Barton Moves to QPR

Joey Barton transferred out of Newcastle. Barton let go on a free transfer. Those were some of the headlines that made last week an interesting one if you support Newcastle United or if you are a Barton fan in general. Now did we think Joey would be leaving the Toon after all the “support” he gave the club and fans? I for one didn’t, but as soon as he began to tweet I knew his time was limited. Why? You don’t speak out against the club you work for on Twitter and expect to make it out alive. Leaving was something I didn’t see coming though. Being fined, yes, but leaving no. Joey told the public in so many words that he would be seeing out the rest of his contract and go from there. As soon as someone says that you know its over.

Now, when it comes to footballers we know that they don’t always mean what they say. Now Joey, could have chosen not to speak out about the club on Twitter, but he didn’t. He isn’t the first person to fall victim to Twitter and won’t be the last. I believe that if Joey wouldn’t have spoken out against the club he probably wouldn’t have been put on the transfer list. Joey had a chance to re-work his contract months ago and for whatever reason it didn’t work out. Now was it his fault, his agents, or the clubs fault it didn’t work? Who really knows. Though it was probably all of them. Unfortunately money talks and Joey isn’t as stupid as some people believe him to be. Ronaldo signed a major deal with Man Utd only to leave a year later and after saying he would never leave (even though he had already agreed to move to Real Madrid when he signed the contract at Man Utd, showing little respect for fans and a club that stood by him after WC06. He’s won little since his move as well. Haha, Ronnie!). Footballers are fickle.

Now I don’t think Joey should have left, but I am sure he came to the realization that combined with his past (he won’t escape it and I believe he knows that) and his recent outburst on Twitter he was left with no choice but to leave a club that chose to stick by him when they could have showed him the door a lot sooner. He might have thought they would keep him no matter what because he had played such an important role in their campaigns over the past few years. Deep down he knows that a “top 4” club will probably never come calling simply because he is Joey Barton and they don’t want the extra baggage that he “could” possibly bring. He had to take what he could get and that was a Championship rated team that might spend a year or two in the EPL.

Footballers go where the money is. They are not like the rest of us who work minimum wage and barely get by, drive cars that are years old, and if they are lucky have enough money to go to games. They drive nice cars, wear great clothes, and go on holidays to exotic places. For some of us a holiday is a trip to a game. You can say you love “your club” all you want, but in reality when the cash comes calling and you are given that opportunity to go you will more than likely take it. Is it disappointing and heartbreaking? Why, yes it is. Did Joey look happy about it? Um, no he didn’t. But, what he has to realize now is that he made his bed and he will have to lay in it in London and not Newcastle. His life is full of coulda, shoulda, and woulda moments, but they are just that moments in a career that is filled with great ones and some that are not so great.

As a Barton fan I will continue to follow him while he places for QPR, but always wonder what could have been if he would have stayed with Newcastle. I am sure I am not the only one who will wonder in the months to come either, but I can’t do anything about it now and neither can Joey.

The Dreaded Transfer Window - Jan 2011

Everyone knows that when January comes around the transfer market of the English Premier League opens again for 31 days. It is a time when teams make a grab for players who will strengthen their squad and help the win trophies. For players it is a time to strengthen their game, get their dream move, or leave a place they are unhappy. Ok, most of that is a lot of crap. It is about money and money only.

Fans love it when players state their love for the club, say that they want to spend many years their, and want to end their career as one of them. Cristiano Ronaldo professed his love for Man Utd and even signed a new contract only to leave a few months later. He had gone on Sky Sports to interview "himself" and say he wanted to stay. But what most of the general public knew was that a deal with Satan United aka Real Madrid had already been in the works. He knew he was leaving and mislead the fans when he did that interview. Fans mean little to this man though Twitter would make you think otherwise, but what can you expect from someone who spends more time with his supermodel girlfriend than with his son.

Now what does this all have to do with Joey Barton. Well Joey Barton has stated he would be willing to take a pay cut, A BLOODY PAY CUT to stay with Newcastle. Andy Carroll on the other hand, like Ronaldo, professed his love for his team, signed a new deal, and left anyways. He said he didn't want to leave. Well, here is a bright idea -- DON'T LEAVE THEN!! If you don't sign, you don't go. By even bringing up the fact that he would take a pay cut puts Joey Barton heads above other footballers these days.

Loyalty to your club, the club that pays your wages, allows you to live your lifestyle, sells your kits, and makes you who you are doesn't exist anymore. There are rare players like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes who have played more years with the same club than half of the players out there today. They play because they LOVE to play.

To leave your club after professing your love is nothing more than a slap in the face to every fan. You say it isn't about money, but your fans aren't stupid. Don't bother saying how much you "love" the club, because if you did you wouldn't have left. It is not as complicated as you make it out to be. You just come up with excuses to make yourself feel better and convince yourself that leaving was the right thing to do.

In the end the choice whether to stay or go is with the player, himself. You hope that they have mean what they say and that they will make you proud by wearing their shirt. In today's world, unfortuately, that happens less and less. Now, what does that say about the people we look up to and admire as players? Not much.

Now if more players would be willing to take a pay cut maybe we wouldn't be seeing Chrome Merc's lined up on the street and reading more stories about which callgirl slept with a which big named player. Instead we would hear about players that take stock in the club that makes them who they are and makes fans proud to wear their shirt.

*These are my two cents on the Transfer Window of January 2011. And yes, the blog is back after a year or more off.

Barton ready to show United fans best forms

JOEY BARTON is hoping to celebrate committing his future to Newcastle United by seeing off Fulham on Wednesday night.

The Chronicle revealed last Monday that Barton was prepared to finish his career with the Magpies and, after agreeing a long-term deal with United, he is expected to enjoy his peak years on Tyneside with talk of a return to the England side now being touted within the game’s circuit.


Read More http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/newcastle-united/nufc-news/2011/01/31/barton-ready-to-show-united-fans-best-form-72703-28085008/#ixzz1CfQJhltr