Bigmouth Strikes Again

Life is never dull for Joey Barton.

Made to train on his own and docked two weeks wages by Newcastle United, the saga surrounding the Scouser's situation has more chapters added to it by the day or, in this case, by the tweet.

Barton's Twitter account is at the root of the problems. Since he joined the social networking site earlier in the year, widespread attention has come from the media and fans alike; his follower count is well over 200,000.

The 28 year-old is well-known for tweeting inspirational quotations from the likes of George Orwell, as if to suggest that he is the man to deliver honesty and justice in the midst of Mike Ashley's deceitful reign as owner.

Lyrics from one of his favourite bands, The Smiths, often appear on Barton's timeline. Indeed, his 'About Me' section quotes the 1984 hit 'Still Ill': "I decree today that life is simply taking and not giving. England is mine and it owes me a living".

The quotations are something which have surprised many. Barton is still seen as a common thug despite claims that he has cleaned up his act, yet his ability to quote Orwell, Aristotle and Morrissey elevates him above the mindless neanderthals of the world and shows that, beneath the surface, a human being is lurking.

The use of Twitter has been good for Barton in some respects but misguided in others. The account has been used to clear up issues from the past that have blighted Barton's career and left many with a negative opinion of a quality footballer. He admits to being a "complete bellend" in years gone by but claims to have grown and changed considerably as a man since the occurrence of such incidents.

He has taken exception to "shoddy journalism" from certain tabloid newspapers who deem regurgitating Barton's tweets in the next day's newspaper to be an acceptable form of journalism. Said journalists have been unaffectionately labelled as "helmets".

More recently, Twitter has been used as a platform upon which Barton has suggested that there is widespread discontent within the dressing room with regards to the way the football club is being run and that a relegation battle is a realistic possibility.

He has also said that comments from full-back José Enrique about the club would merely be "the tip of the iceberg" if the players were allowed to speak their minds.

This claim has been rebuffed with accusations made against Barton, hinting that he is a disruptive dressing-room influence having ranted at the team and management following the 3-2 friendly defeat at Leeds last weekend, accusing manager Alan Pardew of being a puppet of the Ashley regime. He is, therefore, seen as a major part of the problem and not the solution.

However, Barton may have a point: Kevin Nolan, the top scorer from last season, has already left for a paltry fee of £3m and Barton is set to be the next one out of the door after being told he can leave on a free transfer. Enrique could also leave the Magpies with Liverpool a possible destination.

Only a small amount of the £35m received from the sale of Andy Carroll to Liverpool has been reinvested into the squad with Yohan Cabaye (£4.3m) the lone player to arrive for a fee since Carroll left. Demba Ba and Sylvain Marveaux (both free) are the only other additions during the current transfer window.

A large section of the Newcastle fans have sided with Barton, citing that a lack of ambition is painstakingly obvious for all to see and that the best thing for the club at the moment would be for the owner, Mike Ashley, to leave.

Following the latest public display of petulance from Barton, he has been fined two weeks wages by Ashley; a punishment he fully intends to appeal as revealed, you guessed it, on Twitter.

As refreshing as Barton's honesty is, his actions over the last few days are doing his chances of a move away from St James' Park more harm than good.

Whilst his quality on the field remains undeniable - he's been called every profanity under the sun during his career but never a bad footballer - his daily sermon of online revelations will give managers plenty of food for thought before deciding whether or not the risk of signing him is one worth taking.

Based on ability, at least half of the clubs in the Premier League should offer Barton a deal - there are reports that a top four club heads the list of those who have shown an interest since he was transfer listed - but his off-field actions will always be held against him.

Perhaps a sabbatical from Twitter would do Barton the world of good. It would provide a chance to stay out of the spotlight and focus upon his career but, then again, a man with an opinion will always have his voice heard one way or another.