It’s unlikely that Joey Barton will be too upset at criticism from Danny Mills.
As he prepares for a training stint with the Murray Park wonder kids Barton can relax on a salary of £25,000/week while Mills chases the media dollar for his opinions.
During the close season there were no discerning voices about how wonderful a signing Mark Warburton had made. The phrase ‘named in the Championship team of the year’ became almost as credible as former city trader.
With Barton ready to see out the remaining 20 months of his contract it looks ominous for the Sevco finances that they have been unable to find a reason to sack him with the former Burnley ace returning to training yesterday.
After being suspended by Sevco there was a string of former Ibrox stars issuing public warning to the 34-year-old about the consequences of not walking away from his contract.
With that policy failing to make any impact BBC Scotland have turned to Mills, who played with Barton at Manchester City, in a bid to unsettle the man named in last season’s Championship team of the year.
“I think training with the kids will frustrate Joey,” Mills told the BBC. “That’s the plan.
“Joey’s very, very difficult to understand at times. I got changed next to him every day for four, four-and-a-half years, whatever it was at Manchester City; was there every time things went wrong.
“He’s a very, very good footballer. I’ve said before I don’t think he’s as good as he thinks he is and he expects everybody else to be as good as he thinks he is. That’s one of his problems.
“Occasionally, a switch goes and he just goes off track and he has no empathy, no remorse for his actions.
“From being on the outside, it seems quite clear that Rangers are trying to freeze him out, trying to upset him. I’ve been in a similar situation before, I’ve seen it happen. I think it’s going to be very, very difficult for him.”
If Mills had offered Warbo that advise during the summer Sevco could have saved themselves £25,000 a week and used some of that money for a different campaign to sell season tickets.
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