that and he doesn't have a great track record for man management (prior to coming here, I mean). He likes to think he's being clever when he makes these comments, and they don't necessarily relate to the reality on the ground. It doesn't change the fact there could be a bust up with a player on a longish contract, of course, but then it's a self-fulfilling prophecy. You could well be right, unfortunately it's one of those things that we won't really ever know as there is always varying versions of the truth. But, I personally can't see what benefit it would have coming out with these things if they were BS. And Barton himself has never made any grumblings that what he's saying isn't true. From what I've seen of Barton on the screen and judging by his past, and the fact that he's a man trying and possibly occasionally struggling to keep himself on the straight and narrow, the comments about him seem to fit the profile. Maybe I'm naive and Pardew has other motives, or is trying to be clever. I think it's a bit of both. Barton's head probably still rattles a bit when he walks, it's just more like a salt shaker and less like a bin bag full of conkers than it used to be. What's been corroborated by all sides is he (and others) went off on one (partly in terms of form) following Carroll going, as the squad all had their hopes pinned on him. There's definitely been fall out from that, even following the Arsenal game. Still, there aren't many things more dangerous than blokes like Pardew who think they've 'got a handle' on those kinds of people because they read something about it in a management book.

And you've still not given a justification as for why. Which is also a joke. Why are you believing the 'media' version of events without question? Eh? What do you think the 'media' version of events is exactly, and why? If I am believing it it's probably because you still haven't told me the 'alternative' version. Are you actually backwards? As i said I THINK this is more Barton being more of a cunt than the club. Its my opinion, there isnt an 'alternative version' im merely making up my own mind and coming to my own conclusions as to whats happening. By the sounds of it, you've flipped a coin and let it make your mind up for you, no thinking required. Indeed.

And you've still not given a justification as for why. Which is also a joke. Why are you believing the 'media' version of events without question? Eh? What do you think the 'media' version of events is exactly, and why? If I am believing it it's probably because you still haven't told me the 'alternative' version. Are you actually backwards? As i said I THINK this is more Barton being more of a cunt than the club. Its my opinion, there isnt an 'alternative version' im merely making up my own mind and coming to my own conclusions as to whats happening. By the sounds of it, you've flipped a coin and let it make your mind up for you, no thinking required.

Of course it is. s*** which people usually ignore. But when it's a negative story involving NUFC, it's 100% definitely true and the owner is the worst man alive and those poor players are being hard done by. You still hate Ashley and think nothing good in the long term will ever happen while he's at the club, though, right? I don't think anything good will come from him in the long term at all, no. But that doesn't mean I'll blame him for everything and anything that is happening, nor will I believe all of the players guff about 'wanting to stay forever', 'best club in the world' blah blah - that's not football in the modern day. Alot of players seem to be escaping any form of criticism when it comes to these sorts of situations. All I can see from my point of view (which is how alot of the journos are reporting it) is that there is an offer on the table and he isn't signing it. A lot of my suspicions are raised because precisely the opposite is true - every single one of our players/staff ends up getting criticised or maligned by the club. I think literally every one, without fail. Weird, don't you think? Re: the journalists, all they're doing is telling us a 'club source' says a contract's been offered today, that's true. Why he isn't signing it or whether it's for three weeks and only pays him a bag of cheese and onion crisps, we don't know, that's true. But we'll never do anything with our lives if we don't try joining dots with everything that's gone before. Assuming this event isn't resolved in the next 6 hours, I'm sure it isn't merely agent blather and something significant will come out of it, given Barton, Mckay, Llambias and Ashley's respective reputations.

And you've still not given a justification as for why. Which is also a joke. Why are you believing the 'media' version of events without question? Eh? What do you think the 'media' version of events is exactly, and why? Is it something to do with their favourite boy, Joey 'lovely smile' Barton being wronged? If I am believing it it's probably because you still haven't told me the 'alternative' version.

Indeed, which is why you wouldn't expect him to let his agent act like a c*** on this occasion. Believe me, I've got no time for Willie Mckay himself. I can imagine his concern relates to the idea of him only getting 24 months from now on the clock and being bumped out next summer anyway along with Tiote et al - i.e. insecurity. The flaw in that sentence is the suggestion that agents actually give a fuck about what their players think. He's probably went "Yeah, yeah Joey. Trust me I know what I'm doing...." and Joey has believed him. Agents man, ruining football. That is a fair point, I'm only offering Barton's possible/likely perspective.

Of course it is. s*** which people usually ignore. But when it's a negative story involving NUFC, it's 100% definitely true and the owner is the worst man alive and those poor players are being hard done by. You still hate Ashley and think nothing good in the long term will ever happen while he's at the club, though, right?

Indeed, which is why you wouldn't expect him to let his agent act like a cunt on this occasion. Believe me, I've got no time for Willie Mckay himself. I can imagine his concern relates to the idea of him only getting 24 months from now on the clock and being bumped out next summer anyway along with Tiote et al - i.e. insecurity.

I recognise your point, but in turn I also want to point out it's Pardew who's saying that and he doesn't have a great track record for man management (prior to coming here, I mean). He likes to think he's being clever when he makes these comments, and they don't necessarily relate to whatever's happened on the training ground that day. It doesn't change the fact there could be a bust up with a player on a longish contract, of course, but then it's a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I doubt Joey is that great on the camp spirit side. He wasn't even part of it for most of the season we won promotion. In any case a player who is willing to move clubs to get the right deal isn't going to be one to instil team spirit at his current club. Neither's one that'll take anything like a bitch... You know for a fact that he's being offered a bad deal? You know for a fact he isn't? Just pointing your last sentence was untrue and essentially nonsensical.

And you've still not given a justification as for why. Which is also a joke.

We did. Last summer. Plenty expected to lose some of our favourites, nobody expected the likes of Tiote or Bafra. Just a shame Gosling was crock longer than was hoped. Really? The only thing some expected (not me) was more money to be spent than was, seeing as we ended up spending an unprecedentedly low amount by the standards of clubs which expect to not be relegated.

Probably finally learnt that if they don't say something first, 'club sources' will, after Steve Taylor, Hughton, Keegan, Enrique, Carroll, Milner etc...

You can live off their supporters running off at half-time even longer...

I doubt Joey is that great on the camp spirit side. He wasn't even part of it for most of the season we won promotion. In any case a player who is willing to move clubs to get the right deal isn't going to be one to instil team spirit at his current club. Neither's one that'll take anything like a bitch...

Where do you get all that from?

Explains that well-timed Gameiro/Gervinho interest

I know what you mean mate, it always seems crazy to me that YouTube can get away with hosting large amounts of copyrighted material and making advertising money off it while people who just link to it can be threatened with action. But at the same time this is a brilliant forum and if the people in charge believe this is a step worth taking to protect it then I don't think it's a great loss. I imagine it would never get to the forum being shut down, but I can see why they don't want to take the risk. sorry to go off topic but this is the ONLY site that i frequent that has such a drachonian attitude re. videos every other message board i use allows links to vids to be posted and/or ebedding Exactly, And this debate will as always end with the "take it or leave it" argument without anyone really saying what is right. To the mods, I really like this forum and your work with it. All brilliant. Its just a shame that you are wrong on this link policy. I work with website development and have never experienced such a strict forum. Theres just no way a link to some other site can ever ever shut you down. Thats it. Years ago would have believed you but the fact is its happened. The server owners were approached by the premier league and its lawyers and demanded the site be taken down and it was taken down. We had no say at all. We're with different hosts now, in fact our second lot of hosts since then but its something that we dont fancy happening again so we give no excuse for it to happen again. So im afraid you'll just have to put up with it as i cant imagine that rule like the fixtures rule will change. When he says taken down, he means 'literally deleted without a way of bringing it back at zero notice'.

Blatantly been bingeing. At this rate there's a decent chance he's gonna be a fucking wreck when he retires. Never thought I'd see him as the leading candidate to replace Gazza.

Probably the solution should be the ROI paying the IFA compensation for money invested in a player + a fee per youth cap.