Is Joey Barton unfairly treated by referees?
April 14th, 2011 | 16 Comments |

“Joey gets decisions given him against just because it’s Joey Barton that’s involved.
“There’s no doubt that officials look more towards Joey than they do to anybody else on the pitch. If anything controversial happens, it’s his fault. It’s a shame for Joey because he’s a good player, but he’s always having to deal with other issues.
“The treatment he’s getting is not fair, and I feel sorry for him. He’s dealing with it though and he deserves a lot of credit for that.”
Lovenkrands went on to cite a specific example in Newcastle United’s last game. against Aston Villa, where he felt that a free kick which eventually led to the only goal of the game and defeat for the Magpies.
“The free-kick that Aston Villa scored from at the weekend was only awarded because it was Joey, it happens to him all the time. (more…)