West Ham Reconsider Move For QPR's Barton

With Barton facing a lengthy ban following his latest act of thuggery, Sullivan and Gold are hastily reconsidering plans to sign the brother of the Manchester hatchet man. As if his mindless antics on the field were not enough, Barton has compounded matters by twattering that stage two and three, following the issuing of the red card, were a deliberate attempt to get a rival player sent off with him. Laughably, Barton even tries to suggest that he was doing it for the team, on the suggestion of a teammate.

So out goes the mitigating claim of temporary insanity. Instead, Barton has confirmed cynicism and premeditation to add to the charge sheet of sheer thuggery. The ban is sure now to stretch to months - at the very least; and a lifetime ban really would be the most appropriate sanction if the FA and Premier League can find a way of making it stick. The PFA really shouldn't object because this animal represents a threat to their other members.

And what should QPR do? Newcastle were brave enough to send him packing and QPR must surely have a clause in his contract allowing termination covering exactly this sort of event. Sadly, there will be another unscrupulous club willing to take him on should the Hoops, belatedly, do the decent thing; let's hope upon hope that Sullivan & Gold do not see this as an opportunity to repopulate the squad on the cheap!