Joey Barton

[Rudo]

As for the importance or not of stats...lets just say this...If Meireles hadn't got them 6 goals this season, i don't think his season would be classed as a success...nowhere near it.

[Craig_H]

I think Barton is a cretinous person but no doubting he is a talented footballer.

Barton's not a bad player, but he's not a patch on Meireles.

You wont agree with me. But if i'm honest, that only serves to convince me further

[danperkins]

Barton & Meireles are two completely different players IMO, makes it tough to compare.

[Craig_H]

Barton & Meireles are two completely different players IMO, makes it tough to compare.

That's a fair point. One thing's for sure, and that is that Barton's attitude and general cuntery makes him a non-starter. The fact that Newcastle, who are ****, are going to let him walk away for free, says everything.

[Alex]

People's judgement are clouded because it's Joey Barton the thug, not Joey Barton the footballer.

Don't get me wrong i despise the cunt and think he's a very lucky boy to still be a pro footballer with some of the things he's done in the past, but as i said before, he's a good player.

Aggressive, tough tackler, excellent energy levels and he's more than capable with delivering a cross and getting a goal himself. All round a very talented midfielder imo.

As for this out of position lark, Barton having played most of his career at the heart of things in midfield has been pushed out to right mid and performed as well if not better out there. Andy Carroll and Kevin Nolan have got many of their goals from Barton's crosses.

I dont care what Barton does off the pitch, the argument is about who is better. In my mind Raul is the better player. He took his time to settle, but when he did he became a good player for us in the second half of the season. I can only see him building on that.

As for this position "Lark" as you call it. Raul played in a new country in about 4 different roles in his first 10-15 games in the league. How can you find your feet then. Its easier for Barton to be pushed out to a wide right position because its natural for him, he is right footed. Ok he can cross better and might have more energy thats about it.

[danperkins]

Barton's not a bad player, but he's not a patch on Meireles.

You wont agree with me. But if i'm honest, that only serves to convince me further

right back at you

Meireles has been ok this season, was on fire for about a month and then pretty meh before and after that, although has been played out of position and it is his first season in England. But i reckon he'll be a squaddie next season, good man to have off the bench but IMO there are better players playing in the role he excels at and when taken out of that particular role he looks average.

Hopefully he can push on and improve next season.

[Craig_H]

I think he'll be a squaddie in terms of being a good player to bring in for any time the manager wants to rotate the team. But i dont think he'll be a 'squaddie' in terms of a reserve - i think different games will bring different requirements and Meireles will have his uses in some games over others, similar to others.

[danperkins]

That's a fair point. One thing's for sure, and that is that Barton's attitude and general cuntery makes him a non-starter. The fact that Newcastle, who are ****, are going to let him walk away for free, says everything.

he genuinely is not a nice bloke, i do like his fire on the pitch once it's in the realms and he does have talent, although he thinks he's a superstar and is very vocal about it.

He'll find another club no problem though, but i'm sure there will be a Joey Barton saga there too at some point, it's just in him.

[elrichio86]

Would say Barton's the better, more influential player

I'm not sure about Mata tbh

[danperkins]

I think he'll be a squaddie in terms of being a good player to bring in for any time the manager wants to rotate the team. But i dont think he'll be a 'squaddie' in terms of a reserve - i think different games will bring different requirements and Meireles will have his uses in some games over others, similar to others.

very much so.

I'm looking forward to comparing the bench in our first game of next season to how it looked this season, hopefully the summer is good to us. Nothing worse than LFC needing something from the bench and then you look over and you see Poulsen,Ngog etc

[Rudo]

I dont care what Barton does off the pitch, the argument is about who is better. In my mind Raul is the better player. He took his time to settle, but when he did he became a good player for us in the second half of the season. I can only see him building on that.

As for this position "Lark" as you call it. Raul played in a new country in about 4 different roles in his first 10-15 games in the league. How can you find your feet then. Its easier for Barton to be pushed out to a wide right position because its natural for him, he is right footed. Ok he can cross better and might have more energy thats about it.

Fair enough.

Lets hope Meireles does improve next season because imo he has a bit of it to do.

In some games he's looked a real talent - clever movement, eye for a pass and obviously capable of nicking a goal.

I thought he was the best player on the pitch in the 1st half vs the Mancs when we beat them 3-1. Kuyt with the hat-trick, and Suarez' performance grabbed all the headlines but i thought Meireles was excellent in the 1st half and that was him playing wide right...his movement and timing of runs was spot on and Evra couldn't live with him.

But in a lot of games, everything's passed him by and he's been nothing more than a passenger.

Meireles is right footed as well?

[danperkins]

Fair enough.

Lets hope Meireles does improve next season because imo he has a bit of it to do.

In some games he's looked a real talent - clever movement, eye for a pass and obviously capable of nicking a goal.

I thought he was the best player on the pitch in the 1st half vs the Mancs when we beat them 3-1. Kuyt with the hat-trick, and Suarez' performance grabbed all the headlines but i thought Meireles was excellent in the 1st half and that was him playing wide right...his movement and timing of runs was spot on and Evra couldn't live with him.

But in a lot of games, everything's passed him by and he's been nothing more than a passenger.

Meireles is right footed as well?

fair post as regards Meireles. Time will tell and hopefully he can improve next season.

[Muddled]

As for the importance or not of stats...lets just say this...If Meireles hadn't got them 6 goals this season, i don't think his season would be classed as a success...nowhere near it.

Sorry ... what?

But he *did* get six goals.

Oh, only if Ronaldo hadn't scored 40 goals in La Liga, he wouldn't have been top scorer.

[danperkins]

Sorry ... what?

But he *did* get six goals.

Oh, only if Ronaldo hadn't scored 40 goals in La Liga, he wouldn't have been top scorer.

I think he meant that the all Meireles's 5 league goals, came in 5 games during his purple patch

[Rudo]

Sorry ... what?

But he *did* get six goals.

Oh, only if Ronaldo hadn't scored 40 goals in La Liga, he wouldn't have been top scorer.

I was responding to another poster about the use of Stats.

Apologies, meant he had scored 5 goals, not 6.