There are few players who can claim as intimate a familiarity with the sublime and the ridiculous as Joey Barton. At times, his tenacious tackling and classy passing dominates games, at others his fiery temper scuppers the prospects of his own unhappy side. With his undoubted talent too often eclipsed by a penchant for self-destruction, Barton’s recent dismissal for a headbutt only furnished a minor footnote to a rap sheet already long enough to be visible from space.
Barton was a popular budget option last term, garnering 131 Fantasy Premier League (FPL) points at an initial price of 4.5, as he pulled the strings at Newcastle through a season mercifully free from controversy. A price hike to 6.0 this time round, coupled with a summer move to a QPR side in which Adel Taarabt was first in line for set-plays, considerably dented his appeal as this campaign kicked off. Although Taarabt’s fall from grace under Neil Warnock saw dead-ball duties promptly claimed by Barton, he was unable to recreate last season’s productivity as 2011 wound down with a whimper for the slumping London outfit.
Warnock’s sacking just before a kindly run of fixtures may strike new boss Mark Hughes as ironic, given his own acrimonious exit from Manchester City under similar circumstances in 2009, and, with money to spend, the Welshman will be resolved to grasp this opportunity to turn around QPR’s sinking season.
With transfer rumours quashed and Barton confirmed as retaining the club captaincy it seems logical to infer that he will be central to Hughes’ plans, but with set-pieces the key to his appeal it may be Hughes’ attitude towards the enigmatic absentee Taarabt that ultimately determines Barton’s long-term FPL potential under the new regime.
A well-taken goal followed by the aforementioned headbutt on January 2nd affords a timely reminder of the precarious balance of risk and reward that attends investment in QPR’s captain, but if Hughes’ stern leadership can keep Barton in line he has the price (5.8) and the pedigree to suggest strong value upon his return from suspension this weekend.
With QPR enjoying the kindest run of fixtures of any Premier League side between now and March (WIG avl WOL bla FUL EVE), many wildcard-wielding Fantasy managers will be tempted to take the plunge on their mercurial maverick in the coming weeks. What’s the worst that could happen?
