Joey Barton slams his players in what turned out to be a damning post-match interview as Morecambe thrash Bristol Rovers.
Barton called his side’s 5-1 defeat at the Mazuma Stadium “embarrassing” and a “rude awakening” for his squad, while also apologising to fans who made the trip north.
Morecambe went ahead when Dan Crowley hit a long-range shot past Ellery Balcombe, before four second-half goals made it 5-0 – Connolly (47′ og), Love (49′), Stockton (62′), Mayor (88′), with Aaron Collins then getting a 90th minute consolation for the away side.
The visitors’ defeat was their second in a row, leaving them 12th in the League One table, while for Derek Adams’ Morecambe, it was their fourth successive home win as they moved out of the bottom four up to 19th.
Joey Barton didn’t hold back his thoughts post-match, saying, as per Bristol Post: “Probably the worst 60-70-minute performance, if not 90-minute performance, since I’ve been here. It was really poor and I can only apologise to the fans who have paid their hard-earned cash and given up their time on Saturday to follow us here.
“That is not acceptable and all you can do is apologise to the (the fans). It was embarrassing, actually.
“If I had my way, I’d make the players pay for their tickets and their travel because that was an embarrassing performance from our players.
“Do they deserve to be paid? I wouldn’t pay you if you turned up and did a job in my house and did it to the standard of some of our boys today. I’d be chucking you out of the house and never allowing you back in and you certainly wouldn’t be getting a pound note off me.
“But that’s the beauty of football, isn’t it? The lads get paid regardless. They have got the PFA and all that to protect them for those reasons, but based on output, I wouldn’t have paid some of our lads the money they are getting paid for that performance because it was unacceptable.”
“You expect the mistakes and those decisions to be made from lads who are 19 and making their league debut, not lads who are a few hundred games into their careers and in their 30s,” he added.
“Three or four days to go in the window and we need to bring in four or five players if we want to try to get promoted.
“For us, you have got to beat these teams.
“We have been excellent beating Cheltenham away and Cambridge away, but we lose here comfortably today and we lose at Accrington last week.
“If you want to get promoted, you can’t drop points there for me.”
Morecambe’s Derek Adams said: “It was a great win for us today.
“Overall, it was a fabulous performance from us to beat a team who are 11th in the league 5-1 at home.
“The way we scored, the way we took them, it was a great day for the players and the staff.
“Dan [Crowley] can take the ball anywhere and he scored a fabulous goal.
“He was involved in a good number of moves for us today, and goals.
“It was great to see the likes of Adam Mayor score, Mellor to get a goal and Donald Love got a goal.
“The way we passed the ball today, we opened up a very good team in Bristol Rovers.
“To score five goals again at home is delighting for the players.
“The supporters are able to see a team score five goals in League One for the second time this season and get another home victory.
“We’re now unbeaten at home in eight games.”
This is how social media users reacted as Joey Barton slams his players in his damning post-match interview with Morecambe going on to thrash Bristol Rovers…
@nickknowles: Could have asked him if it was the correct decision to drop Belshaw!?
@CaravansRepair: Joey’s in charge let him sort it. #UTG
@Alky007: How was the pitch?
@Stu_Rob_Rae: Need more quality? Thought your boys looked good on the ball… but overplayed at times in dangerous areas. Although crisp with passing, not very quick progressing the ball forwards… which made it easy to defend against. A bit naive tactically.
@RobbieFox4: Dangerous to throw players under bus. Can’t replace whole defence in one transfer window.
@BerbaTuckz: Honest as usual. In @Joey7Barton we trust 👏💙
@thatchersend: I agree with everything he said in this interview.
@pafc_brad: Imagine Losing 5-1 to morcambe 😂😂😂😂
@gasheadgeorge: Don’t mind Quansah looks like he could be useful in a settled defence, balcombe on the other hand… couldn’t lace belly’s boots
@Elmhart: Back to basics, or back to the drawing board. They were a lot more clinical than us, and cut through us far too easily. It’s just 3pts, but that’s a run we need to break, and score some goals as well as keep some clean sheets.
@Iboughtaflute: Can’t deny some errors of late from Belly, especially outside the box and with the long ball. Stuff to work on but he’s a fantastic keeper who’s come through for us so many times and the sort of bloke who is gonna work and fight and come back stronger. Needs back in the team.
@cw_gas76: This result was on the cards after the pitiful performance at Accrington. Belshaw clearly not the issue.
@mucker80: Absolutely shameful result! That’s Accrington and now Morecambe in back-to-back away defeats. I think reaching the playoffs and competing for a place in the Championship is a bit far fetched if I’m honest, we’re miles off it.
@WAFCNathan: Justice for Belly, wouldn’t have conceded 5 with him between the sticks!! 😁👍🏼
@Craigutg: Need to get a keeper in on loan! Oh hang on we have #bringbackbelly
@GasOnTour: This result has been coming. Performances have been getting progressively worse. We’ve just played arguably the 2 weakest sides in L1, Accrington & Morecambe. Scored 1, conceded 7, lost both, including today’s shambolic hammering. Need at least 4 quality additions. @Joey7Barton
@1_henshall: Losing to Accrington and Morecambe back to back should result in a points deduction. Don’t wanna kill this new keeper before he’s had a chance but as debuts go that was awful. Coutts’ hasn’t looked right for a while either
@stevegas2: That was a performance that looked like some players not playing for the manager. A non existent midfield with no battle in them, leaving the defence exposed. Coutts and Evans been poor most of season, that’s where change is needed.
@Leearch07733983: Keep saying it every week! Connelly is the problem! He’s not a leader, always out of position and only looked good because Connor Taylor covered him last season! He’s been the only common theme in the defence this year! No Thomas, no Belshaw, different full backs . Same result!
@SharonNobleMize: Please can we have a refund? Would like to put it towards counselling after travelling to watch this and Accrington 😢😡
@BrianCarterGas1: Come on now, no need for the comments about the new GK. You win as a team and lose as a team.
Match highlights for anyone who was lucky enough to not see the match. pic.twitter.com/OYxG2dsdGR
— Axford 🏴☠️ (@joshaxford8) January 28, 2023
Think we might need to make a few more signings boys… pic.twitter.com/Z4nWCfocsQ
— george tiz (@gasheadgeorge) January 28, 2023
— Michael Massiah (@MichaelMassiah4) January 28, 2023
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