Bristol Post latest interview with Joey Barton

Said he's been given guarantees of control over many elements of the club. Somewhat at odds with the promotion to DoF for T-Widdz!

JB has also blasted the medical department in another article regarding Nicholson's delayed surgery. Likely not to be available at the start of next season.

Honestly I don't know what to think. JB may well be right, but everything coming out of the club at the moment screams "shambles". I love Wael, but he really does not have a clue what he's doing does he? Or am I wrong? The strategy seems to change like the wind changes direction. Well meaning, likeable, generous, but completely lacking in foresight and direction.

Perhaps, maybe, I hope, Wael has realised that he has put his trust in the wrong people and this is the start of the shake up needed.

Thought Barton could have been at least a little more tactful when he said that he flipped over from watching Lincoln vs MK Dons (our next two opponents) to watch “real football” in the champions league.

As far as I’m concerned Tuesday night League One under the lights is more “real” than watching the overpaid, over-commercialised Champions League footy.

Bloke has no tact though does he.

We are a shambles. Players told off for using the gym after a Saturday game, because somebody wanted to lock up and go home. This, at a time when other gyms were closed, and players were doing their best to maintain fitness.

No amount of due diligence would have prepared JB for discovering this sort of attitude at a so called professional club. Wael is too soft, and some of the people he trusted to be in charge of things have taken advantage. Hopefully JB can help sort out the bad apples, and help Wael to take the club forward.

Don't get me wrong, I also thought that the delay in Nicholson getting surgery has probably been pandemic-related. Also, whether what JB says is true or not (maybe it is), his statements only really serve to paint the club in a really bad light, making JB look blameless and throw a big dark cloud over what was already a sh** situation. The whole fact that JB has been brought in to revolutionise a revolution that in itself only started a year ago, is just embarrassing. Resetting the reset. It just highlights how much a cockup it has all been, and sadly I have lost all faith in the club to get it right. They got it wrong spectacularly before, so what makes anyone think we'll get it right this time, and the next time? It seems like just firing shots into the dark and hoping one of them eventually hits its target.

That is true, but surely he as President has to calculate who to employ in order to get the club running in the way he wants. First he brought in Hamer as chairman, that didn't work. He brought in Starnes as CEO and Widdrington as DoF. Well, JB now comes in a says the whole place stinks. Does Wael even know who he can trust? It's all a bit ridiculous in my view.

Interesting comments from JB about bringing in a third party to review the structure/infrastructure. I wonder what will come of that.

Completely agree. We're a club where, not that long ago, members of the first team squad were picking up fox sh1t in order to get training on and players had to go through their rehab in public facilities. 

I'd imagine Joey's head would have exploded were he here when the staff were dishing out the bin bags before training. 

Expect a terse press release very soon.

"Martyn Starnes and Tommy Widdrington have left Bristol Rovers with immediate effect. The club would like to thank them for their contributions during their time here. The club will be making no further comment at this stage."

Or summat like that.