Saturday 9 May 2015 22:11, UK
Super Sunday reporter Patrick Davison blogs about his interview with Joey Barton, who says there have been "bad eggs" in the QPR dressing room this season.
It won't surprise anyone to learn that for 20 minutes, the conversation was all about politics.
Along with a number of other things, Joey Barton has become well known for his interest in the subject and the night after a General Election, I should have known I was in trouble.
I'd come across him a few times in tunnels but had never properly met him before. I'd been told that, 'in real life', he was actually quite shy. I have to say, I didn't notice this.
It's fair to say he has strong views on the demise of Ed Miliband: "How can he be leader?" Nick Clegg: "I knew he was in trouble." And Nigel Farage: "Only ever a protest party."
Passionate and well-informed, he was scathing in his assessment of the outgoing leaders. It was a sign of things to come.
After 20 minutes, which is longer than most actual interviews last, we finally got going.
If he was honest when speaking about politicians, he was shockingly so when it came to QPR and in particular to one former manager, certain (nameless) team-mates and his own history with the club.
On the whole, the dressing room has turned up and given everything. One or two bad eggs have spoiled it. If it had been done my way, they would have been out of the building straight away.
His QPR career looked to have ended in disgrace three years ago. It was the day of perhaps the most famous Premier League game of them all - City going for the title and QPR, like now, in big trouble.
They were doing well, 1-1 in the 55th minute. Then, a moment of madness. Another one. Well, another three.
An elbow, an attempted head-butt and a nasty-looking kick to the back of the legs of Sergio Aguero before Barton was dragged from the pitch while trying to get involved with Mario Balotelli.
Aguero, as we know, went on to be the hero that day. "I was the villain," admits Barton.
"The red mist descended, I'm in the tunnel thinking I've let the team down," he continues. "It was a huge relief when we stayed up."
QPR got off the hook because Bolton couldn't win at Stoke and so went down instead. For Barton, there was no such reprieve.
The red card was soon followed by a hefty fine and a 12-game ban - the longest since Eric Cantona's kung fu kick.
"A 12-game ban? I would have taken 15 if you'd said to me QPR would stay in the Premier League," he insists.
The club punishment hurt him more. He was stripped of the captaincy, his squad number and sent out on loan to Marseille.
"I'm not going to lie," he says, the honesty really kicking in now. "When I am at Marseille and we're going for the French title and the manager who I fell out with (Mark Hughes) is really struggling and looking like losing his job, I was happy.
"I didn't want to see them do well - I'd fell out with them.
"I felt betrayed. People had said things to my face after the game at Man City, looked me in the eye and said one thing, then a week later stuck a knife in my back."
While he was away, the club were relegated. Feelings still ran deep; there seemed little chance of a reunion.
"I wanted to stay in France. I didn't want to come back and clear up Mark Hughes' mess," he went on.
Barton mainly credits chairman Tony Fernandes and vice-chairman Amit Bhatia for the fact that, in the end, he was persuaded to return for a much happier second spell.
QPR and their fans didn't mean much to him three years ago. Now, they have a special place in his heart.
He played a key role in last season's promotion to the Premier League and has fought hard this campaign to keep them in the division.
Most controversially of all though, Barton believes there are others at the club who have not been as committed to the cause.
"There's a few people who need to have a good look at themselves. Whatever happens on Sunday and the next two games, you have to be able to look at yourself in the mirror and say I did everything I can. Some people haven't done that."
He does say that most have given their all. The criticism is directed at a handful of players and members of staff. When it comes to that group, there's no holding back.
"On the whole, the dressing room has turned up and given everything. One or two bad eggs have spoiled it. If it had been done my way, they would have been out of the building straight away."
Not for the first or last time, Barton has made comments that will cause a stir.
And so, the man universally known as 'the controversial midfielder' heads back to the Etihad as outspoken as ever.
But this time, he'll be looking to cause a different kind of shock to the one he caused three years ago. There can be no red cards this time and for the rest of the team, no glorious failure. If QPR lose, they are down. If they don’t win, their fate is all but certain.
Thursday's General Election proved entirely unpredictable.
Now QPR and Barton have to show that sport, like politics, can be full of surprises.
You can see Patrick's full Joey Barton and Clint Hill interview on Super Sunday on Sky Sports 1 HD from 12.30pm, before QPR travel to Manchester City, kick-off at 1.30pm.
Not a subscriber? Get a Sky Sports Pass from NOW TV.
