Source: FOOTYMAD
Barton Held Talks With Wenger
Joey Barton has claimed he held talks with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger before joining QPR. New Rangers captain Barton believes his hopes of becoming a Gunners player were scuppered after he was involved in Gervinho's sending-off on the opening day of the Barclays Premier League season. Playing what proved his final home match for Newcastle last month, Barton threw himself to the ground after clashing with Arsenal's new striker, who was shown a red card. Midfielder Barton told BBC Sport: "If I hadn't played against Arsenal on the first day, I may have signed for them. "There were a couple of conversations [with Wenger] but that's different to actually signing. "The Gervinho incident happened and there's nothing I can do about it now. "If it happened again, I'd like to think I'd deal with it differently. "Things happen for a reason and there's a lesson to be learned from it. Right now, we sit above Arsenal in the table - hopefully that's the case in May. "There were a couple of offers on the table but now I'm really happy to be at QPR and in London. "We play an expansive and exciting brand of football and can hopefully surprise a few people this season." PREMIERSHIP FIXTURES Saturday 24th September 2011 Manchester City v Everton 12:45 Arsenal v Bolton Wanderers 15:00 Chelsea v Swansea City 15:00 Liverpool v Wolverhampton Wanderers 15:00 Newcastle United v Blackburn Rovers 15:00 West Bromwich Albion v Fulham 15:00 Wigan Athletic v Tottenham Hotspur 15:00 Stoke City v Manchester United 17:30 Sunday 25th September 2011 Queens Park Rangers v Aston Villa 16:00 Monday 26th September 2011 Norwich City v Sunderland 20:00 MAGPIES IN EUROPE £9.99 Available From: NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNEM&M News; 140 Northumberland St.One Stop News; 44 Blackett St.Blackwell Bookshop; 141 Percy St.The Back Page; 56 St Andrews St. CHESTER-LE-STREETThe Bookcase; 131 Front St NEWCASTLE UNITED 20011/12 PREMIER LEAGUE QPR 0 NEWCASTLE 0Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Obertan (Sammy Ameobi 88), Cabaye, Tiote, Gutierrez, Best (Marveaux 82), Shola Ameobi (Ba 64).Subs Not Used: Elliot, Santon, Guthrie, Lovenkrands. NEWCASTLE 2 FULHAM 1 (Best 2)Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Lovenkrands (Ba 62), Cabaye, Tiote, Gutierrez, Obertan, Best (Vuckic 78), Vuckic (Smith 85).Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Marveaux, Sammy Ameobi, Ferguson. SUNDERLAND 0 NEWCASTLE UTD 1 (R Taylor)Krul, Simpson, Steven Taylor, Coloccini, Ryan Taylor, Tiote, Cabaye (Williamson 85), Barton, Obertan (Gosling 85), Gutierrez, Shola Ameobi.Subs Not Used: Harper, Lovenkrands, Ba, Best, Marveaux. NEWCASTLE 0 ARSENAL 0Krul, Coloccini, Steven Taylor, Ryan Taylor, Simpson, Barton, Cabaye (Lovenkrands 81), Tiote, Gutierrez, Shola Ameobi (Best 73), Ba (Obertan 46).Subs Not Used: Forster, Williamson, Gosling, Sammy Ameobi. CARLING CUP SCUNTHORPE 1 NEWCASTLE 2 AET (R Taylor, Sammy Ameobi)Krul, Simpson, Coloccini, Williamson (Steven Taylor 45), Ryan Taylor, Marveaux, Gosling (Vuckic 70), Cabaye, Lovenkrands, Best, Ba (Sammy Ameobi 65).Subs Not Used: Soderberg, Abeid, Smith, Ferguson. PRE-SEASON FIXTURES NEWCASTLE 0 FIORENTINA 0 (Ab 63 mins)Krul (Forster 46), Simpson, S Taylor, Coloccini, Enrique, Gosling (Ba 46), Cabaye, Vuckic, Jonas (Marveaux 46) Lovenkrands (R Taylor 61), Best (Shola Ameobi 46).Subs: Sammy Ameobi, Ranger, Tavernier, Williamson. LEEDS UTD 3 NEWCASTLE 2 (S.Taylor, Vuckic)Forster, Cabaye, Williamson, Barton, Simpson, Gosling, Gutierrez, Ba, Shola Ameobi, Taylor, Tavernier. Subs: Krul, Taylor, Best, Vuckic, Sammy Ameobi, Dummett. COLUMBUS CREW 0 NEWCASTLE 3 (Ameobi, Coloccini, Vuckic)Harper; Tavernier, S Taylor, Coloccini (Dummett, 54), Enrique; Gutierrez (Abeid, 85), Tiote (Smith, 62), Gosling, Marveaux (Vuckic, 76); Ameobi (Best, 75), Ba. Subs not used: Forster, Krul. ORLANDO CITY 1 NEWCASTLE 0Forster; R Taylor (Enrique, 26), S Taylor, Coloccini, Tavernier; Gosling (Vuckic, 71), Smith (Abeid, 74), Tiote, Gutierrez; Best (Ba, 74), Lovenkrands (Ameobi, 74). Subs not used: Krul, Harper. SPORTING KANSAS 0 NEWCASTLE 0Krul, Gosling, Coloccini, S Taylor, R Taylor, Marveaux (Tavernier 46), Tiote (Abeid 46), Ben Arfa, Gutierrez, Ba (Best 72), Lovenkrands (Smith 46). DARLINGTON 0 NEWCASTLE 2 (Barton, Sammy Ameobi)Forster; Simpson (Dummett), S Taylor (Tavernier), Williamson (Henderson), Ferguson (R Taylor); Barton (Abeid), Guthrie (Cabaye, Donaldson), Smith (Gosling), Vuckic (Sammy Ameobi); Ben Arfa (Richardson), Best (Ranger). Subs not used: Soderberg, Newton.