Worst team I’ve been involved with – Barton
JOEY Barton bid farewell to the “worst team” he has been involved with in typical fashion yesterday, as Bristol Rovers suffered their 28th defeat of a miserable season.
Substitute Ellis Simms scored the game’s only goal, coming off the bench to beat debutant goalkeeper Jed Ward with a volley 15 minutes from time to wrap up a third-placed finish for the hosts.
For the Pirates, however, a poor campaign has ended at bottom of League One, and Barton – never shy in dealing in brutal honesty – is relieved that the rebuild for next season in League Two can begin.
“The focus for me now is when we do have fans back in August is them having a team they can follow and be proud of,” he said.
“There’s a natural line drawn under it, thankfully. It’s the worst team I’ve been involved in, I can’t dress it up any other way. There’s lads there who wouldn’t get in our school football team, never mind play professional football, but that’s what we’ve got and now I’ve got the job of getting them out of the building and letting them know where their futures lie and they won’t be at this football club.
“As cruel as that is, it’s either that or we don’t win games and we get relegated and we’re five points adrift at the bottom of the table.
“Some tough decisions need to
BLACKPOOL ....................... 1 BRISTOL ROVERS ............. 0
be made, but I’m really clear in my mind about how we move forward and how we progress.
“By the time the Gasheads get in, they will have a football team they can be proud to follow.”
Barton will meet some players today, with many at the end of their time at the club.
“I’ve already informed a few of the guys because they not here today and there’s no point in dragging them in on Monday,” the manager continued. “I put them out of their misery yesterday. They’re not bad people, but we’re not running a charity here.
“The Titanic hit the iceberg long before I got here. I came in with the staff and I’ve tried to bail the water out. There was moments where maybe we thought we could get it re-floated, but the damage was done. It was such a gaping hole, you can’t get away with it.”
Blackpool: Moore, Lawrence-Gabriel, Ekpiteta, Thorniley, Husband, Dougall, Stewart, Mitchell, Embleton (Madine 83), Anderson (Turton 71), Holmes (Simms 71). Not Used: Antwi, Ballard, Fojticek, Shaw. Booked: Holmes.
Goals: Simms 75.
Rovers: Ward, Williams (Walker 80), Baldwin, Harries (Little 79), Leahy, Martinez, Hargreaves (Mehew 80), Westbrooke (Liddle 80), McCormick, Tutonda (Daly 67), Rodman. Not Used: Day, Oztumer.
Booked: Harries, Hargreaves, Baldwin, Tutonda. Referee: Charles Breakspear (Surrey).