As if Neil Warnock's headache at newly promoted Queens Park Rangers wasn't bad enough, Joey Barton's proposed signing from Newcastle United is about to crank up the need for painkillers in West London.
Even without assaults on taxi drivers, Christmas revellers, team mates and 15-year-olds, it's an understatement to say Barton, who served 77 days in prison in 2008, is a bit of a handful. The start of the 2011/12 season is proof enough. In just two games, transfer-listed Barton got Arsenal's Gervinho sent off on the player's debut and got booked against Sunderland with a goal disallowed.
Headlines follow the talented 28-year-old midfielder, which has seen him unfortunately surplus to requirements at both Manchester City and Newcastle United, with just one England cap to show for the one time cigar-stubbing City young player of the year 2003/04.
For a player of his calibre to be consigned to the reject-bin likes of QPR, mimics Craig Bellamy's similar career descent to Cardiff and it's a worrying trend in English football that firstly players are not given enough help to battle their demons and secondly those from a dying breed who speak out for the betterment of the game are so ostracised. Quite simply this transfer shouldn't be happening.
Staying true to his beliefs, Barton is a voice of the terraces, an embodiment of the true fan saddened by the way the game has gone and angered by the frauds who hold a monopoly over it.
While QPR is below Barton's level, Warnock could well be his match in a way Stuart Pearce and Alan Pardew failed but Kevin Keegan succeeded. The move could be good but you have to ask why the so-called bigger clubs haven't been able to hold on to the livewires who have so traditionally electrified our sport.
