Former Rangers midfielder and Fleetwood Town Manager, Joey Barton, has been speaking about his short time in Glasgow and specifically, when he had to deputise at centre-half in one disastrous Old Firm encounter, as reported by The Scottish Sun.
In true Barton fashion, rather than accepting his own weaknesses and faults, he cast the blame firmly at current skipper, James Tavernier’s door, and when reflecting on the right-back’s career he said on the Football CFB podcast:
“Now Tav can’t defend. Everybody knows that.
“He is great going forward, whips a great ball in but can’t defend for toffee.
“That’s why he has never kicked on.”
Tavernier may be guilty of the odd lapse in concentration but this doesn’t equate to him not being able to defend, as part of the league’s best defence and one that has reached the last 16 of the Europa League, if he couldn’t defend, he would’ve been found out by now.
Barton’s career is hardly littered with silverware or a raft of international caps and would do well to remember how he coped with the rigours of Scottish football after – unsurprisingly – talking himself up prior to his arrival only to flop spectacularly.
Tavernier might not have “kicked on” but being the Captain of Rangers is not exactly slumming it in the football world, he may have had the opportunity to move back to England but in reality, even playing for a bottom-half Premier League side would be a step down in everything but wages.
Barton’s attitude towards Scottish football appears not to have changed despite only lasting for eight games after hoping to contribute to a successful period in the club’s history, one day he might eventually learn to engage his brain before opening his mouth.