DYCHE BACKING FOR HIS TV VILLAIN JOEY
SEAN DYCHE reckons that Joey Barton’s life is like a pantomime – and would make a great TV show.
But the Burnley boss has no complaints about the midfielder, despite his latest brush with controversy.
Barton was the centre of attention as the Clarets suffered FA Cup humiliation by losing at home to non-league Lincoln last Saturday.
He was accused of diving after falling to the ground clutching his head during a tussle with Imps striker Matt Rhead.
TV pictures showed there had been no contact – and Barton faced more criticism when a fouryear-old tweet emerged in which he called for players who dive to be banned.
Yet despite the fireworks, Dyche insists the 34-year-old, who joined Burnley for a second spell in January, is a solid-gold role model around the club.
He joked: “It could be a TV series. Being Joey. It’d be interesting. Never a dull moment, unless he’s in here, training with me.”
The Burnley boss added: “I think it’s pantomime stuff. I’ve seen a lot more controversy around Joey than that. If that’s as far as it goes, I’ll be a happy man.”
There could be trouble ahead, though, for Barton, who accepted an FA charge this month after being accused of breaching betting rules.
But Dyche was delighted to take him back for a second spell after he left Rangers in November.
“Joey’s been terrific,” Dyche said. “I thought by a mile, by an absolute mile, he was the best player on the pitch last weekend.
“So he’s been absolutely fine. He’s in good nick – as you can see – and he’s definitely up for the challenges that come in front of us.”
Barton has slotted back into Premier League life, scoring a winner against Southampton and producing impressive displays against Leicester and Chelsea.
Dyche added: “People should actually have been saying: ’What about the game? What about him?’ He was outstanding against Lincoln and Leicester.
“Chelsea have two unbelievably high-quality midfielders, and Joey more than dealt with what he needed to deal with. He’s been fantastic for us.”