Everton caretaker manager David Unsworth has reacted to Joey Barton’s recent jibes about his fitness – both for purpose and bodily – by refusing to take any notice whatsoever.
Barton delivered a couple of little barbs in Unsworth’s direction while discussing on TalkSPORT the Toffees’ ongoing hunt for a new permanent boss.
He’s chirping himself up for the job. He’s saying ‘I’m the man and I can take Everton on’.
He’s not. It’s a fraudulent claim. He’s not ready. He hasn’t gone and worked down the levels yet.
The former Burnley midfielder also called Unsworth a “glorified PE teacher who shouldn’t be in charge of a men’s team” before continuing:
He is not good enough to manage Everton at this moment in time.
If he goes away, works down the levels, proves he deserves an opportunity – look, I’m not saying don’t give him the job because he’s overweight…
At that point, Barton was chastised by host Jim White for bringing Unsworth’s appearance into the equation, only for Barton to swat back on Twitter.
Fake news. Not what you said when I was chatting to you on the way to the toilet James. 🤣🤣 https://t.co/JqvI8fjHJu
— Joey Barton (@Joey7Barton) October 30, 2017
All depressingly adolescent, isn’t it?
Anyway, Barton’s jibes were put to Unsworth at his press conference on Monday and, rather pleasingly, the Everton coach gave them the precise amount of attention and discourse they merited:
It’s not a problem what Joey Barton says – I couldn’t care less.
No further questions.
Having been forced into quasi-retirement by a lengthy gambling-related ban, Barton has quickly wormed his way into the ‘MASSIVE OPINIONS’ media set and, unfortunately, he’s likely to do a roaring trade, given his propensity for bog-standard gobbing off without any form of prior research or insight.
Thanks to the incessant need to drum up page impressions and provoke ‘interaction’ from the audience, he who howls loudest generally lands a tabloid column and regular radio/television work these days.