Despite Harry Redknapp’s introduction, QPR extended their winless run to a record breaking 16 games at Wigan Athletic on Sunday.
So what is going wrong at the club? They have money; they haven’t sold or lost key players from last season. Apart from one. Bad tempered, ex-Captain Joey Barton. Could his absence be the reason behind their horrendous start to this season?
Out on loan at French club Marseille, Barton is said to be open to a permanent move to the French giants if QPR are relegated (Source: BBC). Twitterholic Barton left the London club under a cloud at the start of this year’s campaign after he was given a 12 match ban for his red card and antics on the last day of last season at the Etihad.
Mark Hughes, manager of QPR at the time, stripped the captaincy from Barton with many thinking his career at the club was over. However, with Harry at the helm now that could certainly change. The no nonsense midfielder is certainly the kind of player that Redknapp likes to have in his midfield. Scott Parker for example at Tottenham, played a big part in Harry’s success at the club, so if Barton were to come back Harry would certainly look into the possibility of bringing him back into the team.
Harry would be silly not to at least think about it. Barton himself will admit that he isn’t the most technically gifted of players, and doesn’t contribute on a regular basis to the score sheet scoring just three goals in 27 games last season but what he does do is he makes a team tick. The scouser dictates play and breaks up opposing attacks with his rugged tackles. This is the kind of player Harry’s new team are lacking, at the moment they start with Derry and Diakite, they both do a job to a certain extent but not as effectively as Barton can do.
There is no doubt that smug Barton will be sat at home in his French maison thinking to himself “They need me.” Anyone would in his position, the team have failed to muster a win in 16 games and sit rock bottom of the league table on seven points. Despite his antics on and off the pitch, there was something about Barton at QPR that seemed to click. Although he had only been at the club that one season, he was made captain and the fans loved him. The move back would be a controversial one but I’m sure most fans would welcome him back now; they need all the help they can get in order to avoid relegation.
Barton is on loan at Marseille until the end of the season but with his match ban in England effectively served, if the 30 year old was to come back across the channel then he would be able to play again in the Premier League. Although I doubt he will be receiving any form of hero’s welcome from opposing teams and officials.
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no no no or should that be non. Barton was terrible for QPR last season. He flattered to deceive. Ask most QPR fans if they want him back and they will say no, even if the club are picking up his hefty wages for no return. The club is better off without his influence around the place. To say he dictates the play is laughable, most of the time it passes him by. He does not break up the opposition play, he does not get forward, in fact all he seemed to do last season was demand taking every set piece which was invariably poorly taken. Derry and Diakete although not household names are better players with better attitudes than Barton. As a club without a win after 16 games QPR need footballers 100% committed to the cause, Barton showed last season that he is not up to it.
Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…………..NO!
Not fit to wear the shirt.
Ross Gregory, whatever you’ve been smoking — not Monsieur Bartonggg — is what QPR needs at the moment. You know, you just cannot make up idiotic stuff and put it online and pretend people will believe anything in print. I’m calling you out as an out and out troll. Hack-writer is too good for you. A troll is what you are. Even Emma Booth gets it right once in a blue moon, but you are MERIT-FREE. I recommend a groping session with your hetero hero.
— we have spoken