This is all getting ludicrously out of hand. It is ridiculous that a vicious thug who stubs cigarettes out on the face of a young colleague, perpetrates a murderous assault on a team mate, assaults a member of the public in an unprovoked and mindless attack, elbows Tevez in the face, attacks Sergio from behind and then tries to headbutt Vinnie should now be treated as some moral guardian and protector of the rights of professional footballers. Barton is in the same position as everyone else apart from Joe and Pep - they don't know what they're talking about. Joe has commendably said nothing and Pep has explained his decision in footballing terms. Not long ago everyone was after Joe - he was rubbish in the euros, he and Raheem were double handedly responsible for England's demise and he should be kicked out of the England team. Now he's a City icon and a national treasure, City are disgusting and Guardiola is a foreign megalomaniac. Thanks, Barton, but shut up. Joe is actually a City icon, we all feel for him, but Pep has a job to do and at the moment Joe doesn't fit the bill. That's what life can be like in a competitive, professional sport.
