Joey Barton

[Papa Lazaru 0]

Has taken him a good few games to get up to speed after his injury lay offs in the past, nowt unique in that, but I'm not counting on him being much of a contributor in the remaining fixtures.

 

That is my worry, even though i'd risk it just to get Nolan out the team, its true that Barton in the past has taken a while to get back to match fitness. Althouh was it Villa this season when he returned from injury or suspension i can't remember and he looked pretty good straight away?

 

all true, but Big Al himself says he has upped the tempo and duration of training, that to me signifies that training before hand was abit of a joke and and explains the shocking lack of fitness displayed by some of our players, hopefully they can get some of the injured players back onto the training pitch and get them fit

 

i'd take a barton able to run around than the current midfield options we have

 

I think Shearer is trying (and hopefully will succede) in doing exactly what Sir Bobby did when he came in and inherited a complete mess. He got the team by the scruff of the neck and turned them from a bunch of individuals into a genuine team, with good spirit, morale and togetherness by doing things like making them eat together etc. And also getting the training and organisation up to a level that is required for premiership football which clearly we haven't had this season.

 

Also like SBR he's understands this club, its fans and the city as a whole and we know he'll be giving it everything to keep us up and hopefully beyond!

[Sir Bob Almighty! 0]

I personally think its worth chucking him in if hes fit in time, but i would have all three of them in midfield, none of this Damien Duff shite.

 

Personally my full team including our best three CM's would be:

 

Harper

 

Beye Saylor Bassong Enrique

 

Guthrie Barton Butt Jonas

 

Owen Carroll

 

Guthrie on the right wing because IMO he can cross the ball better than anyone in our team and is probably quicker than anyone else bar Martins and Jonas, Barton would have a free role in midfield in which he could slip some balls through to the attackers and also help out when we are being pinned back. Nicky Butt would sit in the holding role and tidy up really, Nolan could do this but I'm really not confident of Nolan at the moment he doesnt seem the player he once was.

 

As much as a threat Martins is when hes fit i dont like the idea of having two small strikers in a 4-4-2 system, it has to be one little one large if you ask me, or two larges.

 

I wouldnt play 4-3-3 because i dont think our midfield could handle it.

[Big Onion 0]

Dowie: “Everything is fine with him and his recovery is on schedule as far as we’re all concerned. He desperately wants to get back playing again and we are all looking at the Portsmouth game at the moment for him to do that. If that comes round a little too soon for him, then it will be the game after that. We’ll have to see how he goes over the next week or so, but he is very determined, as you would imagine. That’s the sort of character he is and hopefully he can play some part in that game.”

 

Five games max, more likely four and maybe half an hour off the bench v Portsmouth. Even if it only takes him a couple of games to get match sharp, it leaves very little time for Barton to have much of an impact.

[sandman02uk 0]

Dowie: “Everything is fine with him and his recovery is on schedule as far as we’re all concerned. He desperately wants to get back playing again and we are all looking at the Portsmouth game at the moment for him to do that. If that comes round a little too soon for him, then it will be the game after that. We’ll have to see how he goes over the next week or so, but he is very determined, as you would imagine. That’s the sort of character he is and hopefully he can play some part in that game.”

 

Five games max, more likely four and maybe half an hour off the bench v Portsmouth. Even if it only takes him a couple of games to get match sharp, it leaves very little time for Barton to have much of an impact.

 

true but it only needs someone getting forward with a football brain to slide balls through to owen and martins

 

thats something we don't have atm

[Billy Whitehurst 869]

Dowie: “Everything is fine with him and his recovery is on schedule as far as we’re all concerned. He desperately wants to get back playing again and we are all looking at the Portsmouth game at the moment for him to do that. If that comes round a little too soon for him, then it will be the game after that. We’ll have to see how he goes over the next week or so, but he is very determined, as you would imagine. That’s the sort of character he is and hopefully he can play some part in that game.”

 

Five games max, more likely four and maybe half an hour off the bench v Portsmouth. Even if it only takes him a couple of games to get match sharp, it leaves very little time for Barton to have much of an impact.

 

true but it only needs someone getting forward with a football brain to slide balls through to owen and martins

 

thats something we don't have atm

 

If we are going to persist with three in the middle then I'd be inclined to stick Jonas in there. I thought he made a big difference when he came on at the weekend. Not sure he could play in a midfield two though as he needs licence to roam a little.