Chris King returns to LFW with thoughts on the triumphant return to form of Akos Buzsaky, and the online activities of his fellow midfielder Joey Barton.

Joey Barton seems to consider Twitter his own, personal, on-going Sermon on the Mount. The alacrity with which the R’s captain spouts his views on the social networking website has certainly annoyed some supporters, particularly as it has occurred alongside a series of lacklustre performances which ill-befit the armband he sports.

Against Wigan Athletic on Saturday the boos of a minority were drowned out by the applause of the majority, but ultimately tragic hero Barton was upstaged by someone who had been told by former manager Neil Warnock that he could leave the club on a free transfer. This was Akos Buzsaky, who once upon a time was considered by a not inconsiderable number of fans to be fit to join the ranks of the legendary entertainers who had previously worn the famous Number 10 shirt.

In the carefree days of Luigi De Canio’s managerial tenure, Buzsaky acquired a reputation as a midfielder with a fearsome shot, who was unafraid to try his luck from distance. He appeared, also, to have been blessed with the playmaking ability to forge a career at a level higher than the lower echelons of the then Coca-Cola Championship. However, injuries took their toll on the Magical Magyar, and his time appeared to be up in W12.

With Alejandro Faurlin adapting so proficiently to the demands of top flight football, and the arrival of Joey Barton, it seemed unlikely, implausible, even, that Buzsaky would ever feature in the blue and white hoops again. Yet it took the cruellest of blows – Faurlin being side-lined for the remainder of the campaign – to thrust the near-forgotten Hungarian back into the starting line-up.

Against Wigan Buzsaky proceeded to demonstrate a skill that Barton appears to have long forgotten; the art of a perfect free-kick. Ali Al-Habsi in the Latics goal could do nothing about the midfielder’s effort, which ricocheted off the post before nestling in the opposite corner of the net. Buzsaky nearly doubled his tally, in fact, expertly flicking the ball up before smashing a volleyed effort towards goal, only for Al-Habsi to tip his effort over the bar. In the Match of the Day studio on Saturday evening, Messrs. Lineker, Hansen and Lawrenson were nearly beside themselves with praise for Mark Hughes’ “inspired managerial change” and the “instant impact” he’d had on the club by choosing Buzsaky to start the relegation six-pointer at Loftus Road. Truth is, this was false praise, and undeserved. Whatever Hughes said to Buzsaky, or whether he would have eventually been included in the first team as a reward for performing well in training, ultimately the Welshman’s hand was forced by injuries and Adel Taarabt’s presence at the African Cup of Nations.

Hughes has insisted that Barton’s malevolent Twitter presence is of no interest to him, and quite rightly so. With the captain so publicly slating Warnock, and mounting a very aggressive, personal and vitriolic social media campaign against the Yorkshireman, Hughes’ involvement would surely only risk the club being dragged in to Barton’s online games. Ultimately, the former Newcastle United playmaker needs anything but greater attention and focus. What Hughes ought to be doing behind the scenes is slowly trying to wean the public persona Barton is trying so hard to create and maintain, of the “troubled intellectual,” and ultimately bring back the aggressive, clever, tenacious ball-winner who was allegedly being courted by a whole host of more illustrious Premier League clubs prior to putting pen to paper with Queens Park Rangers.

Ultimately, Barton will never be remembered as Warnock ought to be in West London. The 63-year-old picked the club up at its lowest moment, and transformed the relegation certainties into Championship winners, in the most euphoric and complete season of football witnessed down at Loftus Road for a generation. The applause which spontaneously rang out around the ground on Saturday for the former manager was the least his reign deserved. Who knows; in a few months’ time, maybe fans will be singing the name of the ex-Chelsea forward as the man who “saved us from the drop.” Time will tell on that one. We did only beat Wigan, after all.

Tweet @chriskking, @loftforwords

Pictures: Action Images

Photo: Action Images

timcocking added 02:05 - Jan 25 To be fair to Mark Hughes, whilst BBC should have made a reference to Alis injury, NW would have played Shaun Derry alongside Joey Barton. Mark Hughes has come in and started Buzsaky instead when Shaun Derry had played the last 15 matches. Surely that does constitute a brave and good managerial decision? Couldn't agree more in wishing Barton would shut up though.
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adhoc_qpr added 10:20 - Jan 25 Not defending Barton's unecessary comments on NW, but i notice he didn't say anything about Warnock until after Neil had taken a few sly digs at him in the press first. Warnock may have had some comments misrepresented by the press, but i've been a bit disappointed by him this week as well.
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chriskking added 11:28 - Jan 25 I think it's certainly true that Warnock hasn't behaved entirely admirably over this either, and his comments were farcical, if they are taken as they appeared in the paper. Of course, as you said, this may be misrepresentation. However the difference lies in the fact that Barton is still at the club, and to a certain extent Warnock is free to say what he wants as he isn't. Also, would it be fair to say that Barton's online activities wouldn't be quite so infuriating were he actually playing well at the moment? As for Hughes' decision to put Buzsaky in, it's true that he could have played Derry, but Warnock was only given one game in which he realistically could/would have played Buzsaky (MK Dons), when he came on as sub. But if he did want to release Buzsaky on a free, we're certainly lucky Hughes has given him a chance.

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LambournR added 11:49 - Jan 25 I think that any lingering doubt I had about NW's removal was dismissed by the fact that he was willing to let Buz leave while continuing to play Derry in a defensive 4-5-1 formation. I had assumed that Buz was not in the squad for the last few of NW's games was due to him being injured again. This combined with Taarabt announcing that he had fallen out with NW shows that NW has lost the plot. As for Barton, I agree with Mark Hughes - ignore it as long as it doesn't affect the team on the pitch. Barton gives us a playing version of José Mourinho - someone who gives the media something/someone to vilify and takes spotlight away from the team so they can concentrate on the important stuff.

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probbo added 12:31 - Jan 25 Unfortunately Barton is one of these players who will polarise the views of football supporters including those within the Club he plays for. Personally i'd like him to do well but hard as I try i'm really not a fan of his - I don't think he's Captain material and so far he's given little value for his £80k per week salary. I hope that changes in time but i'm yet to be convinced that his heart is in the Club.

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BeauRanger added 12:52 - Jan 25 As a new Manager to the club in a precarious position I think Mark Hughes is biding his time with JB & tolerating his Twitterati profile while it does not impact the team. As captain & (supposedly) better players in the squad MH needs him on side in the short term to get points on the board as soon as possible. If & when Rangers find themselves in a better position at the end of this season then the situation may change & MH would be in a better position to act from a position of strength.

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Antti_Heinola added 13:48 - Jan 25 It's funny, isn't it? Hogan Ephraim gives a public interview to the press slagging off NW and his methods. No one says a word. Joey Barton tweets criticism of NW and he's the devil. I wonder sometimes whether it's the medium rather than the message that people disagree with.
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cranieboy added 19:47 - Jan 25 I just find the whole episode very disapointing. Barton has really made a rod for his own back and now has to perform to a decent standard week in week out and hasn't done too much yet to justify such a stance. At least Warnock has performed miracles against the odds (and owners) to get us where we are in such a short time, and Taraabt is not much better, obviously has a short memory as NW stuck his neck out to build a team around him and put him in position he is now. Obviously things change and things quickly turn sour but they/we should not forget. The other thing to remember is that when managing a team it is impossible to keep everyone happy, people have to be on the bence or squad members but its only quiet when the team are winning every week.

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thewhitemonkey added 22:33 - Jan 25 Joey also claims that Rangers fans were singing "He tweets what he wants" about him on Saturday. I certainly didn't hear any, and don't know of any QPR fans that would feel like encouraging him. Maybe he just made it up in the hope it will catch on. Bloody hope not.
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qprkevin added 00:32 - Jan 28 hello guys just introducing myself as im new here, im kevin an avid R from devon... breathing a huge sigh of relief that buz is still at loftus road and given the chance to orchestrate his magic in midfield again. on the subject of mr barton, does anyone think that mark hughes maybe just keeping him sweet until the summer............then stick him on the transfer list?

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