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Here is a refreshing take on his interview.... Are you willing to give Joey Barton a chance? - Mike Norrish, The Telegraph Considering Joey Barton’s previous attacks on his fellow footballers, calling them “knobs” pretty gentle fare. They might be slightly annoyed, but it’s not like having your cheekbone shattered is it? Or having a lit cigar stubbed in your eye? Barton’s comments came in a fascinating interview on Radio 4’s Today programme. And before you accuse Today of dumbing down, have a read of what Barton had to say about the game. It’s one of the more honest, revealing – and, yes, intelligent – interviews you’ll hear from a footballer. On immature millionaire players: “I know this is probably gonna carry, but most footballers are knobs. They are so detached from real life it’s untrue. But my brain then goes to ‘how has that happened?’ And I’ve been like that. There was a stage when I was like that. I signed for a club when I was eight and went straight from school into a YTS academy. I’ve never lived in the real world. You grow up in an environment where, as long as you’re a good player, you’re told that you’re the best all the time. At the age of 20 I was earning more money than everyone in my family. And I’d never grown up, I was still a child, it was like a Peter Pan world. There’s always an agent who’ll sort your contract out or your car out or your mortgage out and you never have to do anything. And so you’ve got a situation where your driving round in flash cars and changing them like you change your socks, wearing stupid diamond watches and spending money like it’s going out of fashion in the middle of a recession.” On the relation between alcohol and violence: “Whether you’re the best footballer in the world or the best golfer or the best cricketer, you’re a human being. You might be good at that [sport] but you might be crap at life. All men will have problems. We’re a working class game and we’re lads who’ve come from nothing and all of a sudden are seen by society to earn an obscene amount of money. My last night out probably cost me about £500,000 plus my reputation but I never stopped drinking. That’s the crazy thing. I bamboozled my own brain into thinking that it wasn’t drinking that was the problem. But then I got sent to jail and you just think is it worth it? Is it worth taking yourself into that zone where you could self-destruct?” On abuse from the stands: “I played at the Emirates and was warming up, and I guy shouted that he was going to slit my throat. I thought hang on a minute, the reason your saying that is because I’ve been involved in trouble, and yet your way of saying you’re gonna deal with that is telling gonna me you’re gonna slit my throat. There was children and women around and no one says, ‘hang on, you’ve gone a bit far there.’ It’s normal.” On the media: “I’m thankful for the media of this country. If it wasn’t for them vilifying me then I wouldn’t have been forced to confront these issues. They forced me, by shaming me, into growing up. I may have pissed my career up the wall, I may never have grown up.” Barton’s take on the media is particularly interesting. Because he has acted like a vicious and remorseless thug for so long, most observers have given up on him. But it’s amazing what a bit of sincerity can do, isn’t it? Actions speak louder than words of course. But Barton’s words are certainly refreshing, particularly as he’s not trying to flog an autobiography. And that’s another subject, of course, on which he’s worth listening to…

aye, there is deffo a lack of will to play 90 mins...

I would retitle this "Why are some football people so paranoid and superficial"

I would say harewood has got better with the games he has played but constantly irritates with lack of effort going for 50/50s and the pestering of defenders. Would rather give ranger a shot and with Villa wanting doobs for him another reason to let go...

a player that faltters to decieve if you ask me. Looks like he is doing all the right stuff but ends up doing nothing that justifies him a place in the team. I wonder if Smith will be able to up his game to prm league standard when needed?

I would bet my bottom dollar that fat ash will cash in on him this january and probably jonas aswell. They are both high earners and could get him some wedge. I am still dubious about the times colo gets turned when he's close to his man, doesn't strike me as international class at all despite th fact he has been a million times better this season than last (are teams a million times worse in th wcdhgccdw?).

prefer a streaming tv feed if anyone knows

somebody PM me a feed???

If I could I would be there: I would be outside before the game making sure he knows what we think, at half time and afterwards. During the game 110% with the lads

42,244

...Holding the ball up when pressured, able to pass under pressure, as for opening doors; he needs an option to do this and it is very seldom the case when surrounded by youngsters and workhorses...

Positives: -excellent technique -can take on a defender and win -lots of pace -works hard and covers back -great awareness -reaches byline with ease Negatives: -crosses aren't great (doesn't get played on right wing much - right footed) -Huffy, doesn't like it when things don't go his way -Surrounded by a team that doesn't move and don't give him so many options to pass so he loses the ball quite a bit or has to take excessive risks ADDS SIGNIFICANTLY MORE TO THE TEAM THAN IS GIVEN CREDIT FOR**HE IS THE ONLY PLAYER IN OUR SQUAD CAPABLE OF "BUMMING IN THE FACE" OPPOSITION DEFENCES**

For all the anti-Keegan mob out there: Long walk, short pier!!

Unbeleivable, really is. What a bunch of clowns we have running the club...

PLEASE READ THE FULL PDF, THE JUDGES COMMENT QUITE FREQUENTLY THE CLEAR LACK OF CLARITY IN DECEISIONS AND THE "CONFUSION" BETWEEN STAFF AND THEIR OWN MODEL OF BUSINESS CONDUCT... WHAT A SET OF CLOWNS. WELL DONE KEV!!

Can anyone tell me the Keane and Ashley chants that were sung, I was listening to a stream on internet and could hear "noise" but not the words... frustrating as the game was sown up from the start. One point; Enrique is the stand out performer at the moment, his bad passes normally result from a lack of options being given to him from his teammates!!!

I think we will see this team: --------------Harps------------- RTaylor---Taylor---Colo---Enrique Jonas----Smith---Barton---Duff ---------Nolan----Carrol/ameobi?

Still very jittery and panicky, don't think he has played great and has been cuaght on the turn and for pace three times blatantly... Bringon Kadar!!

Jonas was looking for someone to pass to and got frustrated that's all... Duff has agin flattered to deceive. Ryan taylor is getting bummed in the face quite regurlarly. Ameobi needs shot as always and I am being pleasantly surprised by carrol!! P.S. Goal was scrappy and typical bad luck of ours... we should shat on this lot TBH

Anyone have the line up...it is an hour before game??

anybody read what George has to say, he is normally spot on (imho).. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/newcastle/article6741322.ece

1) How much money would you need to have in the bank before you were willing to buy the club in the first place? (assume club can be purchased for £100m) I'd earmark 1 billion in the bank for some high class drugs, babetastic prostitutes, haute cuisine gluttonny and helicopter taxis. If there was any change, after my sycophant cronies (alan from EC included!) and I came back down to earth (get it?), it would be spent on over the hill superstars to get us back into the prem... 2) Who do you appoint as manager? To go with the high roller image it could only be Mourinho. 3) Do you take a hands on approach with the clubs operations, or do you appoint a chief executive? I'd find a new young and beautiful chief executive, and I would employ a hands on approach with her 4) Do you appoint a director of football? Robbie williams flown in from LA (knows how to large it) 5) How much money per season on transfers? 50 suitcases stuffed with 50 pound notes, and this is only the backhanders for willie mckay!!! 6) Who controls how transfer budget is spent? A small monkey called Gerald. 7) Do losses (excluding transfer fees) come out of the transfer budget or out of your wallet? MY Luis Vuitton wallet 8) What is your overall business plan? Lose money, win faith & ehm...11 players on pitch every saturday... 9) Would you ever intervene on any issue? Where do you draw the line on intervention? Violence, small arms in training? 10) Where do you sit on match days? My throne in the director's box 11) Would you maintain a high or low-profile? Depend whether I had my heels on or not 12) How do you respond to the press? In Swahili 13) How would you make future managerial decisions? Paper, scissors and rock with fergie or Moory 14) Would there be fan representation on the board? Hand picked mongs by david craig would override board decisions! 15) Anything else you'd do? Paint the stadium black and white, get some turkish bloke with a loadspeaker to whip the fans into a frenzy, get an NBA piano player to knock out the tension tune when the game's shiite and finally only employ smiling stewards with large breasts.

It won't sell if it is in reality 200m instead of 100m, or you would have to take a much larger risk than Ashley's if you did buy it for that amount. I hope he is ready to lose more than half his investment or we are down the tubes. I know, I'll get on the blower to that Harris bloke, he might know??

Could somebody please tell me whether the 100 million (Mike Ashley) loan will be written off or whether it will be added to the sales price i.e. 100m + 100m = actual price of club 200m... Has this been specified anywhere???

The team has performed on those levels all season, not surprised really but a bit of a sickening feeling now that it is a reality... Championship for a year...