Former Ibrox boss McLeish has suggested that this kind of debacle should not come as too much of a surprise to Glasgow Rangers.
Former Rangers manager Alex McLeish has told BT Sport that he does not believe the controversy surrounding Joey Barton should have a negative effect on the rest of the squad.
Barton has been a divisive figure throughout his career and has been plagued by disciplinary problems, particularly during his younger years.
He sparked controversy before even pulling on a Gers shirt when he was critical of Scottish football, and appeared to take swipes at Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers and captain Scott Brown.
Barton has been suspended by Rangers in the wake of a training ground altercation with teammate Andy Halliday, and on Tuesday a further, separate controversy came to light with the revelation that he was being investigated over breaching SFA betting rules.
The situation does not look good for the one-time England international and is far from ideal for Mark Warburton’s side, but former boss McLeish has insisted that it should not prove a distraction for the rest of the squad.
McLeish told BT Sport: “I don’t think it should affect the squad.
“We knew when Joey was coming to Scotland that there were going to be some colourful comments and here were are, only a few weeks into the season, and already there’s a wee bit of controversy.”
Barton has far from followed up on his pre-season promise that he would establish himself as the best player in Scotland.
The midfielder has played eight times in all competitions but has far from set the world alight, and there is a school of thought developing that the Gers should simply cut their losses on the 34-year-old following the latest controversies.
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