At least one player seems to be talking some sense. The Ronnie has an interview with Barton on all this transfer biz.

"Players have too much power now and it's not good for the game," Barton told me.

"We're not about to have a gravy train for everyone. Only the top three to four per cent of players will have the power to walk in and out of contracts."

Warren, loyal to United for six years, went on: "Players thought after Bosman that it was heaven and now believe they can walk out after three months of a contract.

" But if they aren't superstars in the top bracket it will be difficult.

"Players can get a bit carried away but you must be in demand to prosper.

"You have to be wanted by the right club in the right area for the right money. I know the value of that - I came to Newcastle and I want to finish my career here regardless of what happens to the transfer system.

"If any players need a warning they need look no further than Stan Collymore who now appears to be finished. Yet he played for Liverpool and Aston Villa - clubs most players would give their right arm to join."

Barton, part of a 12-man national committee of the PFA, will discuss the new format thrashed out by the EU, UEFA and FIFA in Brussels when his union next meet at the end of the month.

"I've spoken with Gordon Taylor and Brendan Batson throughout all the talk and it's definitely wrong that the players were excluded from the vital last get together of football's governing bodies," Warren told me. "If the steel industry was deciding its future the workers would be represented by their union. "I realise that football is a different job to any other but, nonetheless, how can you make crucial decisions without dialogue with the people it effects most?" Barton went on: "There are two points I'd like to stress. First the players didn't ask for a change in the transfer system. We were quite happy with the old system. "And secondly we merely wanted to be informed and consulted.

"There's a thin line to be trodden here. We can't be seen to be on strike with so much money being paid in wages these days.

"I'm in a bit of a privileged position. I can see the arguments from both sides because at this stage of my playing career I'm looking towards coaching and management. I've also come up through non-league football at Maidstone to Wimbledon and on to Newcastle so I've benefited from the transfer system. I couldn't have climbed the ladder without it. "What is needed is loyalty on both sides and protection for the players in the lower leagues. "It's only right that there should be an arbitration panel, for example, to provide some sort of fee for the clubs and right that young players under 18 shouldn't be allowed to move from country to country. Otherwise developing clubs would suffer."

On his own future Barton added: "I've been here six years and I've got another year to go on my present contract.

"However, whatever happens with the new ruling, I want to stay and hopefully end my playing career at St James's Park. The only way to go from a club like this is down - and when you get on that slippery slope you go quickly.

"I've played more than 400 games and I know I could get another club but it wouldn't be as good as United. The grass isn't always greener on the other side."

Barton spends up to 10 hours on a Sunday every month at management committee meetings of the PFA in Manchester.

The next is due at the end of March and Barton said: "We'll be discussing the Brussels agreement along with other things. It's a sensitive issue and I hope for the sake of football everyone does the right thing."

-- Anonymous, March 08, 2001

Answers

I feel ill ..... "I want to stay and hopefully end my playing career at St James's Park"

-- Anonymous, March 08, 2001

He's such a nice bloke, why couldn't he have been a bit more gifted on the playing field?

-- Anonymous, March 08, 2001

I think he already has!

-- Anonymous, March 08, 2001

I think he is gifted. And I think he will be again.

I howled and cringed at the way an'all when he could be unbelieveably inept in his crap days but I have loved some of his play and team rallying in recent years. And a reasonable and intelligent man,IMO, from that article.

I love our Warren, so there. Think he'll eventually be a good manager....nnnnow then. There's a thought :-))

-- Anonymous, March 08, 2001

I don't doubt he's a nice guy, and may make an okay manager somewhere, but Rik's a nice guy (bad exmaple), doesn't make him a Premiership footballer

-- Anonymous, March 08, 2001

It would be nice if Barton could start moving into a coaching role at the club, perhaps ease his way from inevitably being dropped as a regular starter.

-- Anonymous, March 08, 2001

I'm unusually angry at the content of this thread.

OK so there are nore skilled players than wor Warren. But then, skill without application isn't enough is it. And if you have to have one without the other, the jury is still out on which one to choose. I hate to say it, but our nearest neighbours are still doing better, at their undeniable end of the skill-commitment spectrum, than we are at the opposite end. And I have a strong feeling that I would prefer a coach who knows how to over-achieve relative to his natural talents (and communicate it) than one who, blessed with undeniable skills, decides from game to game how hard to apply them. And I'd take a coach who is keen enough to get himself qualified, and expresses the sentiments above, over one who thinks he can walk straight into a top management job as a matter of right.

So here's at least one person that thinks we shouldn't rush to patronise Mr Barton as much as others have above. I think we'd do well to keep him in a coaching role. And if you think that any of the above means that he would in my opinion be twice the manager that Mr Shearer would - well you're dead right.

-- Anonymous, March 08, 2001

Are you sure about that Doctor? You wouldn't like a second opinion?? No, thought not. I agree. Shearer has a long way to go before becomming a good EPL manager. A bit more than Barton if qualifications are anything to go by. IMHO, neither should be next manager. Whether one will is yet to be seen - tho probably will, unless major changes are made at the top - or YBR stays around for longer than we all think fit.

-- Anonymous, March 08, 2001

No one, no one at all doubts that Warren Barton means well. No one doubts the guy's integrity or his work ethic, or his all round niceness, or his ability to applaud fans. He may well be remembered as one of the greatest clappers of fans I have ever known.

I do also believe he has probably over achieved given the natural talent at his disposal. This is the sad bit.

I believe he has a lot of similarities with Phil Neal at Liverpool. Neal was viewed as very average (with all that really means). I recall him having a good game for England against Luxembourg in about his 42nd game. Jimmy Greaves, when he used to be funny, commented that if his granny had had 42 games for England she would have eventually looked good aginst Luxembourg.

Barton gained lots of brownie points a couple of seasons ago for playing out of position at left back when we were down to ten men against First Division Palace in the cup. Exactly.

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2001

That was just the first home game where he won man of the match. He was easily one of the most consistently good performers the whole of last season, as evidenced by being the only defender to make the running for player of the season. I'd rather see a player with some decent form take his place, but appreciate that with nobody available he is prepared to try and make things work rather than develop a "virus". If we had even 6 players in the squad with his kind of determination then maybe some of the more gifted individuals would adjust their work-ethic and teach the Warrens a thing or two.

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2001

Go to agree with Softie.
WB looked a class player when he first came here and was playing for KK. He then had a torrid spell towards the end of TSM's reign. During this period, he took fearful stick that would have broken lesser men. However, he showed the moral fortitude lacking in so many of our signings, and battled through that spell to re-establish himself, and until recently his form was good - especially last season, when he was one of 4 or 5 players who kept us in the PL.

He's now 31, his form has dipped badly and the knockers have targeted him again. At this stage in his career it may well be that time has passed him by as a PL player. However, he has been a model pro, and has served us well: even if he is past his sell- by date, let's show some class and cut the guy some slack - surely he deserves that and just a little respect?

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2001

No, I'm putting on my hard and heartless hat.

Freddie Shepherd did us proud in signing Shearer, lets show some class and give him some slack now his form has dropped.

If we are happy to show slack to everyone who has the odd good game then I want Ketsbaia back, now there was a committed player, or he should have been committed.

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2001

You're a hard man macbeth! Points well made and accepted - it's just that I'm a big softie really!

I suppose I draw a big distinction between players who just don't pull it, and good servants to the Club who simply get old. I hate people getting at the latter - it isn't their fault that their boss doesn't see they're past it, and does the right thing.

In WB's case, his form has dipped alarmingly, but he played well (at least canny?) last season, and at 31 he shouldn't really be past it. If he is, then BR should move him on.

Even though I love AS for as a top star 'coming home' (and effectively consigning his career to the dust-bin), I would apply the same criteria to him. This is why I'm so against him being moved into m/f or defence, either of which would end in tears IMO. If he's really past it - and I don't believe he is just yet - then BR should move him out - there's no place for sentiment in this game. Jeez, I'm a hard bugga as well!

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2001

Robert Lee is someone who was pure class and should have been put out to graze a couple of years ago, Barton is a poor man's Robert Lee

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2001

Possibly mac - but I would use the same criteria: Rob Lee is a Toon legend to me, and I could never, ever get on his back. However, I would willingly accept BR's decision to move him out, if he felt he wasn't up to it.

I'm quite sure Bobby really does feel that Rob is slightly over the hill - the problem is that he hasn't yet found anyone capable of performing better than him - even today. Not one of the players brought in to replace him could have held a candle to the Rob Lee of 4 years ago, and even today they are mostly still inferior to him.

-- Anonymous, March 09, 2001