BillyShears said:
If I were on 70k per week - but the downside were that pissed up people would shout abuse at me about my family - I'd take it in a heartbeat.
Barton's biggest problem has always been his ego is far far bigger than his talent.
Reminds me of an old saying;
"His ego writes cheques that his talent can't cash."
And as for the suggestion that the bloke Barton battered wen't looking for it; quite possibly that's the case. However, why did he go up to Barton? Anything to do with the fact that Barton has a certain reputation? And how did he (Barton) earn that reputation? By doing lots of work for "charidee" or helping little old ladies across the road? I don't think so. Although he's a scouser, he should have enough up top to know to avoid putting himself in potential flashpoint situations. He was out late at night in the centre of Dipperpool, where he was well known, and not just for his footballing "abilities". Given that he attracts trouble like shit attracts flies, that was always going to be a potential problem. Add to this the fact that, in his own words, he was paralytic; well; you didn't have to be a rocket scientist to predict what might happen. The bloke is a grade 'A' idiot, who still expresses no remorse for what he's done. He deserves no sympathy from any City fan. Remember when his brother got sent down for murdering that black lad? How the club stood by him and arranged press conferences for him to talk to the media about the incident. Fair enough, he isn't responsible for his brother's actions, but would every club see it that way? He then repays the club by handing in a transfer request. And there's no point saying that that was the doing of the leech MacKay. Barton pays MacKay, therefore presumably MacKay was doing what Barton wanted.