Joey could do a cantona
If Barton can say sorry and knuckle down he could be as positive an influence as Eric
IT was one of the most-shocking, most- extraordinary, moments British football has ever seen.
January 25th, 1995, and Manchester United’s star striker Eric Cantona, launched himself into the Selhurst Park crowd to kung fu kick a Crystal Palace supporter who had been taunting him about his sending off.
Now, more than two decades on, two of the UK’s leading sports psychologists argue the fallout from the incendiary incident has much to teach Joey Barton in his current strife.
Rangers’ controversial midfielder is in the midst of a three week ban for a training ground row with team-mate Andy Halliday.
Manager Mark Warburton got involved and, with one meeting between the pair having failed to bring about a satisfactory resolution, the speculation is he may never play for the club again.
“At the moment the parties are stuck between a rock and a hard place. It appears if there is to be a way out Joey will have to say sorry and then knuckle down,” said Tom Lucas, the Scot who has worked with professional footballers and Olympic athletes.
“If he can do that, with his skill and experience, he could be a very positive influence for young players at whatever club he is with just as Eric Cantona was after the infamous kung fu kick.
“What Cantona did was shocking, unprecedented. But against the odds Alex Ferguson stuck by him and the player repaid him by coming back stronger and more productive than ever.
“I don’t think the likes of David Beckham, Paul Scholes or Nicky Butt would have been anything like the players they became had they not had Eric, with his incredible work ethic, to model themselves on.”
It is a view shared by Andy Barton – no relation – of The Sporting Mind who works south of the border and currently numbers two of the England squad among his client list.
“I think Eric Cantona is a very similar type of character to Joey and he is a brilliant example of how even very difficult situations can be turned around,” he said.
“He showed humility after the Palace incident and I think that is what Joey has to do – regardless of whether he ends up staying at Rangers or moving on somewhere else.
“I say that as the introduction of star players can have a big, and potentially very negative, impact on a group.
Eric showed humility after the incident - that is what Joey has to do