If Barton was squaring up to Shearer then it's blatant insubordination. If it was about to turn violent then it was most likely because Barton won't be forcibly told when he's wrong. His ego is too big for a player. And he's got nothing to be egoistic about.

The tackle didn't need to happen. Joey Barton didn't need to tackle the player the way he did but, having said that, it wasn't a red card offence but a yellow. The referee sent Joey Barton off partly because of reputation and partly because the tackle looked a lot worse than it actually was from a distance. The fact the media has jumped all over him just sums up how his reputation precedes him. There was a bust-up with Shearer, fair enough that can be sorted out and should have been kept in house. It's been splashed across the newspapers ever since. Do players have arguments with managers? Is the Pope catholic? Should it result in a player being canned by the team he plays for? Only if something more happens than just an argument and there is no evidence of that here. Is Joey Barton being victimised, because of his prior behaviour, by the press? Absolutely. Does that tackle have anything to do with Joey Barton's record of violence? Not at all and it shouldn't come in to it. It seems like Joey Barton has assaulted someone when all he has done is a rash challenge in a game where Newcastle were losing badly. If the person making that challenge was, for example, Michael Owen would the reaction be anywhere near as vitriolic and extreme? I don't think so.

Reputation and history is not an indication of how a person will behave in the future.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSBBjINSWyc

Here

Barton a big hit with the Newcastle fans who are dreading Allardyce bidding for him because it would make Sam so popular at Ewood.

Or perhaps I completely misread this NUFC web site.

You have to wonder where they get their ideas from. 'The fans haven't taken to Big Sam...'? Seems to me most have!

That busted flush is a very young squad full of talent. Give them a couple of years. Something tells me Wenger knows what he wants to achieve and is planning for the long term.

I can't make my mind up about signing Barton. Yes, he is a liability and has proven to be so at Newcastle but I wonder how much of it is frustration and annoyance at finding himself at a club where no-one wants to take responsibility for the situation they are in and actually work hard to get out of it. He strikes me as a dangerous character who could snap at a moments notice. We had a defender here like that recently, one Andy Todd. And yes I am comparing him to Barton. Todd got thrown out of a few clubs because of his behaviour and got red-carded here pretty often. Kicking Dugarry up the backside might be comical now but consider why he did it then, watching the video it was because of a poor challenge on him seconds earlier and Dugarry just happened to be the closest target. Todd snapped. He was a liability but one that Souness got the best out of. Can Big Sam do the same with Barton? Who knows? Is he worth the chance? That remains to be seen. If he signed, would any of you be prepared to give him a reasonable chance? Would I?

Finally, would I want to meet him on the street? Probably. Would I go to a pub where he was having a few? Not on your nelly.

Maybe it's time to put a lot of things to rest...

1) No Theno didn't go and play golf and forget about Rovers.

2) Yes, everyone who said Ince would be crap was right. Move on.

3) If you supported Ince at the time of his appointment, then good on you, but now is the time to accept that, in the end, he deserved to go.

4) You may not like Sam, but he is the manager of our team. Don't support Sam if you don't like him, but support Rovers. Some people will stop watching Rovers because of who the manager is. I don't agree with it, you might not agree with it, but it's their decision!

It's just endless, going over the same comments.

Agreed.

I read what you are saying Waggy. I was with you when we greeted Paul Ince and spoke of our hopes following his appointment as Manager.

...

I hope you will reconsider your position and join us as we support our new Manager and enjoy the ride ahead.

Spot on and well said.

We've seen long ball after long ball with no result, so if Sam can get someone on the end of them for a change, fair play to him. It's so long since we had a win, I'm not sure I can remember how to celebrate

I won't forget!

Im in total aggreement Waggy. Rovers have sold themselves to the devil in exchange for 17th place. Incredibly sad times, Id rather we'd have gone down and rebuilt like we did last time, then 3 years of scrapping the barrell football in the bottom 1/3rd of the league

I'll remember this post. '3 years of scraping the barrel football in the bottom 1/3rd of the league' We shall see!

Should have signed Arteta when we had the chance.

I wish we had signed him too.

Absolutely, condolences to Benni and his family.

I thought 'roasting' only came into being since the Prem started?

I'd have thought you'd have known that for certain Gordon. You seem to know everything else...

The drummer was sat in the riverside towards the Darwen end on saturday, obviously hes been run out of the Blackburn end disappointed for the lad because he obviously tried to generate an atmosphere but was hounded down, Sad, his heart was in the right place.

Have you actually read the article???

Bill wouldn't have retired (and neither would Martin) if it weren't for the impact drumming has on the joints and tendons. I wish him all the best and will shake his hand again when I next see him.

http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport...for_your_place/

Best thing Ince could possibly say

RIP Jack, that Crewe away day was the saddest day of this Rovers supporter.

I try sometimes but then I start laughing again. Massive club my arse!

I'll be honest so do I... Massive little club...

Apologies if this has already been discussed:

Barton charged by FA.

You have to feel slightly sorry for Newcastle but surely they knew what they were getting when they signed him. He was under investigation for the assault he was convicted of when they signed him and the FA were bound to take action at some point as they've done exactly that before with other players. Don't sign a player with a court case pending against him which involved a former teammate at the training ground I would say...

I don't care where he plays or where he was going to when he left. I'm not het up about him either but I do think he should have kept his mouth firmly shut. None of this Lucas hating would have happened otherwise.

Lucas Neill would have been a lot wiser keeping his mouth shut rather than spouting rubbish about childhood supported clubs and going to a bigger team. I think the one thing that has annoyed more fans is the utter lack of respect he has shown for Blackburn Rovers in his comments. Why does he get booed? Because he's a greedy git? That possibly has something to do with it but did Bellamy get booed when he came back? Bellamy didn't spout in the press whereas Lucas did. Incidentally, I haven't booed him as I don't see the point and it's a waste of energy. He was an excellent player for one season and a decent player before that but not a world beater. What really makes me laugh is Lucas saying that Rovers fan are ungrateful, I don't think he quite understands football somehow. Why should we be grateful to Lucas Neill for playing for us for a few years and then leaving on a free for a bigger pay packet? I pay to watch Rovers, I don't get to see them for free. Quite simply, Lucas should have kept his mouth firmly shut. What he has shown is that he has an over-inflated sense of his own importance.