Will Barton's return lead to better football?

[TRon]

I know he was garbage earlier this season, but surely a midfield of Jonas, Smith, Barton and Guthrie should piss this league and we shouldn't be getting outplayed by anyone? If those four started would we really need to throw as many long balls into the strikers as we do now? Do we have the players to play 90 mins passing football or is Hughton right - we need to play long ball because it's worked so far?

 

 

[nobby_solano]

but what about kevin 'top scorer' nolan?

[Guest BooBoo]

In the absence of a striker with pace and movement it will be long ball stuff regardless of who's in midfield.

[ChezGiven]

Yes.

[Heron]

No. Bartons return will lead to more bookings and sendings off and a lack of stability in our line-up.

[Guest neesy111]

i've think he is the key, to unlock some decent football in our dreadful midfield, + it keeps nicky butt out of the team

[Dave]

Hopefully yes.

 

Probably not.

[maybe_next_year]

i've think he is the key, to unlock some decent football in our dreadful midfield, + it keeps nicky butt out of the team

 

 

i wouldnt be too sure about that, unfortunatly

[ToonTastic]

Nope

[stozo]

No it won't. The tactics will be the same and he won't fully match fit until the end of February at the earliest. Even then I think he will struggle to get in the team. Nolan/Smith is clearly, and rightly, the favoured central partnership. He'll be an imrovement on Butt but it's not going to lead to better football.

[David28]

I think and hope that we will once he returns play better football because he can pass the ball very well (Even in that amount of games he's played for us for me it's obvious that he's a good passer of the ball)

 

Personally I would play in midfield/attack:

 

Guthrie  Smith    Barton

 

              Nolan

 

      Ameobi    Carroll

 

Think its very much the same that we played under Keegan with Owen in Nolan's position, Geremi in Guthrie's and Butt in Smith's. So I think it could be a very good formation also for the premier league next season with two better centre forwards than Ameobi and Carroll are.

[BottledDog]

Stunned that we don't seem capable even in this league to do it so far, but fingers crossed for Barton. If he can somehow help this team to string 3 or more consecutive passes together consistantly, I'll be over the moon.

[Dr.Spaceman]

Wey ayeeeeeeeeee.  PMA.

[TRon]

Does anyone think that the fault lies more with Hughton than with the players at his disposal. Me and my brother are in a bit of a dispute about this so far. I reckon to a point the midfielders are too knackered, he reckons Hughton's wilfully making them look shit with his long ball crap. The truth is probably somewhere in between I suspect.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I hope we will play better football, but with the results we've been getting this season I reckon Hughton will be very reluctant to make any major changes to our style.

[Jayson]

Barton/Guthrie in centre mid sliding through balls for Beckford.

 

Would become a piece of piss.

[Guest icemanblue]

Barton will play on the right. There's absolutely no chance of Hughton breaking up the Smith-Nolan first choice pairing.

[Neil]

He'd probably help to improve your game in this league. So that's 4 months of use you'll get out of him, at least.

[Kimbo]

Another workhorse is hardly going to make us play better football.

[Ronaldo]

He'll probably end up on the right side of midfield. If we don't get Beckford I can see him being used alongside Smith with Nolan up front, especially away from home.

 

The main thing is, he'll surely be ahead of Butt in the pecking order which will most certainly lead to better football away from home. Better use and possession of the ball is something i think he'll bring.

[jdckelly]

a 4-5-1 with barton and smith in the middle with nolan off carroll or shola up front may be our most effective players we currently have and i certainly hope barton can help us improve our football but also to give nolan and smith a break now and then and rotate between barton smith and nolan with butt as emergency back up

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Another workhorse is hardly going to make us play better football.

 

He can be better than that though, he has the ability.

[junkhead]

fuck Joey Barton man.. he may come back as good as Steeeviee G for all I care.. I still wouldn't play him 1 minute. He has pocketed around 7 million from our club SO FAR.. for what? 20 games and two penalties.. well thanks verty much Joey, you pathetic scouse bastard

 

I hope some clueless wanker like Phil Brown or fat Sam takes him for free in the summer.

[Pilko]

but what about kevin 'top scorer' nolan?

 

Shove him up front with Shola, he's more effective than AC.

[Ronaldo]

but what about kevin 'top scorer' nolan?

 

Shove him up front with Shola, he's more effective than AC.

 

Aye. I think Nolan is more effective behind two strikers though. In an ideal world we'd play with Barton and Nolan in the middle and be positive at home. Away from home i'd always play Smith though.