Where do I start with this one? Firstly, I'm shocked and appalled by the amount of abuse alleged 'fans' have decided to put on Shaun Wright-Phillips and, in particular, Joey Barton.
Joey Barton
This fire has further been fuelled by the Wolves defeat. Now, I've watched every game this season in one way or another, and apart from occasions when Barton has made obvious mistakes - i.e. Man Utd - I've never seen enough to go hell for leather against him. Quite the contrary, when I watch Joey play, I see a man who works his socks off each and every game, always being an out and out ball winner with a creative streak. He's everywhere on the pitch. Every game. He tracks back, closes down, marks, tackles, and distributes.
Quite what QPR 'fans' expect from this player I don't know...he sometimes fluffs his lines with the out ball, and so that earns him quite ludicrous amounts of hatred does it? I suspect supporters are watching the games and never actually see what goes on off the ball, and only notice things like Taarabt's skills, or Smith's goal. These are people that clearly have never kicked a ball in their lives. If they have, then they must make for very poor selfish players.
I myself am my own worst critic on the pitch. I do struggle with fitness these days, and I'm not the most talented with the ball at my feet. But, as my goalie tends to tell me on occasion, be pleased at what I AM doing well - which is usually running about like a blue-arsed fly, closing attackers down, and getting the ball to one of my team. According to QPR 'fans', that makes me the worst player on the pitch. Except, unlike me, Joey Barton IS good with the ball at his feel! 8 times out of 10, he'll keep composed, has a great first touch, and gets us out of trouble.
Quite what QPR 'fans' expect from this player I don't know...he sometimes fluffs his lines with the out ball, and so that earns him quite ludicrous amounts of hatred does it? I suspect supporters are watching the games and never actually see what goes on off the ball, and only notice things like Taarabt's skills, or Smith's goal. These are people that clearly have never kicked a ball in their lives. If they have, then they must make for very poor selfish players.
I myself am my own worst critic on the pitch. I do struggle with fitness these days, and I'm not the most talented with the ball at my feet. But, as my goalie tends to tell me on occasion, be pleased at what I AM doing well - which is usually running about like a blue-arsed fly, closing attackers down, and getting the ball to one of my team. According to QPR 'fans', that makes me the worst player on the pitch. Except, unlike me, Joey Barton IS good with the ball at his feel! 8 times out of 10, he'll keep composed, has a great first touch, and gets us out of trouble.
What further compounds my point about these 'playa haterz' (excuse the pun) not seeing what goes on off the ball is the fact that Sean Derry, who week in week out is - actually - the out and out worst player on the pitch, gets away scott free from the accusations of our insightful fan base, drifting through matches providing little or no support to Barton, failing to bother tracking back, hardly ever being available in space unless it's in that little up and down channel in the centre of the pitch, loosely between the penalty boxes he tends to jog along.
What this means, ladies and gents, is that our twittering tackler has to consistently do the work of 2 players in the centre of midfield. Which is why he's completely cream crackered at the end of every game, whereas Derry trots off for a slice of cake and a self administered pat on the back I'm sure.
My advice would be to actually look at what Joey Barton does OFF the ball for Queens Park Rangers, and how hard he works to get into all areas of the pitch to challenge for possession. Oh, he's also contributed 2 goals this season...more than any other midfield player. Finally, his partnership with Ale Faurlin was rather brilliant. Now, he's partnered next to the vehicular equivalent of a Model T Ford, so how about cutting the guy some slack, and - oh I don't know - doing some SUPPORTING? Isn't that what being a 'supporter' implies??
Shaun Wright Philips
So now we move onto poor SWP. Now, I have to admit with regards to him, that some of the fans criticisms are justified. There have been negatives surrounding his play in certain games, such as a very strange lack of a first touch and an inability to stay on his feet when approached by another player, and so I can understand where some viewers are coming from.
However - once again, you have to analyse this and ask why this is happening? You can't deny SWP is a very good player. He's proven his pedigree with Man City, Chelsea and England, and was widely expected to set Loftus Road alight.
It's all about positioning. Now, whatever position SWP is played in, there are positives regardless. He clearly works hard, runs about all over the place and 9 times out of 10 is back there covering the full back - particularly when Clint Hill was involved, and I would suspect we'll see a shift to covering Luke Young after his remarkable loss of form of late.
The negatives are that he's only a right winger - and he can't play with any great effect anywhere else. Warnock was putting him on the left more often than not in order to allow Jamie Mackie to operate on the right which, in my opinion, was tactically incorrect. For whatever reason, SWP is less than half the player he can be when placed out of position. He's heavily right footed (however he did try to shoot with his left against Wolves!) and that's evident every time he dribbles, traps and crosses.
We haven't seen the best from him yet because he's only now being allowed to play on his natural side, and with Taarabt back and playing like a demon, it's only a short matter of time before the pair of them start linking up well again, and we see what SWP really brings to the table.
