Live

Highlights on Off The Ball

02:00 PM-06:00 PM

Highlights on Off The Ball
Advertisement
Soccer

Joey Barton criticises his own players after Bristol Rovers' relegation

Joey Barton was heavily critical of his Bristol Rovers side after their defeat to Portsmouth rele...



Joey Barton criticises his own...
Soccer

Joey Barton criticises his own players after Bristol Rovers' relegation

Joey Barton was heavily critical of his Bristol Rovers side after their defeat to Portsmouth relegated the side to League Two.

The Gas' drop into the fourth tier of English football is one Barton found difficult to accept after the match.

"For me as a coach, it's a strange one because I don't think deep down that I'll ever accept that this is a relegation on my CV, albeit, it will live there forever," Barton said.

"I am absolutely convinced that if we had our processes and things in place, this should never happen. It can happen to you in top divisions if you don't have quality in your building. In the lower leagues, you just have to be fit and organised. That is half the battle.

"We've gone down having a scrap again today. Portsmouth had one shot on goal and managed to win the game. We could be out here all day and we aren't going to score a goal with what we've got going on at this moment.

"Looking to the future, and that's all you can do. The sooner this season is done and dusted... If I could finish it tomorrow, and get rid of them all, and then report for pre-season, I would do, but we've got fixtures to fulfil and we've got to give it our all."

Joey Barton

"Some of them can grow from this and have better careers; some of them, it might be worth having a good look around here today because it might be the last they see of Fratton Park unless they pull them in a cup," he said.

"Right across the board, just not good enough, and we deserve to be relegated.

"I'm already on with next season. As I said to the lads in there, 'No matter what you do today, I'm not going to start getting after you, effin' and jeffin', and screaming, giving myself a heart attack because it's not their fault.

"It's not their fault that they're just severely short of what you need to be if you're going to be a footballer and come to places like Fratton Park and win against a side chasing promotion.

Barton wants to be in place to begin the rebuilding.

"If I could, I'd empty the whole building out and start again. That isn't going to be the way because we've got legacy contracts.

"We've got some lads who if they don't come back in top, top shape then they won't be here because we've got a losing dressing room. I don't like hanging around with losers. I don't like associating myself with losers. I certainly don't want them in my football club if I have to come in on a daily basis that just isn’t acceptable.

"For me, we’ve got too many here - the 26th loss today - who just accept losing."

Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!

Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.