Barton sent home from Thailand tour.

Never a truer is word is said than in jest.
2 days after joking on this site about the players having too much time on their hands in the 'delights' of Bangkok before the next game, and ironically mentioning Joey Barton's history, than the said midfielder finds himself being sent home from the Thailand tour by manager Stuart Pearce after consultations with Chairman John Wardle.
Initially it seemed that Barton and Richard Dunne had been involved in some sort of dispute, but as this morning went on it emerged that Barton had become involved in an 'altercation' with a 15 year old Everton in the bar of the teams hotel. Dunne then tried to step in as peacemaker before Barton rounded on him too.
Various reports have suggested that Barton struck the youngster, and bit Dunne on the hand before Dunne then kicked a door off it's hinges - ruling him out for the start of the season.
It is surely going to be a long journey home for Barton, and he must fear for his future with the club following last seasons Xmas party incident.
In his defence (for now anyway), it is not known what role this 15 year old played in all of this - for all we know Barton may have been the victim of a 'happy slapping' from a hoodie wearing Scouse toe-rag, but to have struck him and then turned all 'Paul Danan-esque' on Richard Dunne is not the cleverest move Barton has made.
So what now? We were led to believe that after the Xmas party that Barton was pretty much skating on thin ice at the club and a further incident would have serious ramifications. If it is as serious as we are led to initially believe then Barton has not learned from his previous indiscretion and yet again, it has also involved a fellow City player. It may be that the club decide enough is enough and we are better of without him.
We are though, extremely thin on personnel and particularly in midfield following Bosvelt and SWP moving on so we can ill afford to lose Barton - especially at a knock down price to rid ourselves of him.
Should this play a part in the decision on his future though? Of course not. He should be judged on the basis of this incident and previous form, not take into account the shortcomings of our current squad.
He probably regrets what he has done, but he regretted the Xmas party incident at the time and six months later here we are again. It is going to be a long, long flight back home for Joey Barton.