Joey Barton is a shit-stirring specialist, pure and simple.
The newly signed Rangers midfielder, as controversial as he is, can often be a breath of fresh air as his honest approach to answering questions is so different to the typical responses expected of modern footballers who have PR people breathing down their necks, urging them to remain as uninteresting as possible.
Barton has only been on Rangers’ books for a matter of weeks but he’s wasted no time in commenting on all things Celtic in preparation for his first experience of the Old Firm derby.
The former QPR and Manchester City midfielder hit out at Scott Brown’s abilities in an interview at the weekend and now he’s playing mind games with new Hoops manager Brendan Rodgers, piling the pressure on the ex-Liverpool boss.
“Celtic are a great club and have had it their own way while Rangers have been out of the top flight,” Barton told talkSPORT. “You expect Celtic to improve. They have brought Brendan Rodgers in and that’s a huge outlay for them.
“They will be expected to kick on.
“The only thing you have to quantify that with, and I’m not trying to stir the pot, is Brendan has never won a trophy.
“He’s never won anything, so he is going to have to do stuff there that he hasn’t done before.”
Barton extended his psychological warfare so far as to say that anything but first place for Celtic next season will mean a failure in Rodgers’ debut year in Scotland.
“If Celtic finish second next year that is a bad season for them,” he added.
“If Rangers go into the league and finish second, not that we want to, that will be seen as progress.
“So the pressure is all on Celtic. Every bit of it.
“They have to win the league, they have to get to the group stages of the Champions League.
“I’m not going there to play second fiddle to anyone though.”
