Joey Barton

[Sifu]

Baffled by the hero worship and tears shed for someone not fit to lace the boots of a lot of midfielders I've seen play for us in the last 10 or so years.

 

Maybe if Viana smacked a few people, he'd be a legend.

 

It's about where we're at right now, and we're far weaker if/when he leaves.

 

I concur.

[Si]

Losing our best right-mid on a free to f***ing QPR has got to be a low point in the clubs history like. Ashley realy is such a diabolical human being.

 

Losing the biggest trouble maker in NUFC history at the same time.

 

 

 

Howay man we've had plenty worse. Bellamy was one of the biggest wind up merchants going in his time with us, just didn't have twitter to slag Shearer off when he was with us.

[Hanshithispantz]

If we had kept Carroll, Enrique and Barton we'd be a CB and a RB from having a great squad. It's fucking depressing to watch the squad get ripped apart with no real intent of ever fixing, and more importantly, improving the damage.

 

You don't have to be a genius to see why people are pissed off about this like.

[AlanSkÃrare]

Mike and Derek are really doing all they can to make me fall out of love here. Everything and everyone I like is booted out or leaving in some way. It's not any shock what has happend today. But losing Hughton (Calderwood/Barron), Carroll, Nolan, Enrique and Barton within the space of nine months - it's not easy.

[Cheshire Mag]

Howay man, the club couldn't have made him feel more marginalised and unwanted.  Except they could have made him continue to train with the kids over the last couple of weeks.  But they didn't because we needed him as he's a good player.  That's the point here, that we're not treating our best players with any class or respect.  It'll happen to Tiote, Collocini and Ben Arfa one day and there'll still be an element of 'greedy Judas c***' about it, and the cycle continues but we stand still, or worse go backwards.

 

This no-nonsense, non-negotiable, classless bullshit might work fine with minimum wage workers with no option but to shut up and accept it, but you need a more flexible approach with valued professional footballers and also other football clubs who want to hang on to their assets or at least get a decent fee for them.  If Obertan's meant to be Barton's replacement then it's a f***ing joke.

 

Yet mike Ashley paid out a record amount in bonuses to his staff at sports direct, an average £44k for a full time worker in one of the worst periods retail has ever gone through in this country.

 

That £44k bonus figure is misleading.

 

The details I'd found are:

 

The bonus is in two stages. The first bonus is 25% of base pay in shares of £1 per share. The first bonus target was underlying EBITDA of £155m in 2009-10 and was achieved in that Year. The first bonus will vest in 2012.

 

The second bonus is 75% of base pay in shares of £1.25 per share. The second stage of the bonus was conditional upon the first bonus target being met in 2009-10, attaining underlying EBITDA of £195 million in 2010-2011, and underlying EBITDA /Net Debt ratio of two or less at the end of 2010-11. All these targets were achieved in the Year.

 

The average salary at Sports Direct is £20,000.

 

So I might be wrong here but by my calculations the average bonus will be about £24,000 in shares over a period of 2 years. Which is a very tidy sum but nowhere near what was quoted in the press.

 

 

 

The post office did something like this afew years back and now the shares have matured, they are worth nothing

[Si]

Howay man, the club couldn't have made him feel more marginalised and unwanted.  Except they could have made him continue to train with the kids over the last couple of weeks.  But they didn't because we needed him as he's a good player.  That's the point here, that we're not treating our best players with any class or respect.  It'll happen to Tiote, Collocini and Ben Arfa one day and there'll still be an element of 'greedy Judas c***' about it, and the cycle continues but we stand still, or worse go backwards.

 

This no-nonsense, non-negotiable, classless bullshit might work fine with minimum wage workers with no option but to shut up and accept it, but you need a more flexible approach with valued professional footballers and also other football clubs who want to hang on to their assets or at least get a decent fee for them.  If Obertan's meant to be Barton's replacement then it's a f***ing joke.

 

Yet mike Ashley paid out a record amount in bonuses to his staff at sports direct, an average £44k for a full time worker in one of the worst periods retail has ever gone through in this country.

 

That £44k bonus figure is misleading.

 

The details I'd found are:

 

The bonus is in two stages. The first bonus is 25% of base pay in shares of £1 per share. The first bonus target was underlying EBITDA of £155m in 2009-10 and was achieved in that Year. The first bonus will vest in 2012.

 

The second bonus is 75% of base pay in shares of £1.25 per share. The second stage of the bonus was conditional upon the first bonus target being met in 2009-10, attaining underlying EBITDA of £195 million in 2010-2011, and underlying EBITDA /Net Debt ratio of two or less at the end of 2010-11. All these targets were achieved in the Year.

 

The average salary at Sports Direct is £20,000.

 

So I might be wrong here but by my calculations the average bonus will be about £24,000 in shares over a period of 2 years. Which is a very tidy sum but nowhere near what was quoted in the press.

 

 

 

The post office did something like this afew years back and now the shares have matured, they are worth nothing

 

And when you say average that's the bloke that's getting two mill and the bloke that's getting 50p combined.

[S.S.R.]

I'm not Mike's biggest fan, but I get the impression a lot of people will criticise the decisions they make whatever they do.

[Ketsbaia]

Joey's character overshadows his playing ability. Whilst good for most of last season, I'm not convinced he'd have been that good this time. We already have a better set piece taker and I see Colo, Tiote, HBA, Cabaye and Jonas as more vital players for us. But I am gutted and what hurts is that I thought we'd seen the worst and a compromise had been reached....then fucking QPR come along. QPR!!! As much as I love the guy, he had the option to stay and stick it out but chose not to. Thought he'd be the one footballer to stand up to the owners, but I guess he's just like the rest. Replace him and we'll cope, although giving him away for free is beyond moronic.

 

Everytime something almost-decent happens to this club, total idiocy always lurks around the corner. At least the press conference will be interesting.

[OzzieMandias]

Security? If he cannot make the multiple millions he's already made last his lifetime then he is a bigger mug than I ever thought possible.

 

 

 

This. It's hard to weep for the uncertain financial future of poor racehorse-owning Joey Barton. I'm extremely good at what I do and get a reasonable wedge for doing it, but it would take me decades to earn what Joey has trousered from just one season at NUFC.

[GM]

I'd genuinely love to come from whatever planet on which this is considered a good move by the club. Another vocal leader, and driving force behind our resurgence being shown the door. Fucking unreal.

 

I think the bit in bold is just about the only level on which I'm bothered about his departure. Where's our much needed nasty streak going to come from without Barton?

[midds]

I'm not Mike's biggest fan, but I get the impression a lot of people will criticise the decisions they make whatever they do.

 

In this instance I'm annoyed about the lack of compromise in the deal. We've got a good player on a good wage (willing to take a pay cut by all accounts) who wants to stay and the club still can't thrash a deal out which suits both parties. I'm not expecting the club to offer him £55k a week for 5 years because that would be lunacy but the contract petulantly being withdrawn and throwing him on the transfer list for nothing has meant the club has lost out again.

[Hanshithispantz]

I'm not Mike's biggest fan, but I get the impression a lot of people will criticise the decisions they make whatever they do.

If he buys a player that improves the side, i'd applaud him. If he gives a first team player away for nothing, i'll call him a cunt.

[Guest bimpy474]

I'm not Mike's biggest fan, but I get the impression a lot of people will criticise the decisions they make whatever they do.

 

This is true but tbf he has brought that all on himself, as Super Dave Osborne used to say "Mike your a putz"

[Guest thenorthumbrian]

Security? If he cannot make the multiple millions he's already made last his lifetime then he is a bigger mug than I ever thought possible.

 

 

 

This. It's hard to weep for the uncertain financial future of poor racehorse-owning Joey Barton. I'm extremely good at what I do and get a reasonable wedge for doing it, but it would take me decades to earn what Joey has trousered from just one season at NUFC.

 

Yes but the going rate for a footballer is a lot more than people get for what society would deen more important jobs whether it is a bricklayer, a nurse, or your avarage office worker or factory line worker at Nissan.

Footballers at the top level get ridiculous wages but only in comparison to most of the population.

Rightly or wrongly the pay is onlty realistically compared with what other premiership clubs' players are earning.

[GM]

Maybe it isn't some evil machination and quite simply that Ashley and co don't value him as much Barton values himself.

 

Seems that way to me too.

[PineBarrens]

I'm not Mike's biggest fan, but I get the impression a lot of people will criticise the decisions they make whatever they do.

 

In this instance I'm annoyed about the lack of compromise in the deal. We've got a good player on a good wage (willing to take a pay cut by all accounts) who wants to stay and the club still can't thrash a deal out which suits both parties. I'm not expecting the club to offer him £55k a week for 5 years because that would be lunacy but the contract petulantly being withdrawn and throwing him on the transfer list for nothing has meant the club has lost out again.

 

I've carefully considered the potential thought process behind a decision whereby you effectively allow one of your best players of last season to leave on a free and now arrive at the conclusion that Mike Ashley is a rotund, quixotic, weeping clunge of a fat, spazzy, blubbery bastard cry-baby.

[JH]

The main thing Barton brought to the team last year was set-pieces up until about February. We now have Cabaye who can do that job even better.

 

Him and Taarabt should be a hoot to watch mind.

 

Who do we have to replace him on the right hand side of midfield? Because Cabaye can't play there.

 

Raylor is now in left defence, Obertan hasn't looked that comfortable in RM and f*** knows where Marveaux is.

[Interpolic]

I'm not Mike's biggest fan, but I get the impression a lot of people will criticise the decisions they make whatever they do.

 

This is true but tbf he has brought that all on himself, as Super Dave Osborne used to say "Mike your a putz"

 

I don't think it is true.  If he buys a LB, CB, midfielder and striker next week and they strengthen our first team and squad then many including me will shut the fuck up and get on with the season.  People keep treating these things as isolated incidents which is completely mind-blowing - it's been bad decision after bad decision, with too few good ones and too much fucking around in the transfer market when we should have money in our pocket from all of the players we've sold.  The one consistent theme is a lack of ambition and doing things on the cheap above all else.

[Guest]

The main thing Barton brought to the team last year was set-pieces up until about February. We now have Cabaye who can do that job even better.

 

Him and Taarabt should be a hoot to watch mind.

 

Who do we have to replace him on the right hand side of midfield? Because Cabaye can't play there.

 

Raylor is now in left defence, Obertan hasn't looked that comfortable in RM and f*** knows where Marveaux is.

 

Gosling?

[Iwantcurlyhair2]

My biggest concern is the lack of an English core. When things are not going to plan Joey always came up with an answer even if it was not within the rules. The last 2 home games with Arsenal are a prime example. I dont see Cabaye, no matter how high I rate him, being to affect the opposition quite like Joey can. Both games could easily have been losses. Joey does a great job for us and long may it continue. To let him go for nothing is totally inept. Keep Joey here and start negotiating. Nothing to lose but 5 months wages. Its not as though hes not playing

[Cajun]

Shame to lose a very good player but as said earlier, his whinging about ambition now makes him look like a massive hypocrite. The 'footballer of the people" had done the very thing he slags off.

 

Enjoy the extra money Joey, at least this time next season you will get a proper crack at the championship

[Karjala]

Ashley proves yet again what a useless cunt he is. Would not be in the least bit suprise if another good player (Tiote/Krul/Colo) went this window too.

[Big Geordie]

The main thing Barton brought to the team last year was set-pieces up until about February. We now have Cabaye who can do that job even better.

 

Him and Taarabt should be a hoot to watch mind.

 

How can you say that when we have barely had enough time to judge Cabaye? It's a major ask for these new signings to hit the ground running when they come from a different country/league. Taking to it like to a duck to water (as Robert did) is very rare.

[Oakie Doke]

I'm going to miss the little rascal.

[SEMTEX]

I'm not Mike's biggest fan, but I get the impression a lot of people will criticise the decisions they make whatever they do.

 

This is true but tbf he has brought that all on himself, as Super Dave Osborne used to say "Mike your a putz"

 

I don't think it is true.  If he buys a LB, CB, midfielder and striker next week and they strengthen our first team and squad then many including me will shut the fuck up and get on with the season.  People keep treating these things as isolated incidents which is completely mind-blowing - it's been bad decision after bad decision, with too few good ones and too much fucking around in the transfer market when we should have money in our pocket from all of the players we've sold.  The one consistent theme is a lack of ambition and doing things on the cheap above all else.

 

Yup. It's an attempt to do business on the cheap, and if anyone says anything bad about the way NUFC is being run, they're shipped out. Especially if their wage is more than 2 farthings.