Can any of you statters tell me Warrens crossing success rate please? I would guess a goal has never resulted from one of his crosses?

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

Answers

It would be impossible for a goal to result from one of his crosses swift, you see they all go out of play before they get near to a player in black and white....

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

We were playing Boro at SJP in Bobby's first season, Warren put in a cross to Shearer's nut that was a carbon copy of that scarily good cross Shearer put in to Sir Les's nut in Howay 5-0.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

PS. Swift, Alan scored from the cross in that Boro game.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

i suppose its a question for Alan in the q's thread

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

There you go....he obviously mishit that one...

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

From reading the comments on the BBS over the years, I'd be very surprised if Warren Barton has ever managed a successful cross.

YBR must be a sh*t manager to keep picking him when every informed fan knows better.

Just glancing at the OPTA stats Barton's successful crossing mark was 36%. That is better than Nobby Solano's mark of 34% and better than Man Utd's crossing success rate of 27%.

It is fortunate indeed that Warren has more ability at crossing than some of his critics have at using a search engine - apparently - and indeed that he can be arsed to use it. :-)

Warren Barton has never demanded a transfer and has never caused any fuss when negotiating his contract. He has never publicly criticised the management and staff of NUFC, and is not known to have ever joined any power base at NUFC seeking to destabilise the manager's position. He has never made any fuss whenever dropped from the team. He chose to come to a big club here instead of Arsenal. He has one of the best injury records at NUFC. He is always first in his appreciation of the fans contribution at matches home and away. His work rate is very high - he never hides.

Why on Earth do we put up with him? :-)

Warren Barton - HERO .

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

Warren Barton - HERO !!!!

Superb professional !!!

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

Jonno, are you Softie in disguise?

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

Wow I must have mistaken him for someone else, I never realised he was so good!

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

Actually Gav, I was a bit surprised by the stats myself! :-)

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

so we get 37 goals in every hundred crosses? does this take into account crosses attempted from inside our penalty area?

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

he and Robbie Lee....both deserve the best we can give them!!!!

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

good lad, but couldn't cross a t

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

he should stick to defending

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

nice guy though

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

nice hair

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

new kit suits him

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

so we get 37 goals in every hundred crosses

A successful cross is one which reaches a player of your own side. What he does with it is hardly down to the crosser.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

Love him to bits, despite (or because of) Macbeth's description of throw-in incidents et al and the groans that slip out when he does something daft again.

But he can fire life on occasion into a lack-lustre match just by his prescence and passion and CAN make some superb passes at times.

Love him to bits.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

BTW if Barton is not good enough then it is the man who regularly picks him for the team who is the villain of the piece. Any player who gives of his best is beyond criticism .

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

There's no doubting that he's a thouroughly decent bloke It's just his ability that's questionable. He's prone to making stupid mistakes such as the one against Lokeren when he took on their left winger, losing the ball with no cover behind him. I'd get him off the field and give him acoaching role coupled with some PR work , playing Griff instead.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

i love Warren, shame he has forgotten that Brazilian instinct he had in his Blue Chip season. He's faded to light blue a bit, but the chip still isn't on his shoulder just yet.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

Total commitment doesn't make a player worth having, any more than pure footballing genius does. The thing for me is that I would give 100% commitment, as we all would. The thing that is supposed to set these people apart from us is their footballing ability. Warren doesn't have the ability to play at the very top so he isn't good enough for us.

This doesn't stop his motivational skills being used, but it should stop him getting a game in front of a 22 year old who does have the potential to reach the top.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

Those OPTA stats are very interesting. Just a couple of facts (if you're interested have a browse) - WB's pass completion rate is better than Griffin's last season and his overall OPTA score for the season is higher than Griffin's and a certain Gary Neville of England and somewhere else. On assists Barton (at zero) got one less than Neville but both have 3 over the past 2 seasons. Barton's rate of successful tackles is also better than Neville's.

He is either good enough - or Robson isn't - that's a tough choice for the BC's (Barton Critics) I reckon - I know where I stand. I'll continue to back them both. The BC's are forced to say they are both cr*p.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

0 assists, its amazing how low the general assists rate is for all players. The stats back up my assumption that Beckham is overrated at hairstyles and not, sadly, football

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

Do OPTA have stats for creative moves attempted per game? Back passes per game? sideways safe(?) passes made during a game ? and cockups per game?

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

turning around whilst in space, passing back, then standing still

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

His contract ends soon. What do you reckon: extension, different role at the club, Bosman or any offer considered? We'll have had 7 seasons out of him.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

If we were in the Czech republic or Moldovia, a player of Bartons calibre would fetch a dozen footballs and a couple of goats.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

what would the "silver fly" get?

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

It's not as simple as that Jonno. He isn't good enough but Robson keeps picking him therefore Robson is also crap I mean.

Robson may be picking him for all sorts of reasons. His questionable motivational qualities, his experience, lack of available options who are fit or have enough 1st team experience, old gypsy curse saying that if a manager drops a blond haired centre parting right back that the foundations of SJP will crumble and the mighty edifice will fall onto the Metro:-)

None of us know why YBR keeps picking him above a 22 year old but this doesn't mean thjat YBRs judgement is crap in all footballing matters. Just this one

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

The Silver Fly would certainly get you a new (10 year old) team bus and half a dozen Ox.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

I think what it boils down to is that we have eyes. ..... We (most of us) see that he isn't very good compared with Griffin who given a good run of games could be challenging the Nevilles for their England shirt.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

The thing is, Griffin has had so many injuries etc, that we don't really know how good he is: I'd hesitate to judge his abilities purely on his manmarking jobs on Ginola. On the other hand, he's at a critical stage in his career and YBR really has to start playing him more regularly if only to assess how good he really is..

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

This is the season when Griffin should start to make the position his own. Up till now he has rarely had a decent run of fitness.

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001

If there's a god he will....

-- Anonymous, July 23, 2001